HSE Expands Cooperation with Chinese Universities

© HSE University

An HSE delegation, led by Rector Nikita Anisimov, visited China for negotiations with the administration of the country’s top universities. The parties agreed to expand bilateral scientific and educational collaboration and signed several documents. In particular, a strategic partnership agreement was established with Peking University, one of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions in China.

At a meeting with the administration of Peking University, Nikita Anisimov emphasised: ‘Just as the leaders of our countries are responsible for the future of their nations, we, as university rectors, also bear this responsibility: we educate the best students and place great importance on scientific research.’ He added that HSE is ready to join projects within Russian–Chinese educational and scientific initiatives overseen by Peking University.

The parties agreed on student and faculty exchanges, joint educational programmes, events, research projects, and participation in grant competitions. HSE and Peking University will collaborate in fields such as artificial intelligence, information technology, sustainable development, the green economy, and space research. Special attention will be given to promoting linguistic and cultural exchange, including the study of Chinese in Russia and Russian in China, as well as strengthening cooperation in the humanities.

Furthermore, HSE and Peking University are also planning to create a joint laboratory to conduct research on high-efficiency and stable perovskite solar cells. Nikita Anisimov noted that earlier this year, a joint application had been submitted to HSE’s International Academic Cooperation competition. ‘The use of modern supercomputer modelling methods and artificial intelligence, combined with experimental research, will enable scientific and technological breakthroughs that will facilitate the commercialisation of this technology. The project will also contribute to training a new generation of scientists and engineers,’ said the HSE rector.

Following the official part of the visit, representatives of HSE met with Russian students studying at Peking University and Chinese students learning Russian language and culture. They took part in a quiz, with questions prepared by Felix Azhimov, Dean of the HSE Faculty of Humanities.

During their visit to China, the HSE delegation also visited other leading scientific and educational institutions, including Tsinghua University, the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (BIMSA), Beijing Normal University, the China National Academy of Educational Sciences, Beihang University, and Beijing University of Technology. The parties reached agreements to expand cooperation and implement new research and educational projects.

At Tsinghua University, Nikita Anisimov highlighted that two years ago, at the request of the Russian government, HSE began developing a network of international scientific laboratories in collaboration with universities worldwide. So far, over ten such laboratories have been established, including three with Chinese universities. The HSE International Laboratory for Mirror Symmetry and Automorphic Forms and the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (BIMSA) have launched a joint research project on geometry and physics. The HSE Institute of Education is working with Tsinghua University's Institute of Education on a study of postgraduate education transformation in China and Russia. Meanwhile, the International Laboratory of Dynamical Systems and Applications at HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod, in collaboration with the School of Mathematical Sciences at Tongji University, is researching the qualitative theory of systems of ordinary and partial differential equations.

International laboratories enable researchers to collaborate on complex scientific challenges, Nikita Anisimov emphasised. ‘I would like to thank Tsinghua University for taking part in establishing such joint laboratories. I am confident that in the field of new technology development, we can also create large-scale collaborative projects,’ he said.

Tsinghua University Rector Li Luming stressed his commitment to the principle of open education, noting that many Chinese students are currently studying abroad. ‘Last year, 11,000 of our students had the opportunity to study at universities around the world. Of course, this helps broaden their horizons. I hope that following our meeting, Tsinghua University and HSE will join forces to create significant opportunities for developing academic mobility programmes for students and faculty,’ he stated. As a result of the discussions, both parties agreed to sign a cooperation agreement.

At Beijing Normal University, one of HSE’s long-standing Chinese partners, the delegation discussed further strengthening cooperation and extending the existing agreement under which HSE students are currently studying in Beijing. ‘Both universities have organised a conference on education and foreign languages and are engaged in joint research activities. Thanks to these efforts, our scientific and cultural collaboration is advancing and deepening. I sincerely hope that today’s meeting will contribute to mutual understanding and open new avenues for cooperation,’ said Rector Yu Jihong in her welcome address. She also highlighted that Beijing Normal University and HSE are key participants in Russian–Chinese dialogue in the humanities.

In response, Nikita Anisimov thanked his colleagues for their partnership and conveyed the appreciation of Russia’s Ministry of Education for their work within the Chinese–Russian Union of Higher Pedagogical Educational Institutions. Following the meeting, both sides signed a new cooperation agreement.

During a meeting with the China National Academy of Educational Sciences, Rector Li Yongzhi described the academy’s mission as a national analytical centre for education and emphasised that HSE is a reliable and highly significant partner. ‘Both sides maintain close and productive cooperation. We have achieved impressive results. Over the course of our collaboration, we have seen HSE’s remarkable achievements as a multidisciplinary research university that is committed to international cooperation and open to new partnerships,’ he stated. Nikita Anisimov noted the shared challenges faced by universities in both countries, such as the development of human resources, educational and demographic policy. He also stressed the importance of digitalising education and integrating AI into learning processes, underscoring the need for experience exchange in these areas.

At the China National Academy of Educational Sciences

© HSE University

At the Russian Cultural Centre in Beijing, the HSE delegation also held a meeting with HSE students and alumni who are currently studying or working in China. They shared their experiences and spoke about their academic and professional achievements. Among the attendees were Chinese citizens who had applied through Rossotrudnichestvo to study at HSE—potential future students of the university.

At the Russian Cultural Centre in Beijing

© HSE University

The HSE delegation to China included:

• Nikita Anisimov, HSE Rector
• Victoria Panova, Vice Rector, Head of the BRICS Expert Council–Russia
• Ksenia Shevtsova, Head of the International Partnerships Office, Deputy Head of the BRICS Expert Council–Russia
• Evgeniy Terentev, Director of the Institute of Education, Academic Director of the Doctoral School of Education
• Felix Azhimov, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Professor at the School of Philosophy and Cultural Studies
• Maria Soloshcheva, Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg, Associate Professor, Academic Supervisor of the Asian and African Studies programme
• Alexey Zhukov, Head of the Department of Physics, Professor at the School of Computer Science, Physics and Technology at HSE University–St Petersburg, Academic Supervisor of the International Laboratory of Quantum Optoelectronics at the School of Computer Science, Physics and Technology
• Andrey Vasenko, Deputy Head of the Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory, Professor of the School of Electronic Engineering at the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics
• Alexey Naumov, Head of the Joint Department with the Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems (RAS) at the Big Data and Information Retrieval School of the Faculty of Computer Science, Academic Supervisor of Math of Machine Learning programme
• Dmitry Kovalenko, Director of the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics
• Maksim Nikitin, Expert at the Institute of Education
• lya Kozylov, Lecturer at the School of International Regional Studies at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
• Konstantin Vishnevskiy, Director of the Centre for Strategic Analysis and Big Data at the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge