Altai State University and Xinjiang University of Economics and Finance signed a cooperation agreement at the International Conference on Subregional Cooperation around the Altai Mountains.

The prestigious event took place on June 10 in the city of Altai, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. During the conference, the Altai State University delegation met with the leadership of Xinjiang University and Xinjiang University of Economics and Finance.

The event brought together official representatives from higher education institutions and government agencies from Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, and Turkmenistan. Participants discussed a broad agenda covering trade and economic cooperation, agricultural technology, tourism, intercultural exchange, and educational collaboration.

The Altai Krai delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Abdullaev, showcased the region's achievements and prospects. Altai State University was represented by Roman Raikin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs Development, and Irina Rotanova, a research expert for the International Coordinating Council "Our Common Home - Altai," and an associate professor in the Department of Physical Geography and Geoinformation Systems.

The educational section featured presentations by the heads of leading universities and colleges in Xinjiang (XUAR). Roman Raikin outlined the Altai Krai higher education system and noted strong interest among Chinese students in studying at Altai universities. This year, 725 students from China are studying in Barnaul, with more than 500 of them being enrolled at Altai State University.

Polzunov Altai State Technical University and Altai State Agricultural University are also actively implementing joint educational projects with Chinese partners. Altai State Institute of Culture hosts an HSK Chines- language proficiency testing center. Collaboration between Altai Krai universities and their Chinese counterparts is expected to grow, in part due to the fact that 2026–2027 have been declared cross-years of Russian-Chinese cooperation in education.

Describing Russian-Chinese initiatives in science and education led by Altai State University, Roman Raikin highlighted promising areas of collaboration. Notably, this summer Altai State University will open a joint Centre for the Study of the Greater Altai archaeology in partnership with Northwestern University of China.

"Our university is interested in conducting new joint archaeological and ethnographic expeditions with Chinese partners and invites universities in the XUAR to participate in projects studying the historical and cultural heritage of the Central Asia peoples. Joint work continues on the management of specially protected natural areas, with an emphasis on tourism development. We are also ready to discuss collaborative projects in biotechnology and high-efficiency agriculture, since these are strategic technological priorities of our university," Roman Raikin emphasized.

The session placed particular emphasis on scientific research and expert-analytical support for the development of trade and economic cooperation across the Greater Altai regions. Altai State University has resources and expertise to provide high-quality training for Chinese teachers of Russian as a foreign language, both through face-to-face programs and modern distance-learning technologies.

In her speech, Irina Rotanova described the ecosystem value of Altai and set out priorities for environmental protection in the regions surrounding the Altai Mountains. She focused on the experience of the International Summer School for Young Scientists of the Greater Altai Regions, "Our Common Home – Altai," which has been held annually in Altai Krai for 19 years.

A cooperation agreement between Altai State University and Xinjiang University of Economics and Finance was among the key outcomes of the section.