I. Implementation Background

To implement the spirit of the General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on establishing BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center, pool the educational strengths of “BRICS Plus” countries, which not only focuses on the discipline deployment of key generic technologies, cutting-edge leading technologies and disruptive technologies, but also targets at the major fields of economic development and people’s livelihood improvement, effectively connect the talent chain, innovation chain and industrial chain, help more emerging markets and developing countries move their industries up the medium-high end of the global value chain, and achieve stronger, greener and healthier global development, as invited by the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) has submitted its application to join the Industry Innovation Alliance of BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center, planning to launch flagship talent training programs for BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries, so as to cultivate more excellent talents for the cooperative development of BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries, lay the foundation for the massive training of new industrial revolution talents in BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries, lead the practical cooperation and industrial upgrading among BRICS countries through cooperation in talent training, and promote the common development of BRICS countries.

II. Application Advantages

Over the past 100 years since its establishment, Harbin Institute of Technology has been adhering to the fundamental task of building morality and developing students, and deeply implementing the educational concept of “Oriented by students, and driven by learning and development”, which results in more prominent talent training characteristics of “profound foundation, strong practice, strict process, and persistent innovation” and more prominent talent training strengths in scientific research education, practice education, and science & education integration. The reputation of “Study in HIT” has been endowed with a new strong background and an epoch connotation. From manned spaceflight and “Chang E” Flying to the Moon, to “Tianwen” Mars Exploration and “Wentian” Launch, HIT has made numerous original achievements in addressing national “bottlenecks”, and constantly contributes to the national strategy of becoming a country of aerospace power, manufacturing power, cyber power and maritime power.

HIT BRICS Talent Training Program aims to contribute to improving the global supply, development and use of talents, takes its own high-quality engineering education resources to lay the BRICS foundation for global talent services, and leverage the inter-university cooperation and exchange platform of “Leading with Russia and covering the world” to enhance the BRICS kinetic energy of global talent innovation, so as to construct the “BRICS Express” to promote higher-quality, more efficient, fairer, more sustainable and safer global development. Focusing on the talent needs of BRICS countries in the “digital era”, HIT integrates the resources of multiple parties such as “government, industry, university, institute and enterprise”, and studies to develop training programs for government officials, business executives, skilled talents, and innovative and entrepreneurial talents for BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries. At the same time, HIT establishes a pool of talent training expert resources, and gradually establishes a supply chain system for talent training resources in the field of BRICS new industrial revolution with the participation of multiple entities; focuses on the industrial Internet, block-chain, artificial intelligence, big data and other key fields concerned by BRICS countries, and systematically develops multilingual on-line and off-line talent training and exchange programs tailored to the needs of BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries to promote talent exchange and cooperation among BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries. Based on the above advantages of HIT in talent training through international cooperation, it plans to apply for the implementation of the HIT BRICS Young Talent Development Program and the construction of the Training Base for Elite Leaders of BRICS Countries.

III. Implementation Plan

(I) Implement the BRICS Young Talent Development Program

1. Training objective

(1) Closely focus on key fields of the new industrial revolution such as breakthrough of key core technologies, optimization and upgrading of industrial structure, and acceleration of digital development, explore replicable and scalable talent training implementation paths and modes, and strive to launch benchmark projects for high-end talent training with HIT’s own advantages and characteristics.

(2) Strengthen the BRICS academic exchange system through joint training of students, and exchange of young scholars and post-doctors. Establish a regular academic exchange system for scientific research teams, focus on key scientific issues, and build an academic research team with international vision; Develop talents in the field of digital government and cross-cultural communication for BRICS countries.

(3) Further promote the student exchange / joint training mechanism. Form a benign joint training mechanism across different disciplines and teams in BRICS universities, promote technological integration across different disciplines and teams, effectively improve the sharing of international cooperation and exchange resources among different teams, and leverage the HIT Secretariat Mechanism for the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities to promote student exchange and joint training and propel the development and utilization of educational and teaching resources. Develop a group of basic scientific research talents and interdisciplinary talents with solid foundation and excellent experimental skills.

(4) Develop leading talents with international communication competency. Aim at the scientific research projects of Harbin Institute of Technology and international hot spots, focus on the common research direction, and expand the thinking and develop new academic convergence points, so as to develop a group of outstanding leading talents for national strategies such as the “Belt and Road Initiative” and the “Arctic Strategy”.

(5) Strengthen talent introduction. Give full play to the role of BRICS university professors and overseas students, and invite experts and scholars of basic disciplines and engineering from BRICS countries to Harbin Institute of Technology for academic exchange and work. Introduce key technologies in related fields, promote the development of relevant science and technology, address key issues in some scientific research projects, and develop a group of high-tech talents in the fields of aerospace and national defense.

