Gleb Sintsov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, and Dr. Bashir Samaha, Director General of the National Arab-Russian Association, partner of the University for work with students and organizations in the Arab world, paid an official visit to Al Ain University and to a number of events in the United Arab Emirates on October 18-20, 2021.

The visit to Al Ain University took place on Wednesday, 20 October. The guests were welcomed by the President of the University, Dr. Ghaleb Awad El Refae. It should be noted that the University of Al Ain for the first time in its history hosted a delegation from a Russian university.

Vice-rector Gleb Sintsov presented PSU in the course of negotiations with the University leadership on the following possible areas of cooperation: joint research and publications in Scopus and Web of Science journals, academic mobility of teachers and students, organization of scientific and cultural events. Of particular interest are such areas as legal and engineering sciences, as well as pharmacy.

An extensive excursion around the University included visits to laboratories, workshops and classrooms, meetings with teaching staff and students.

In the planned partnership, PSU also intends to use the Russian-Arab Cultural Center, created in 2020, which aims at promoting two cultures - Russian in the Arab world, and Arab - in the Russian academic and cultural space. Dr. Ghaleb Awad El Refae expressed his willingness to accept students to study the Arabic language. They also discussed joint work in developing a center for studying Russian as a foreign language at Al-Ain University.

In the near future, it is planned to hold an online meeting of heads of universities and departments in order to develop a joint roadmap. Also, the representatives of universities will discuss a possible visit of the Al Ain University President to PSU in January 2022. During the I Forum of Rectors of the Federation of Russian and Arab Universities (February, 2018), PSU Rector Aleksandr Guliakov and President of Al Ain University Dr. Ghaleb Awad El Refae already had an opportunity to communicate in person.

“The visit to Al Ain University should help expand the zones of PSU presence on the international market of educational services, as well as open up new opportunities in disseminating scientific and academic knowledge and developments of our University. Exchange of experience always gives rise to new ideas, and our cooperation with universities in the Arab world is based on mutual respect and friendship. The promotion of the Arabic language in the Russian-speaking environment, and the Russian language in the Arabic world is a fairly new direction for PSU, but we hope for success and fruitful cooperation," Gleb Sintsov summed up at the end of the trip.