HSE University Strengthens Ties with Peking University

© HSE University

On July 21, 2025, representatives from Peking University led by Zhang Jin, Vice President of Peking University and Chancellor of Shenzhen Graduate School, paid a visit to HSE University. The delegation included forty students, teachers, and administrators. During their visit, leaders from both universities discussed potential areas for future collaboration, and representatives from three HSE University departments held meetings with Chinese students.

In the White Hall of Durasov House, members of the Chinese delegation were welcomed by Alexey Koshel, Vice Rector of HSE University. He expressed his gratitude to his guests for hosting the HSE delegation at Peking University in March, and stressed the importance of this visit as an opportunity to get to know each other better, identify shared interests, and initiate new joint projects.

Alexey Koshel

© HSE University

Vice Rector emphasised that Peking University is rightfully considered one of the best universities in the world, and that developing cooperation with Chinese universities is a top priority for HSE University. He recalled that during the May visit of the Chinese delegation to Russia to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the Great Victory, Nikita Anisimov, HSE University Rector, and Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, signed an agreement on cooperation in the fields of natural sciences and the establishment of a BRICS research platform in the presence of the leaders of Russia and China.

‘The signed agreements took our partnership to a new level, and our university staff are already working on new projects,’ said Alexey Koshel.

These include the joint research project ‘Development of Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells,’ which was one of the winners of HSE University’s International Academic Cooperation competition in 2025. Another project is organising a joint section between HSE MIEM and Peking University’s College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at the International Conference on Quantum Materials and Technologies in Turkey in March. HSE University’s Faculty of Humanities is actively collaborating with Peking University’s School of Foreign Languages in the field of Russian studies, and HSE University’s Institute of Education maintains contact with colleagues from Peking University’s Graduate School of Education.

In turn, Zhang Jin, Vice President of Peking University and Chancellor of the Graduate School in Shenzhen, expressed his gratitude to Russian colleagues for their warm reception of the delegation, which included three additional working groups of students and teachers from Peking University. The first group met with representatives from HSE University’s Faculty of Chemistry, the second with representatives from the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, and the third group was received at the HSE MIEM building in Strogino.

Zhang Jin

© HSE University

Professor Zhang described HSE University as one of the most significant partners in Russia and mentioned that it collaborates with Peking University in several fields. He introduced other attendees from China, who are in charge of cooperation in specific areas such as chemistry and materials science. He also shared his thoughts on the tour of the HSE University building on Pokrovsky Bulvar. ‘The library, dining area, and other spaces are very modern. It is clear that these were created for students,’ noted Vice President of Peking University.

He also mentioned the cooperation between the two universities, which takes place within the framework of interstate relations. He emphasised the need to expand academic exchanges and joint scientific work, taking into account the strengths of each institution. Professor Zhang suggested considering the possibility of creating a two-degree programme for graduate students, allowing them to spend half their time studying in China and the other half in Russia, with a supervisor from each country assigned to them.

In conclusion, he expressed hope that HSE University and Peking University could contribute significantly to strengthening the friendship between Russia and China.

Alexey Koshel thanked the distinguished guest for his kind words about HSE University and stressed that ‘truly significant projects are born through horizontal institutional collaboration between leading universities.’ Other members of the HSE University’s staff told the Chinese delegation about the future development of this collaboration.

Vitaly Kotov

© HSE University

Vitaly Kotov, Dean of HSE University’s Faculty of Chemistry, emphasised that five institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which the faculty collaborates with in training students, should engage in joint projects with Peking University in the field of chemistry.

Alexei Vagov, Director of the Centre for Quantum Metamaterials at HSE MIEM, who had returned from Beijing the day before, supported the Chinese delegation’s proposal to organise student and postgraduate exchanges.

Yuriy Makhlin

© HSE University

Yuriy Makhlin, Head of the International Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics at HSE University and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke about his laboratory and the training of physics students at HSE University’s Faculty of Physics. He emphasised that this training was organised in collaboration with leading institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Marina Litvintseva, Director for Advanced Research at the HSE University, noted that within the framework of the university’s International Academic Cooperation project, HSE research centres and institutes had submitted 25 applications for joint work with Chinese colleagues in the past two years. One of these projects, with Peking University, was among the winners. ‘We would be happy to participate in the negotiations and initiate new projects to expand cooperation and the long-term agenda,’ she added.