The program of the Betancourt International Engineering Forum, which took place at the Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University, included several major events. The issues of improving engineering education were a common thread through all the events of the Forum.

On November 13, a meeting of the Fifth Conference of Universities of Russia and France was opened under the topic of Modern Trends in Transport Education and Research in the Context of the Internationalization of Education. The participants were representatives of polytechnic and transport universities of Russia and France, heads of railways of the two countries.

The meeting was chaired by the rector of PGUPS A.Yu. Panychev. The participants were welcomed by the Director of the Department of European and International Development of the National Polytechnic University (Paris) Sebastian Leonsel, Rector of the Russian University of Transport — RUT, President of the Association of Higher Educational Institutions of Transport B.A. Levin, Rector of the Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping S.O. Baryshnikov. Welcoming words from the Franco-Russian Economic, Financial, Industrial and Trade Council were read by the Vice-Rector of RUT V.N. Glazkov.

The presentations concerned the development of network joint educational programs and academic exchange.

On November 13, the VI International Scientific and Technical Conference «Locomotives. Electric transport. XXI Century» was opened. In addition to specialists from Russian Railways, machine-building enterprises and leading transport universities of Russia, the conference was attended by managers and engineers from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Lithuania.

On November 13, a round table was held discussing the topic «Digital Economy by Industry: Money for the sake of Numbers or Numbers for the sake of Money?» The moderator was Vladimir Kanin, an entrepreneur, founder of the Pay-Me mobile acquiring service. The meeting was attended by the founder of DDG and MyWish blockchain project V.A. Tikhomirov, Deputy CEO of Railway Research Institute (JSC VNIIZhT) S.Ye. Adadurov, Head of the Scientific and Educational Center «Passenger Transportation», PhD Prof. A.A. Zaitsev, owner and CEO of the КБ-12 group A.A. Panov, as well as students and employees of St. Petersburg universities.

On November 13, a master class was held on the ancient game Weiqi, popular in China. The participants learned about the history of this game and its rules. The first games were held, and at the end of the event, the Weiqi club was opened at our University.

On November 13, a round table «Joint Projects of Universities in the Field of Science, Education, Culture and Sports» was held. Participants from the universities of the People’s Republic of China and Russia were invited to discuss these issues.

The Deputy Secretary of the party organization of the Beijing Jiaotong University Mr. Guo Hai, the Secretary of the party organization of the Changsha University of Science and Technology Mr. Fu Hongyuan and the Rector of the Dalian Jiaotong University Mr. Ma Yundong made speeches. The speakers discussed topical issues related to international cooperation in transport education. In the speeches of Russian speakers — Associate Professor A.E. Tsaplin and S.V. Timonina focused on issues of the implementation of double degree programs.

On the same day, an exhibition was opened in the Alexandria Park of Peterhof. It is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Harbin railway station, China, and the 115th anniversary of the beginning of the operation of the Chinese-Eastern Railway. The exhibition is a joint project of the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve, the Central Museum of Railway Transport of the Russian Federation, and PGUPS. The Chinese Eastern Railway was built from 1891 to 1903. The project developers and construction work heads were mainly graduates of the Institute of Railway Engineers (now — PGUPS). The city of Harbin — unofficial capital of the Chinese Eastern Railway — was founded by a graduate of the same institute N.S. Sviyagin.

The opening of the exhibition was attended by a large delegation, including about 60 heads of Chinese transport universities, who arrived in St. Petersburg to participate in the V Forum of the Association of Rectors of Transport Universities of Russia and China.

On November 13 ended with the founding conference of the Association of Rectors of Transport Universities of BRICS, which was attended by representatives of 36 higher educational institutions: from Russia (12 universities), China (20 universities), India (2 universities), South Africa (2 universities), and Brazil (correspondence participation of one university).

The Association’s objective is to support the efforts of the leaders of the BRICS countries in the implementation of the planned joint programs in Economics, Humanitarian Sciences, culture and education. The purpose of the Association is to unite efforts to integrate higher educational institutions into the global educational and scientific community, build and maintain a reputation, increase the ratings of universities in the international education and research market, promote the export of educational services, and develop transport industries.

At the conference, the Charter of the Association was approved. The founding universities unanimously voted for mutual admission to the Association. The Board of the Association was elected. Co-chair of the Association from the Russian side became the Rector of PGUPS A.Yu. Panychev.

On November 14, a plenary session of the V Forum of the Association of Rectors of Transport Universities of Russia and China took place. Opening the meeting, co-chairman of the Association, rector of PGUPS A.Yu.  Panychev read out a welcome letter to the Forum participants from the Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation V.I. Matvienko.

The head of the Federal Agency for Railway Transport of the Russian Federation V.Yu. Chepets welcomed the participants. He read out a welcome letter from the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation E.I. Dietrich.

The general secretary of the Chinese People’s Society for Friendship with Foreign Countries Mr. Li Sikuei, the President of the Eurasia International Corporation Mr. Feng Yao, and the Consul for Education of the People’s Republic of China in St. Petersburg Mr. Sun Lailin, made their speeches. Rectors of Russian and Chinese transport universities made presentations at the plenary session.

Due to the expiration of the term of office of the Board of the Association, new C-chairs were elected: Rector of the Russian University of Transport B.A. Levin and Rector of the Beijing United University Li Xuewei.

On November 14, PGUPS hosted the Uni.Digit hackathon, held with the support of Tandem, Softline, Display Group, Jupiter LLC, and the international corporation Eurasia.

The winners of the hackathon were: the team of the A.F. Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy (first place), students of the Russian University of Transport and ITMO University (second and third paces respectively).

On November 14, a Brain Ring game was held. This year it was dedicated to the Engineers of St. Petersburg.

The team of the Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health won the first place, the teams of PGUPS and Baltic State Technical University were only 0.5 points behind, followed by the team of the Bonch-Bruevich Saint Petersburg State University of Telecommunications.

On November 15, a plenary session of the Congress «Professional Education, Science, and Innovation in the XXI Century» was held at PGUPS. There were over 350 participants, including more than 100 foreign participants — representatives of China, France, Indonesia, India, South Africa, etc.

Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation A.K. Semenov, Chairman of the Committee for Science and Higher Education of the Government of St. Petersburg A.S. Maksimov, Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the St. Petersburg Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences O.V. Bely, Rector of PGUPS A.Yu. Panychev welcomed the participants. The Congress received welcome letters from the rectors of universities of St. Petersburg, Russia and abroad, from the heads of government bodies, large industrial and transport enterprises, including the CEO of Russian Railways O.V. Belozerov.

The Senior Adviser to the CEO of Russian Railways V.A. Gapanovich, Scientific Director of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Yu.S. Vasiliev, Rector of Dalian Transport University Ma Yundong, China, Director of the Department of European and International Cooperation of the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM) Sebastian Leonsel and Vice-Rector of the First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg K.S. Klyukovkin made presentations.

A detailed conversation took place about the problems and objectives of vocational education in Russia, China, and France, about the need to exchange experience and promptly respond to society’s requests in production, healthcare and transport.

Over these three days, more than ten cooperation agreements were signed between various universities and organizations. The Forum participants approved a declaration on the establishment of the Eurasian Network University of High-Speed Railways.

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