In June 2026, Saint Petersburg State University and Harbin University of Science and Technology announced plans to establish a joint Sino-Russian institute. According to the press service of Saint Petersburg State University, while the official launch date of the joint institute is still under negotiation, educational activities have already commenced. Since September 2022, 871 students have been enrolled in undergraduate joint programmes in mathematics, physics and chemistry.
In February 2025, the two universities agreed to launch a bachelor’s programme in biology starting in 2027, as well as master’s programmes in mathematics, physics and chemistry. These educational programmes are taught jointly by Russian and Chinese faculty members, with compulsory courses in the Russian language, Russian history and other disciplines aligned with Saint Petersburg State University’s teaching standards.
The upcoming institute, to be named the “Sino-Russian Advanced Engineering Institute,” is envisioned as an open platform integrating education, research and production. The project aims to train professionals in the following fields: architecture and landscape architecture, carbon neutrality and energy technology, ecology and natural resource management, mechanical engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence.
On May 20, 2026, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, the two leaders jointly announced the official launch of the 2026–2027 Russia–China Year of Education. This initiative is expected to further accelerate the expansion of bilateral educational cooperation, including the continued growth of student exchange programmes, the development of double-degree programmes, the establishment of joint educational institutions and the creation of joint research laboratories.
The bilateral student exchange volume has already exceeded 80,000 people, with Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov noting that the target of 100,000 two-way student exchanges by 2030, set in the “Roadmap for Russian–Chinese Humanitarian Cooperation until 2030,” is likely to be achieved ahead of schedule. Currently, 15 university alliances — including the Russia–China Association of Technical Universities, the Medical University Alliance and the Cultural and Arts University Alliance — bring together more than 800 higher education institutions from both countries, conducting joint research and collaborative innovation.
