Global Engagement

Tan Tieniu visits Iran and Russia to promote higher education cooperation with "the Belt and Road" countries

From October 21 to 28, Tan Tieniu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Secretary of the CPC NJU Committee, led a delegation to visit Iran and Russia. This visit aims to promote scientific and educational cooperation and enhance cultural exchanges with “the Belt and Road” countries. Tan and his delegation paid visits to universities and research institutions in the two countries including Shiraz University, University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, St Petersburg State University, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Moscow Pedagogical State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Iranology Foundation, Russian Academy of Sciences, and Institute of Geography (RAS).


NJU Delegation Visits Iran to Expand Global Cooperation Network

In the afternoon of October 21, the delegation visited Shiraz University, where Tan Tieniu held talks with President Mohammad Moazeni. Both sides stated that the communication between China and Iran shared a long-standing history, and agreed to further expand cooperation in the fields of China and Asia Studies, archaeology, and geography.


In the morning of October 22, Tan Tieniu delivered an academic lecture titled “Reflections and Prospects on Artificial Intelligence” at Shiraz University. The delegation also visited the Islamic World Science and Technology Monitoring and Citation Institute (ISC) and Shiraz University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. Besides, Professor Lu Huayu and Professor Hua Tao engaged fruitful discussions with experts and scholars from the Geography and History departments of the university.


In the morning of October 23, the delegation visited the Iranology Foundation in Tehran. Tan Tieniu met with President Mohammad Davani, and the two sides achieved consensus on seeking cooperation in the fields of ancient Iranian literature, scientific history, art, astronomy, etc.


Later, the delegation paid a visit to the University of Tehran, where Tan Tieniu met with President Seyed Moghimi and Vice President Elham Aminzadeh. Both sides agreed to develop practical cooperation in areas of Regional Studies, Silk Road Study, Climate Change, Geography, and so forth. After the meeting, the delegation visited the university’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center for Young Scientists.


In the afternoon of that day, Tan Tieniu visited the Sharif University of Technology and met with President Rasool Jalili. Both sides conceived of future cooperation in the fields of Environmental Science, Atmospheric Science, Economics, etc., and consented to collaboratively contribute to solving global issues such as climate change.


Consolidating Cooperation and Expanding Channels for Communication with Russia

On October 25, the delegation visited St Petersburg State University in company with Zhang Xiaoqing, Chinese Deputy Consul General in St. Petersburg. Tan Tieniu held talks with Nikolay Kropachev, rector of the university, and Yuri Matiyasevich, academician of St. Petersburg Department of the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Both sides agreed to advance collaboration in the disciplines of mathematics, chemistry, and geography.


In the afternoon of that day, the delegation visited Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and held talks with Vice Rector Dmitry Arseniev. Tan Tieniu emphasized the development of the NJU Suzhou campus and its new engineering disciplines, and the two sides deliberated on future cooperation in artificial intelligence, electronics, management, etc. After the meeting, the delegation visited the university’s laboratories of advanced manufacturing technology, automation, and robotics.


In the morning of October 26, Tan Tieniu visited the Russian Academy of Sciences and held in-depth conversations with Vice President Vladislav Panchenko and other representatives. Both sides assented to boosting collaboration in scientific research under the framework of “the Belt and Road” initiative and the BRICS cooperation mechanism. Later, the delegation went to the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences and communicated with its director Olga Solomina.


In the afternoon of the 26th, the delegation visited Moscow Pedagogical State University and held a meeting with Rector Alexey Lubkov and First Vice-Rector Victor Dronov. The two sides renewed the cooperation agreement and student exchange agreement and proposed to foster cooperation in areas of Education Studies, History, Geography, Language, and Online Education in the future.


In the morning of October 27, Tan Tieniu visited Lomonosov Moscow State University, and had thorough discussions with Vice-Rector Yuri Mazei. Both sides agreed to carry out extensive communication and exchanges in the disciplines of Global Artificial Intelligence Governance, Mathematics, Geography, Environmental Science, and Meteorology. Following the meeting, Tan Tieniu gave an academic lecture on artificial intelligence, and Professor Lu Huayu also delivered a lecture titled “Loess Deposition and the Past Environment.”


In the afternoon of that day, the delegation paid another visit to the National Research University Higher School of Economics and met with Vice Rector Victoria Panova.


During their visit, the delegation also paid official calls to the Embassy of China in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chinese Embassy in Russian Federation, and Chinese Consulate-General in St. Petersburg, introducing the latest educational achievements and developmental plans of NJU.




Writer: Chen Liyu

Editor: Chen Nan, Yu Hanzhang