China Route

Published: Wednesday, 13 December 2017 04:21

For over three years, NMSTU, in cooperation with NEUSOFT University of Information in Dalian, China, has been working on implementing an international double-degree programme in Logistics. Under this programme the students of Management in Logistics have an opportunity to go study in China after their first year at the university. So far twelve of the NMSTU students signed up for the programme and are now studying in China.

As the next stage in their relationship, the two universities worked on strengthening their scientific ties in the areas of transport and logistics. In October 2017 professor Alexander Rakhmangulov from the NMSTU’s Department of Logistics and Transportation Management paid a visit to NEUSOFT to discuss the prospective areas of joint research and to give a series of lectures in International Logistics Management. The Chinese students were fascinated to find out about the opportunity to learn Russian at NMSTU.

As Dalian is one of the largest sea ports in the world, the academics from the NEUSOFT department of logistics focus on sea transportation, whereas the Magnitogorsk school of transport specializes on railroad transport. So it was important for the two partners to identify the points of common interests not only in teaching but also in research.

Due to a tremendous amount of goods shipped between China and Europe, which may result in shipping times of up to 45 days, China proposed an initiative called One Belt – One Road. Under this initiative alternative logistics routes, namely the Northern Sea Route and the New Silk Road, are proposed to be built. This will require a tremendous amount of support from the logistics experts from around the globe.

In the course of the discussions, the two partners agreed on the areas of joint research aimed at implementing the New Silk Road initiative. And Mr. SunDongshi, head of the logistics department at NEUSOFT, accepted the proposal to join the editorial board of the international scientific journal “Current Problems of the Transport System in Russia” published by NMSTU.

According to Mr. Rakhmangulov, the NMSTU’s Summer Language School could be the most likely area of prospective cooperation. But since NEUSOFT is an IT university funded by the NEUSOFT company with offices of leading IT corporations situated within the university premises, the leadership of both universities have been looking especially intensely at introducing joint double-degree programmes in information technology.