2. Training mode

(1) Innovation points

Taking China’s development strategy and the talent demand for the “Double-First Class” discipline construction as the guidelines for the joint development of talents, in the context of a sound international cooperation environment among BRICS countries, based on the profound foundation in basic disciplines and engineering of Russia, India and other countries, and on the basis of key advantageous disciplines of several key universities in BRICS countries, carry out joint training of innovative talents at all levels, build a research team with international vision, and develop leading talents with international communication competency.

(2) Cooperation mode

1) Integration and sharing of teaching resources. Based on the Sino-foreign cooperative research foundation of BRICS universities, integrate the teaching resources of the two universities, participate in the connotation construction of HIT Sino-Russian Cooperation Campus (International Campus), leverage the resources of both disciplinary teams to develop pilot courses on the basis of sharing and co-selection of bilateral courses, realize the reasonable sharing of teaching resources such as platform equipment and teachers, maximize the return of teaching efficiency and resource allocation, and form a world-class related inter-discipline.

2) Implementation of double-supervisor responsibility system for joint training of graduate students. At the training stage in China, Chinese supervisors serve as regular supervisors and foreign supervisors serve as associate supervisors; at the training stage in foreign countries, the arrangement of supervisors is determined by the foreign university according to its training program. To facilitate the comprehensive development of doctoral students, establish a doctoral joint-training steering group for the cross-research direction to discuss collectively the important issues in the development process and the important academic issues in the doctoral dissertation.

3) Adopt different talent training modes according to different statuses of overseas students. For the joint-training graduate students, mainly freshmen and sophomores, sent them to BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries to learn basic knowledge, language and experimental skills in the first or second year of master’s/PhD degree; For post-doctoral students, mainly aiming at the scientific research projects undertaken, especially the major issues faced by HIT such as “big science engineering”, focus on solving the key technical issues through joint training of talents; For visiting scholars, focus on the learning and exchange such as the development of new directions for cooperative research and the development of graduate students.

(3) Curriculum design

Take “widening caliber, consolidating foundation, highlighting practice, keeping traditions and seeking new directions” as the basic principles of the joint-training mode, start from the needs of developing talents, and design training parts such as course study, scientific research, thesis work and academic exchange. Stress fundamentals and reflect generality and practicability in curriculum design, and add some basic courses, some special courses reflecting the development trends and latest achievements of the discipline and some practical teaching sections, so as to create conditions for broadening the vision of graduate students, strengthening the comprehensive quality of graduate students and developing engineering practice competency.

(4) Training mode

Carry out different forms of joint-training such as 2+2, 3+1 bachelor’s dual degree or 3+2 bachelor/master’s dual degree in BRICS universities. Pool the training of undergraduates and postgraduates in the forms such as joint-training of students, exchange of students and participation in international conferences. At the doctoral student stage, take the modes such as joint training, cooperative research, and participation in international conferences. According to the advantages of HIT, organize international summer activities with different themes and distinctive characteristics, including but not limited to academic lectures, group discussions and practical experience. Cooperate with well-known professors from internationally renowned universities in their respective fields to teach cutting-edge knowledge, explore cutting-edge academic issues with outstanding students from BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries, and carry out discussion, exchange and cooperative innovation in hot fields of the discipline, so as to enhance students’ professional quality and expand their international horizons.

(II) Construct the BRICS Talent Training Base

1. Base construction objective

By setting relevant elective courses for teachers and students, invite well-known international relations scholars at home and abroad; In view of current international academic hot spots, carry out courses such as learning cutting-edge knowledge of BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries, and teach the theoretical and practical knowledge of relevant technologies from different dimensions. Carry out on-line and off-line talent training and exchange activities on the issues concerned by BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries, so as to develop more talents for the cooperation and development among BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries; lay the foundation for promoting the large-scale training of new industrial revolution talents in BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries, and develop professional and technical talents for governments and enterprises at all levels in BRICS countries.

2. Base construction mode

(1) Cooperate with local training institutions in BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries to set up Sino-foreign skills training centers, so as to meet local vocational education and skills training needs, and develop internationalized and comprehensively qualified talents for the development of the “Belt and Road Initiative” and BRICS countries; Rely on the advantages of cross-cultural communication disciplines to carry out a number of cross-cultural competency training activities at the level of students and teachers, so as to lay a foundation for training of skilled talents, and realize the industrialization and scale of skilled talent training.

 (2) Carry out international contests and competitions, and establish institutional platforms such as “BRICS Skills Development and Technology Innovation Competition” and the “Belt & Road and BRICS Skills Development International Forum”, so as to guide skills training, certification, talent exchange and mobility. Establish a big data platform for skills development to enable remote online skills training, certification, competition, talent exchange and mobility across the “Belt and Road” and BRICS countries.

