MPEI - first graduation of Bachelors studied on joint program with North China Electric Power University

MPEI had its first Bachelor graduation on the joint study program with North China Electric Power University (NCEPU).

The education was completed by the first group of Chinese students of joint programs in the fields of "Heat Power Engineering", "Electric Power Engineering" and "Nuclear Power Engineering".

Students, who finish their education as Bachelors after two years of studying at NCEPU and two years at MPEI, are to receive the Double-Degree Diplomas of both Universities, and also the Certificates of the University of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (USCO).

Mutual program for education is realized in the framework of the USCO and within the scholarship support of Russian Federation and People’s Republic of China.

The results of the first graduation were discussed at the meeting of the MPEI and NCEPU leaders. On behalf of the Russian University, the event was attended by Alexander Tarasov, Vice-Rector on International Relations, Alexey Dedov, Head of the Institute of Thermal and Nuclear Power Engineering, Corresponding member of RAS, Vladimir Tulskiy, Head of Electric Power Engineering Institute, staff of the International Relations Department and Institute of Electrical Power Engineering Direction. The Chinese side was represented by Wang Zenping, Vice-President of NCEPU, Duan Chongming, Head of the Department of International Relations, Zhang Dongfeng, Deputy Head of the Study Department, and Heads of three Faculties participating in the program: Faculty of Electric Engineering and Electronics, Faculty of Power Engineering and Mechanics and Faculty of Nuclear Science and Power Engineering,

The meeting warmed up the discussion on the issues of extension of the study of the second group of students and admission of the third group to MPEI. The variants of organization of the mutual postgraduate program that supposes studying at NCEPU and at MPEI were talked over as well. The partners considered some possible guidelines of the education, with the best one to be chosen from.

For many years, MPEI has been one of the key universities that nurtured the generations of foreign power engineers. For us, the full Bachelor program launch for Chinese students is as well an interstate scale task in the framework of agreements between our countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and tradition fulfillment to train specialists for the energy industry of a friendly country.

"We profoundly develop multilateral relationship within the field of Chinese Infrastructural Power branch. Specialist training is only one facet of this development. MPEI works as a scientific basis for the Russian Committee of Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization GEIDCO, the Union that contributes to t the power networks coordination of Russia and China. I believe that the graduation of anew Bachelors generation with the diplomas of MPEI, NCEPU and USCO will assure a stable future and peaceful development of the global power" - Nikolay Rogalev, MPEI Rector, commented on the first graduation of bachelors.

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MPEI and North China Electric Power University (NCEPU) are long-term partners, and since 2013 they have been working together as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization University, providing Master students in Power Engineering with the opportunity to study at both institutions. However, the language issues were an obstacle to enroll the interested students. Thus, in 2017 it was decided to develop a bilateral Bachelor program based on the Russian language for Chinese applicants. During the first two years NCEPU students are trained in the coordinated programs in the fields of Electric, Heat and Nuclear Power and intensively learn Russian. After the 2nd year students are transferred to MPEI to study in Russian medium. To support the training of Russian during the first two years, two MPEI teachers work with the Chinese students, personally or remotely because of the pandemic. After the start of the actual study in the fields of technical sciences in Russian, future graduates experience a severe stress, but the practice has been showing that selected and motivated students can handle it and get involved in the educational process. The academic results of the students proved to be very high because these students are selected by their well-placed intentions, Russian language skills and academic progress in China.

Candidates to participate in the joint program are selected at NCEPU among the students studying on scholarship, i.e. through a serious contest. The next part of selection gets 40 out of 150, after that two groups are formed to study in Beijing and Baoding. After the winter session on the 2nd course the selection contest is strengthened by MPEI, taking into account the progress and the Russian-language test results. Finally, there are about 25 winners recommended for MPEI admission.

Down to practice, in the first group there were 29 students. As a result of the administrative failure, they could not obtain Russian State scholarship to study at MPEI, so they all came to study on a contract basis. Fortunately, they got the Chinese scholarship to study abroad. Now this very group is graduating from the Bachelor Course, 14 in Electric Power Engineering, 9 in Institute of Thermal Power Engineering and 6 in Nuclear Power Engineering. 22 of them are planning to continue studying at MPEI as Masters, the rest are going to continue as Masters in other universities of Russia and China.

The second group of 25 students selected at the beginning of 2020 from NCEPU ones could obtain the Russian State scholarship and were admitted MPEI on its basis. But due to the pandemic, nobody could study in person; students have been enrolled and studying remotely, thanks to NCEPU having granted them accomodation at the Campus. So, aside from the language stress these students got the problems of distance learning in September 2020 and two of them rejected the opportunity. So now the second group of students that finishes the 3rd year has 23 students.

The Russian language tests were passed remotely by the third group of NCEPU students in January 2021, leaving 28 persons in. All of them applied for the Russian scholarship and are now waiting for the results revealed in summer 2021.

MPEI officers who coordinate the project all hope that the students will be able to come to MPEI and study in person. We wish them luck!