Chinese, Russian scholars call for deeper education cooperation
Experts and scholars from China and Russia called for deeper cooperation in education, scientific research and people-to-people exchanges on Tuesday as they gathered in Moscow for the China-Russia Education and Economy Dialogue, amid the China-Russia Years of Education (2026-27).
The event, co-hosted by Renmin University of China and the Free Economic Society of Russia, was aimed at promoting high-level education cooperation between the two countries. A delegation led by Zhang Donggang, Party secretary of Renmin University of China, attended the event, marking the first university delegation to visit Russia since the launch of the bilateral education-themed years.
Sergey Bodrunov, president of the Free Economic Society of Russia, said the two sides have maintained close communication and practical cooperation, while frequent academic exchanges have helped deepen educational ties and enhance mutual understanding among the younger generations in both countries.
Looking ahead, he said the Russian side is ready to expand cooperation with China, raise collaboration to a higher level, further strengthen the public support underpinning bilateral relations, and inject fresh momentum into the sustained and sound development of Russia-China relations.
In his address, Zhang said the China-Russia Years of Education, the first national-level themed year dedicated to education between the two countries, reflect the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and the shared expectation of both peoples for closer exchanges and mutual learning.
He said the Renmin University of China will take the opportunity to deepen education cooperation, strengthen research coordination, promote joint talent training, and enhance exchanges among younger generations in order to consolidate the foundation of high-quality development of China-Russia relations.
Alexander Nekipelov, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said the world is undergoing profound technological changes that are reshaping the foundations of the economic order. Against this backdrop, he said, Russia and China are both improving their high-level talent training systems while strengthening exchanges and mutual learning.
Noting that educational dialogue provides solid support for broader cooperation between the two countries, he said that the Russian side is willing to work with the Chinese side to achieve new progress in economic, cultural, and related fields.
Oleg Smolin, an academician of the Russian Academy of Education, said education cooperation is an important component of Russia-China relations.
In recent years, he said, bilateral cooperation in science and education has flourished within multilateral frameworks, while two-way student exchanges have exceeded 80,000, providing strong talent support for cooperation across various sectors.
Wang Wen, dean of Renmin University of China's Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, said the dialogue will further elevate exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian universities and think tanks to a new height.
Against the backdrop of the China-Russia Years of Education, Wang said he hopes think tanks from both countries will continue to deepen practical cooperation in academic research, scientific projects, and expert exchanges to deliver more fruitful outcomes.
Chen Fang, dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Renmin University of China, said education cooperation and people-to-people exchanges carry great significance under the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
As the two countries have built close ties across various fields, she said, there is a growing need for more versatile talent with strong language skills, deep knowledge of both countries, and solid humanistic literacy.



























