September 4th, 2013, Moscow. Konstantin Kosachev, head of ROSSOTRUDNICHESTVO (full name: the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation) and Aleksandr Gulyakov, acting rector of Penza State University, signed a bilateral cooperation agreement.

Signing of the agreement is an important step forward in the university’s international policy.

Rossotrudnichestvo is a federal government agency, its major activities concern the promotion of Russian education abroad, establishing diplomatic, cultural and educational links with countries of the CIS and around the world. Geographically, activities of the agency cover the territories from the USA to Japan, from Finland to Argentina. Rossotrudnichestvo operates in 77 countries of the world, there are 59 Russian centres for science and culture with 8 filial branches, 18 representative offices as part of RF embassies.

The agreement between Rossotrudnichestvo and Penza State University aims to encourage international cooperation in education and science, to facilitate academic mobility, to promote university educational programmes abroad. Various events are planned within the framework of the present agreement.

The agreement was signed in Moscow, Penza State University was represented by its acting rector, Aleksandr Gulyakov and Vice-rector for International Affairs, Yuri Mazei. Similar agreements were signed between Rossotrudnichestvo and 7 Russian universities ( of Stavropol, Pskov, Nizhny Novgorod, Altaisk, Lipetzk and others).