On August 27, as part of the Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum, a solemn ceremony was held to award contracts to students participating in the KNRTU—BUCT 2+2 double degree program, which Kazan National Research Technological University is implementing with the support of SIBUR and the Beijing University of Chemical Technology. In the presence of the university's industrial partners, 14 students received signed trilateral agreements from KNRTU Rector Yuri Kazakov and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Dilbar Sultanova.

This event is particularly relevant in the light of the working visit to China of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Valery Falkov, which took place these days, dedicated to the development of scientific and educational cooperation between the two countries. Valery Falkov remarked that the development of closer partnership in the field of higher education was one of the objectives of the visit. "There are very good relations between ministries, universities, scientific organizations, collectives, and, finally, between specific scientists and teachers today. Figuratively speaking, we are currently working on all floors of this large building, strengthening or establishing contacts" (TASS).

A vivid proof of the development of direct cooperation between universities in our countries is the dual degree program, which KNRTU, together with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT), has been implementing since 2022. The program participants are students of the Institute of Polymers and the Institute of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering of KNRTU. In June 2025, the first graduates of the program (14 people) returned from China, who will be employed at SIBUR enterprises.

"I consider the double degree program with BUCT to be an excellent opportunity for us, students, to expand our horizons and gain unique international experience," says one of the participants of the program, Alina Tukhfatullina.

In addition to strengthening international cooperation between universities and improving the quality of education, one of the goals of the BUCT program is to meet the staffing needs of industrial partners. For example, SIBUR pays for language training for our students, scholarships during their studies in China, flights between Kazan and Beijing, visa support, and after completing the program, it provides graduates with career paths at its enterprises.

In addition to the double degree program, KNRTU students can participate in other academic mobility programs in China. For the second year now, our students have been attending the International Science and Technology Innovation Camp at BUCT. In addition, our students are actively applying for master's and postgraduate studies at leading universities in China.