Tarasov, who has wanted to become an excellent engineer since childhood, chose STANKIN, one of Russia's premier engineering schools. He said he is open to the possibility of studying and working in China in the future.

Ramil Nezhmetdinov, a professor in the computer control department at STANKIN, praised the benefits of the program. "This is a good experience for our students," he said. "Hands-on experiences can help them better work in our industries, especially given the abundant presence of Chinese equipment in Russian factories." 

The delegation consists of around 20 students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees in majors such as computer science, machinery, machine tools and robotics.

Lin Xuedong, vice-dean of the China-Russia International School of Intelligent Manufacturing, noted the complementary strengths of the two institutions. "We complement one another in intelligent manufacturing educational strengths," Lin said of STANKIN. "They have a rigorous and solid academic standard, while we have more advanced intelligent teaching equipment."

Chongqing's educational collaboration with Russia has been expanding steadily. In March, Chongqing Normal University partnered with the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory to establish a new Tchaikovsky unit at the CNU campus in the city's Shapingba district. In November, the joint institute of Far Eastern Federal University and Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications was established.

The China-Russia International School of Intelligent Manufacturing, created in a partnership between CVIE and STANKIN in 2022, is the first Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution at the vocational level in the southwestern municipality. To date, the partnership has trained more than 400 young professionals and conducted about a dozen exchange activities. Last year, the collaboration was further solidified with the establishment of the China-Russia Innovation and Development Center at the institute.

Wei Huiting, who works in the international exchange and cooperation office at CVIE, said that of the 66 graduates in the inaugural class of the intelligent manufacturing school, the majority have successfully transitioned to undergraduate programs for further studies. All remaining graduates have secured jobs.

Chongqing now hosts three joint institutions and four cooperative programs, enrolling more than 1,000 students annually, local authorities said. Professor Nezhmetdinov, the computer control professor, added that more than 100 Chinese students are currently studying at STANKIN, specializing in the university's renowned majors, such as machine tools.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between the two countries.