(3) Focusing on the talent needs of BRICS countries in the “digital era”, integrate the resources of multiple parties such as “government, industry, university, institute and enterprise”, and study to develop training programs for government officials, business executives, skilled talents, and innovative and entrepreneurial talents for BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries. According to the characteristics of different disciplines, develop customized training plans focusing on the industrial Internet, block-chain, artificial intelligence, big data and other key fields concerned by BRICS countries, and systematically develop multilingual on-line and off-line talent training and exchange programs tailored to the needs of BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries.

(4) Expand international horizons through visits, field trips, training and internships, exchange with internationally renowned research institutions and leading enterprises, and participation in exhibitions and forums. Establish a pool of talent training expert resources, and gradually develop multi-agent talent training resources in the field of BRICS new industrial revolution.

3. Base training content

(1) Build a community with a shared future for mankind, and accelerate the promotion of training courses on improving the governance competency of governmental officials in BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries. Sticking to the demand-oriented, problem-oriented and result-oriented principles and focusing on the key fields of new industrial revolution, arrange training courses from five dimensions, i.e., policy, economy, society, culture and security, striving to improve the governance competency by following the current trends of the world’s economic development, improving social governance, developing cultural exchange, and improving national security and stability. Adopt the method of “module course + fine course + recommended course” for free combination.

(2) Advanced workshop for leading talents in the intelligent manufacturing and robotics industry of BRICS and “BRICS +” countries. According to the requirements on the talent training plans of the PartNIR Innovation Center for BRICS and “BRICS +” Countries, through the advanced education mode of “theory exposition - case analysis - structured discussion - field investigation - network communication”, closely following industry hot spots and key directions such as upgrading of intelligent manufacturing technologies, exploration of artificial intelligence technologies, intelligent digital transformation of factories, and innovation of intelligent manufacturing equipment, and supplemented by corporate operation & management, fiscal and tax planning, investment and financing practice and other core corporate operation modules, customize courses based on the actual needs of students, and provide an industry-university-research cooperation and exchange platform to facilitate the transformation of achievements and achieve the best learning effect.

(3) Advanced research and training program on innovation and development in the digital economy era. Carry out systematic training on core issues such as digital economy and industrial development, and digital transformation.

(4) Training program for backbone teachers in the field of artificial intelligence in colleges and universities. Make all-round improvement focusing on the professional construction of artificial intelligence, curriculum development, teaching methods and practice training.

(5) Training program for engineers in digital technology. Provide systematic training for the technicians in three engineering fields, i.e., intelligent manufacturing, block chain and big data.

(6) Vocational skills training program for carbon emission managers. Provide related professional knowledge on carbon emission testing, accounting, verification, trading and consulting.

IV. Implementation Foundation

1. The Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities leads the educational cooperation with Russia

Since 2011, with the support and guidance of the working mechanisms of the “Sino-Russian Cultural Cooperation Committee” and the “Scientific and Technological Cooperation Sub-Committee and Aerospace Cooperation Sub-Committee of the China-Russian Prime Ministers Regular Meeting Committee”, the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities (ASRTU) led by HIT is always committed to the cooperation and exchange between key engineering universities of the two countries, especially in key frontier fields such as aerospace, intelligent manufacturing, advanced materials, civil and transportation, smart and renewable energy, ecological environment and polar research. Up to now, the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities has attracted a total of 75 universities from both China and Russia to join, with more than 1.98 million students. It has organized a total of 83 large cultural and scientific and technological exchange activities, benefiting nearly 100,000 Chinese and Russian teachers and students, and has dispatched a total of 5,000 persons for two-way exchange between Chinese and Russian universities.

From 2017 to 2019, ASRTU has become a key educational and technological exchange platform of “China-Russia Expo” in Heilongjiang Province for three consecutive years, accelerating the process of developing international talents for China and Russia through platforms such as the University President Forum of ASRTU Annual Conference, China-Russia Youth Innovation Competition, Regional Exchange Day, bilateral academic seminars, international industry-university-research conferences and ASRTU University Science & Technology Innovation Exchange Program. HIT has held the “China-Ukraine Science and Technology Forum” for four consecutive times and the “China-Russia Science and Technology Forum” for two times, building an open platform for precise alignment of scientific research cooperation through academic exchange. In June 2021, during the International Industry-University-Research Cooperation Conference (Harbin), the secretariat of the Conference was set in HIT, which further promotes the industry-university-research cooperation with the universities, scientific research institutions and enterprises of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in the fields of new materials, artificial intelligence, big data, and polar science and technology.

