In December, 2024 VII Forum of Russian-Chinese University Alliance of the Volga Federal District and the Upper and Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River was held online. This year it was devoted to the subject: "The role of University Alliance ''Volga-Yangtze'' in development of Russian-Chinese university cooperation: results and prospects". The organizers of the event were Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev and Sichuan University.
Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District Mr. Oleg Mashkovtsev congratulated the participants and called the annual holding of such Forums the confirmation of readiness of our higher education institutions for the constructive dialogue on current issues of developing inter-university cooperation.
Advisor of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China Mrs. Xi Zhu also noted in her speech that the activities of University Alliance ''Volga-Yangtze'' opened up broad opportunities for exchanging experience and ideas, finding partner universities for joint work, implementing scientific and educational projects.
The co-chairman of University Alliance ''Volga-Yangtze'' Prof. Sergey Dmitriev (NNSTU Rector) emphasized in his welcoming speech that the high level of mutual trust gave intensive development of cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture, proving mutual respect and good neighborliness of Russia and China.
The co-chairman of University Alliance ''Volga-Yangtze'' Prof. Wang Jinsong (Rector of Sichuan University) proposed three key areas for discussion at the meeting: deepening cooperation in the educational sphere, expanding scientific and technological contacts, intensifying exchanges in the humanitarian sphere, taking into account the principles and intentions outlined in the Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on deepening relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction.
The representatives of 30 Chinese and Russian universities spoke about the results of cooperation in the outgoing 2024 and discussed the prospects and new opportunities for Russian-Chinese regional cooperation.
As a result of the discussion, the participants came to the unanimous opinion that University Alliance ''Volga-Yangtze'' is one of the powerful tools for the growth of university partnership between Russia and China, the potential of which can and should be developed. This is a priority task and in the near future the academic community of the both countries is capable of responding to this challenge.