A group of 80 transport engineers and students from Spain stayed in St. Petersburg from July 14 to July 20, 2016. The PGUPS welcomed representatives of its partner organizations: Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

The visit was organized under the auspices of the International Scientific and Educational Project «Heritage of Betancourt» initiated by the technical universities from Russia, Spain, and France. The Project is being implemented in advance of the 260th anniversary of the great engineer, scientist and statesman Agustin de Betancourt, which will be celebrated in 2018.

Agustin de Betancourt — a Spaniard by his origin — lived in Russia from 1808 until his death in 1824. He managed to realize dozens of major projects here including construction of bridges, establishing factories and plants, erection of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair and Moscow Manege building. Betancourt is the organizer and the first rector of the Institute of Engineers of Means of Communication Corps, which is today the Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University (PGUPS).

The Spanish delegation visited the Betancourt’s grave in the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Guests were offered a program linked with their professional interests, which included a trip to Ust-Luga seaport and railway station, excursions to metro stations in St. Petersburg that are now under construction, and visits to the city’s draw bridges. On July 19, the delegation met Russian students and professors in the first transport university of Russia — the PGUPS.

The visit of Spanish transport engineers and students to St. Petersburg showed the professional solidarity of the international engineering community.

«The visit itself as well as the whole «Heritage of Betancourt» Project serves as a basis for supporting the brotherhood of Russian and Spanish transport engineers», said the General Secretary of Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos José Javier Díez Roncero.

Press-service