Kazan once again confirms its status as a key centre of Eurasian integration. On 22-25 November, Kazan will host a large-scale Forum of the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities (ASRTU), dedicated to issues of sovereign engineering education and joint technological development of the two countries in the face of global challenges. The event will be attended by the Ministers of Education of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, as well as the heads of approximately 100 leading technological universities of the Russian Federation and China.
The Forum’s programme focuses on the formation of a unified educational, scientific, and technological space. The ASRTU will not only exchange knowledge and experience but also develop innovative technologies and solutions that could be in demand in both Russia and China. The scientific and practical part is divided into eight technology tracks, supervised by leading Russian scientific and educational centres: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (artificial intelligence), Bauman Moscow State Technical University (quantum technologies and radiophotonics), Samara National Research University (unmanned systems), Moscow Aviation Institute (composite materials), Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (additive technologies), Moscow Power Engineering Institute (new energy power), the Russian Chemical Technology University (petrochemistry), and Kazan Federal University (oil production). In addition, a rectors’ meeting titled “Lessons from Successful Collaboration Cases” aimed at scaling up the experience of joint laboratories and double degree programmes will be held during the Forum.
The Forum’s business programme and exhibition will be held at the IT Park named after Bashir Rameev. The exhibition will showcase recent technological achievements from Russia and China.
The Forum’s youth programme will include an international track within the forum “Engineering Education and Technological Development in Russia and China: Responses to Global Challenges”. This track will help overcome communication barriers, unify educational approaches to strengthen scientific and technical cooperation, and accelerate innovation and technological development. 

“For Tatarstan, hosting a forum of this level is both a great honor and a logical result of our systematic work with our Chinese partners. We work directly with eight Chinese provinces and the city of Chongqing, accumulating extensive experience in hosting major joint events, including regional meetings and the large-scale international Forum SPROUTS. Our goal is to ensure that developments in AI, composites, and new materials, which universities will discuss in the sections, are implemented in Tatarstan. We are also placing a strong emphasis on the youth track at the Volga camp: investing in young engineers and their joint startups is the key to technological sovereignty, which is being established here and now,” emphasised Taliya Minullina, Chief Executive of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency.

The final day of the Forum, 25 November, will be entirely devoted to tours of Kazan’s leading industrial enterprises and innovation centres.

On 17 August, an Agreement on the “China-Russia University of Advanced Technologies” (CRUTech) Consortium establishment will be signed at the 4th International Forum “SPROUTS: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation”. The ceremony will take place at 14:00 at the Kazan Expo IEC. The Consortium will serve as a platform for joint educational programmes, research, and technologies commercialisation.
The Consortium is being created in furtherance of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan Federal University, the Shandong Provincial Government, and Shandong University on the establishment of the China-Russia University of Advanced Technologies, signed on 20 May, 2026, during a meeting between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, timed to coincide with the opening of the cross-year of Russian-Chinese cooperation in education.
CRUTech will operate as a network of Russian and Chinese universities, research organisations, and other types of organisations. Its goal is to transform educational and scientific cooperation between the two countries from isolated contacts into a system of projects. This primarily involves the development of educational programmes, including double degree programmes, research collaborations and development, and technology transfer and commercialisation.
New educational and scientific organisations will be able to join the consortium. Participants will retain organisational autonomy, and coordination of joint work will be carried out through the Consortium Council and the CRUTech Secretariat, which will be located at the flagship university.
The Agreement on the establishment of the China-Russia University of Advanced Technology Consortium provides for the joint development and implementation of educational programmes (preparatory, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate), including network and double degree programmes; joint scientific research, development, and technological work; the commercialisation of intellectual property and technology transfer; the organisation of joint events (conferences, forums, summer and winter schools); and the development of a unified digital platform for the exchange of educational and scientific resources.
The Russian side of the project is represented by a wide range of Tatarstan universities working in various fields, from engineering and energy to medicine, agriculture, construction, and IT. Kazan Federal University is leading the Tatarstan Consortium, while Shandong University is leading the Shandong Provincial Consortium.
Participants from the Republic of Tatarstan are Kazan Federal University, KNRTU-KAI, Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan State Power Engineering University, Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering, Almetyevsk State Technological University “Higher School of Oil”, Innopolis University, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan State Agrarian University, Kazan State Institute of Culture and Art, and Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov.
Thus, the Consortium combines the expertise of several key economic sectors and creates the basis for closer ties between universities, research organisations, and industrial partners in Russia and China.
A session entitled “Educational and Scientific Cooperation between Russia and China: New Projects and Development Trends” will be held right after the Agreement signing ceremony, at 13:00-14:30. Participants will discuss promising areas of university collaboration, joint research projects, and new mechanisms for cooperation in education and technology.
“The creation of the China-Russia University of Advanced Technologies Consortium marks a shift from isolated educational contacts to systemic collaboration between universities and research organisations. Today, we have the opportunity to combine the expertise of Tatarstan universities and our Chinese partners, create joint programmes, develop research, and bring scientific developments to practical application. It is particularly important that this collaboration is focused on advanced technologies and training specialists who will be in demand by the economies of both countries,” noted Lenar Safin, Rector of Kazan Federal University (KFU).