Rustam Minnikhanov chairs the meeting of the organizing committee for the 15th Russia–China Technical Universities Forum

On April 15, at the Cabinet of Ministers of the republic, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov chaired a meeting of the regional organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the 15th Forum of Technical Universities of Russia and China.

Opening the session, Rustam Minnikhanov noted that “regular mutual visits by our leaders — Russian President Vladimir Putin and the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping — clearly demonstrate the special nature of Russian–Chinese relations, which are built on mutual respect”.

“The development of educational, scientific and technological ties is one of the most important areas of cooperation between our countries,” Minnikhanov said. He also highlighted the widely recognized technological advancement of the Chinese economy.

Tatarstan consistently places strong emphasis on developing relations with China, Minnikhanov stated, noting that the republic’s academic and research institutions are implementing numerous joint projects with Chinese partners in breakthrough areas.

More than 2,000 students from China are currently studying in Tatarstan, he added.

Last year, Tatarstan hosted the 8th Forum of the “Volga–Yangtze” University Association.

“Undoubtedly, the scientific potential of cooperation between our universities has not yet been fully implemented. The cross years of education between our countries provide a unique opportunity to further expand partnerships and bring our relations to a fundamentally new level,” Minnikhanov said.

During the meeting, participants discussed key issues related to the preparation and organization of the 15th anniversary Forum of the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities.

The forum is dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Association.

Honorary Co-Chairman of the Association and President of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University Anatoly Aleksandrov made a report.

It was noted that the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities was established in 2011 to unite the efforts of leading technical universities of Russia and China in training highly qualified personnel for the innovation economy, promoting academic exchanges of students and teachers and developing scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries. The Association was founded on the basis of Harbin Institute of Technology and Bauman Moscow State Technical University.

Aleksandrov emphasized that the forum of the Association is included in the official programme of the Russia–China Years of Education for 2026–2027.

He also noted the ongoing growth in student and teacher exchanges, the organization of summer schools and other joint initiatives.

For information:

At their meeting in Kazan in September 2025, Rustam Minnikhanov and Chinese Vice Minister of Education Du Jiangfeng discussed the organization of the Forum of Rectors of universities of Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities in 2026.