August 17–19, 2026, Kazan hosted the 4th International Forum “ROSTKI: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation”. The event brought together representatives of government, business, science and education from both countries, as well as it became one of the largest platforms for strengthening Russian‑Chinese relations.

The forum’s solemn opening featured Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan, who highlighted the event’s importance for advancing interregional dialogue between Russia and China. This large‑scale gathering brought together over a thousand participants from various countries. The business program included 70 thematic sessions covering areas such as trade and economic cooperation, investment activities, technology exchange, logistics, the petrochemical industry, medicine, the agro‑industrial complex, educational collaboration and tourism.

During the forum, the Russia‑China Expo exhibition was officially opened. The exhibition space was designed around the ancient Chinese philosophical system of Wu Xing, symbolizing the five primary elements – metal, wood, water, fire and earth. The exposition attracted considerable attention from both delegates and numerous guests of the event.

Elena Gulicheva, MPEI Director on International Relations, took part in the forum.

At the session “Cooperation between Russian and Chinese Universities: Strategy, Tactics, and Prospects”, organized by Kazan Federal University (KFU), where Timirkhan Alishev, Vice‑Rector on External Relations at KFU was the moderator, MPEI shared its experience in institutional partnerships and organizing international academic mobility. Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, opened the session with an online address.

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Within the business program, at the session “Energy Bridge: Cooperation between Russia and China in the Field of Sustainable Energy”, organized by Kazan State Power Engineering University and moderated by Irina Akhmetova, Vice‑Rector on Development and Innovation at KSEU, MPEI presented a report on the university’s experience in developing partnerships with China. In her presentation, Elena Gulicheva outlined the university’s journey from academic mobility to the creation of joint educational programs and technological partnerships, sharing successful case studies.

A significant focus of the discussions was the strategic project “MPEI‑Hainan Joint University”, a joint Russian‑Chinese educational initiative being implemented in Wenchang, Hainan. Included in the roadmap for Russian‑Chinese humanitarian cooperation up to 2030, the project aims to create a modern educational platform offering instruction in three languages. In 2025, the first graduation of master-students completed studies in “Modeling in Electrical Power Engineering” and “Artificial Intelligence”. The main campus is scheduled for completion in 2026. The project will integrate the educational and research practices of both countries in the fields of power engineering, digital technologies and other priority areas.

The presented experience generated strong interest among participants at both sessions. For many years, MPEI has been one of the leading Russian technical universities actively developing cooperation with Chinese educational and scientific organizations. Participation in the “ROSTKI‑2026” forum helped strengthen existing ties and identify new areas for collaboration with Chinese partners.

On one of the days, a working meeting of representatives from the international offices of Russian universities was also held at Kazan Federal (Volga Region) University. Colleagues exchanged experiences in engaging with foreign partners.