On the morning of November 3, a 4-member delegation, including President Zelechnov of Samara State Transport University and Vice President Bashkov of Samara State University, paid a visit to SCU. President of SCU, Academician Xie Heping met the guests. The Vice President of SCU, Prof. Yan Shijing and relevant personnel were present.

During the meeting, President Xie noted that, SCU, as one of the Chinese universities which took the lead in establishment of the Department of Russian Language, has three relevant research institutions, including the Center for Contemporary Russian Studies, and has also established long-term and stable partnership with Russian peers. SCU attaches great importance to the communication and cooperation with the Russian universities. Hence, he hoped these two universities could actively join in the union of universities in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the federal district along the Volga River, so as to conduct in-depth, multi-field cooperation and communications in students exchange, and teachers' joint scientific research, etc.

During the meeting, President Zelechnov and Vice President Bashkov envisaged their aspirations for seeking cooperation with Chinese famous universities, including Sichuan University, and also specially expressed their expectations on the union of universities.

Relevant introductions:

Upon approval by the Chinese and Russian governments, the union of universities in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the federal district along the Volga River is jointly established by the International Cooperation Union of Universities in the federal district along the Volga River, and Sichuan University. Both sides will be devoted to the cooperation of universities and colleges under “the Yangtze River- Volga River” mechanism, helping to cultivate more qualified talents, and promote academic research and communications on education, sci-tech and youth as well as cultural cooperation. The proposed union will actively drive the progress of education, sci-tech and culture as the basic factors for boosting modern social development and carrying forward educational tradition.