SDU delegation visited the People s Friendship University of Russia

From 24th July to 30th, Chen Yan, the Vice-President of Shandong University, visited the People s Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) and attended its 2010 graduation ceremony. He awarded the Certificate of Graduate of Shandong University and the Certificate for the Degree of Master of Shandong University to Evgeny Mironov and Ksenya Galyas who graduated from the joint Master Program organized by Shandong University and the People s Friendship University of Russia.

During the visit, Professor Mihajlovic, the President of PFUR, met the delegation. He said SDU was an important partner to PFUR. The two universities were both comprehensive universities, sharing similar academic disciplines. He hoped the two universities could broaden the fields based on the present cooperation in humanity and social science, and explore the possibilities of cooperation in the fields of medicine, engineering, physics and math. Mihajlovic cited the Chinese idiom a thousand-li journey begins with the first step to show his confidence and expectation in the cooperation. Chen said the PFUR was a renowned university in Russia, and Shandong University attached great importance to the cooperation. Since 2004, more than 100 SDU students studies in PFUR under the exchange agreement. In 2007, both universities set up the joint China-Russia Graduate School with the approval of the governments, which marked a new phase of cooperation to both sides. Chen madethree suggestions to further facilitate the cooperation: first, to continue broadening cooperation, especially the number of co-trained graduate students; second, to widen the cooperation fields and explore cooperation in the fields of liberal arts, science, medicine and engineering based on the cooperation in politics, philosophy and history; and third, if possible to co-train doctoral students. Mihajlovic agreed with his suggestions and suggested to prepare the substantial cooperation plans from both sides.

At the graduation ceremony, Chen congratulated the graduates joining the co-training projects, and indicated that they were the first Master s graduates since the beginning of the China-Russia Graduate School. He hoped that the two universities would keep on broadening the cooperation fields and expected more students to join this co-training project. Chen also wished that the cooperation made great achievements and the graduates enjoyed their work and study.

Chen also visited the Department of Social and Humanity at the PFUR and met their teachers and student representatives. They discussed further cooperation and project implementation. The related principals in the Graduate School of Shandong University and the International Office also participated.

By Liu Feifei