On October 26 — 31, the official delegation from St. Petersburg including RANEPA St. Petersburg management joined the Days of St. Petersburg in Beijing. The official visit to China also served as an excellent opportunity to meet in person the long-standing partners in Shanghai.
The Presidential Academy in St. Petersburg has been consistently expanding cooperation with the leading universities and research centers in the People’s Republic of China.
The history of collaboration with the Shanghai Administrative Institute dates back to 2004, and over the years of this partnership, 18 Chinese master’s students have completed pre-graduation internships in St. Petersburg, while an equal number of RANEPA St. Petersburg students have completed short-term study programs in Shanghai. Joint efforts also extend to the scientific area: interdisciplinary research output is the monograph «Digitalization of Society and the Social Credit System: Challenges and Prospects.» published in 2022.
Andrey Khlutkov, Director, RANEPA St. Petersburg, held discussions with Mr. Zeng Jun, Vice President of the Shanghai Administrative Institute, in particular, the parties agreed the resumption of student exchanges, starting in the spring semester 2026/2027.
During the discussion at the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong the high level of partnership between St. Petersburg and Shanghai was highlighted. The president of the Pudong Academy outlined the goals, objectives, and principles guiding the training and professional training of civil servants. Andrey Mikhailov, Deputy Head of the Administration of the Governor of Saint Petersburg, underscored the importance of a practice-oriented approach in the training of civil servants and highlighted the high standards required for the learning outcomes quality. He also proposed exploring opportunities for exchanges and internships for groups of civil servants. The mangement of the Pudong Academy expressed their support for this proposal.
Given the long-standing partnership established between our universities back in 2008, both parties expressed a desire and intention to strengthen and expand cooperation. Consequently, the Presidential Academy in St. Petersburg—in collaboration with the Pudong Academy — will be able to serve as a partner in delivering trainings for Russian and Chinese civil servants, in addition to the current joint projects.
Currently, RANEPA St. Petersburg cooperates with 13 Chinese universities, with a focus on student exchange. In 2026, 52 Russian students from the faculties of Economics and Finance, Security and Customs, Social Technologies, International Relations and Political Studies, Law completed a semester at a partner university in China, and the Presidential Academy in St. Petersburg welcomed 11 students from China.
Our students shared their experience of study at the Chinese partner universities:
A semester in Shandong offers a completely new career approach. We don’t just attend lectures and classes, we also take part in large-scale events — for instance, we were recently invited to the BRICS Forum. What struck me most was how quickly and efficiently digital solutions are implemented there; now I have a better understanding of how such approaches could be applied back home.
Maria Yeltysheva, an Economics student, currently an exchange student at the Shandong University of Finance and Economics
At first, it wasn’t easy to get used to a different pace and language, but the teachers and class mates helped with absolutely everything. Over the semester, I not only improved my English and started learning Chinese, but I also made friends on the other side of the world. I’m returning with a wealth of knowledge and a desire to continue collaborating with China.
Denis Romanenko, a student at the Faculty of Security and Customs, an exchange student 2024 at the Shanghai Administrative Institute
RANEPA St. Petersburg has been expanding cooperation with Chinese universities to train management professionals prepared to work in a rapidly changing world. In addition to student exchange, RANEPA St. Petersburg offers to Chinese partners professional training, Russian-language courses, and joint research projects — covering topics ranging from the «blue economy» and the Northern Sea Route to the digitalization of public administration.