2. The “Belt and Road Initiative” think tanks promotes regional development and construction

To develop talents for the construction and development of the “Belt and Road Initiative” proposed by China, HIT initiated to establish the “Belt and Road” Talent Strategy Think Tank in May 2018. Relying on the “Belt and Road” Think Tank Master’s Program for International Students, the “Belt and Road” Think Tank International Symposium for Network Development and the “Belt and Road” Talent Strategy Research Program, HIT has established a professional think tank composed of scholars and experts in related fields from CEE countries, Mongolia, Russia and China, which integrates talent strategy research, talent training and high-level advice. The think tank adheres to the mission of “gathering strength and discussing the future”, and carries out research, planning, pooling and training of talents for the development of the “Belt and Road Initiative”.

In view of the lack and distortion of front-end information in the current construction of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, it combines the construction of the “Belt and Road Initiative” think tank with innovative training methods for overseas students, takes advantage of HIT’s concentrated resources of overseas students from countries along the “Belt and Road”, and develops high-level domestic consulting and think tank talents for the countries along the “Belt and Road”. At present, the “Belt and Road” Think Tank Program for International Students has recruited hundreds of students from BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ghana, Liberia and Indonesia, the number of which further expands. Through the training of several sessions of students, a set of curriculum systems including basic theory support platform, consultation and analysis competency platform, policy interpretation competency platform, strategic planning competency platform have been gradually improved.

3. The training of global governance talents has remarkable achievements

Relying on the International Organization Young Talent Training Base of the Ministry of Education in HIT, HIT has organized three online training camps for international organization talents, which were participated by more than 300 students from 7 universities, i.e., three branches of Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin Engineering University, Northeast Forestry University, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin Normal University, Heilongjiang University and Harbin University of Science and Technology. HIT has held the “Harbin Archives: Dialogue on City History and Culture” international summer camp for three consecutive years. More than 100 students from the University of Melbourne, Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, University of Macau, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Nanjing University and three branches of Harbin Institute of Technology participated in this summer camp to learn cross-cultural communication skills and experience the charms of cross-cultural communication.

Relying on the EU Erasmus Program “RICH-ED”, three teacher training sessions have been conducted. The training of “Cross-cultural Learning: Language, Identity and Power Relations in Cross-cultural Communication” was conducted for foreign language teachers, and 44 foreign language teachers from 13 universities in Heilongjiang Province participated in the training. Two sessions of “HIT Workshop on Cross-cultural Literacy and Higher Education Internationalization” were held for the training of administrative personnel in HIT, bringing administrative personnel with new experience and new thinking related to their own work and study from the perspective of the integrating cross-cultural communication and internationalization construction.

HIT has organized refresher courses for teachers in Bauman Moscow State Technical University, providing training in the fields such as computer education system and curriculum construction, teaching methods, training of IT personnel with international competitiveness, comprehensive teaching information management and service system construction, innovation of remote education technology and methods, and digital information construction of teaching resources. HIT joined Bauman Moscow State Technical University to launch the “Application of Artificial Intelligence in Expert Systems” course co-construction program, and carried out the development of a series of artificial intelligence courses, forming a comprehensive artificial intelligence teaching and research cooperation from algorithm to software and then to hardware implementation. HIT has established very close relation with the University of South Africa in the field of scientific research. Through the cooperation and exchange between Bhekie Mamba, a member from the Academy of Science of South Africa, and the professors of HIT, the research capacity of teachers and students in the University of South Africa has been developed, which has improved the scientific and technological level of the University of South Africa in the fields of separation membrane and water treatment. The two parties have jointly published a series of CAS Zone 1 papers. Both parties intend to further strengthen the cooperative research in postgraduate training and bilateral exchange. The work of overseas students studying in China keeps pace with the national strategies, with its quality and level improving steadily. In particular, relying on the advantages of exchange with Russia, HIT makes full use of the resources of the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities (ASRTU). The source and enrollment of Russian students are good. In 2021, a total of 382 Russian students were studying in HIT, including 283 international students with degrees. The Sino-Russian high-level talent training base of the Ministry of Education has achieved initial results. The total number of international students from BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries is small, which means that there is great room for cooperation. The overall cooperation potentials of BRICS and “BRICS Plus” countries still need to be further released.

President Xi Jinping stressed in his speech at the Commemorative Conference on the 50th Anniversary of the Restoration of China’s Lawful Seat in the United Nations that mankind should live and work together in harmony to build a community with a shared future for mankind and join hands to create a better future. This provides a rare opportunity for educational exchange and cooperation among BRICS countries. Universities and colleges are the main carriers of BRICS educational cooperation, and the globalization of higher education plays an important role in providing high-quality human resources and promoting economic growth in BRICS countries. Looking ahead, HIT will actively seek international exchange and cooperation, enhance the global competitiveness of higher education, develop outstanding talents with international vision, reform and build a global governance system, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The training of innovative talents in BRICS countries has a promising future.

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