On Tuesday, November 25, Mr. Xiang Bo, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Kazan, paid an official visit to Penza State University. This was Mr. Xiang's first visit to Penza. He praised the region's and the university's potential.

During the visit, a roundtable discussion was held, attended by representatives of the Chinese delegation, PSU Rector Aleksandr Guliakov, university representatives, and students from China. The international dialogue focused on developing bilateral cooperation.

Currently, 277 students from China are studying at PSU. They have chosen various programmes: Bachelor’s degree programmes in Linguistics, Teacher Training (Music), and Physical Education; Master’s degree programmes in Economics, Teacher Training (Musical Arts and Education), Teacher Training (Physical Education), and Philology; and postgraduate programmes in “Russian Language. Languages of the Peoples of Russia”.

"Penza State University places special emphasis on international cooperation," emphasized Rector Aleksandr Guliakov. He also noted that increasing the number of students from China is one of the university's strategic goals.

Currently, PSU cooperates with a number of companies and universities in China within the framework of bilateral agreements: with the Beijing Bridge Cultural Exchange Company (since 2014), the People's Government of Gansu Province (since 2014), Gannan Normal University (since 2016), Lanzhou City University (since 2015), Lanzhou Jiaotong University (since 2014), Lianyungang Normal College (since 2016) and Xi'an International University (since 2019).

In October 2024, during an official visit by a Penza Region delegation to Shaanxi Province, agreements were signed with the Baojing Institute of Arts and Sciences and the Shaanxi Vocational Institute of Electrical Engineering. Negotiations are currently underway to implement joint educational projects: graduates of these institutes will be able to Bachelor’s degree programmes at PSU on an accelerated schedule.

Starting in 2026, several educational programmes are planned to be implemented online: a master's degree programme in "Materials Science and Technology of New Materials" (majoring in "Materials Science and Technology") and a bachelor's degree programme in "Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities" (majoring in "Physical Rehabilitation"), jointly with Jining University. The agreement for the implementation of the master's degree programme was signed on November 18, 2025, during the visit of an official delegation from Lanzhou City University to PSU.

Mikhail Denisov, First Deputy Minister of Education of the Penza Region, also attended the meeting. He emphasized that cooperation is developing not only in higher education but also at the secondary vocational education level.

The Consul General of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Xiang Bo, noted the high level of education at Penza State University and thanked the Rector and staff for their attention and support of Chinese students.

Representatives of PSU institutes presented areas of cooperation: Olga Surina, Director of the Institute of Teacher Education; Svetlana Taktarova, Director of the Institute of Economics and Administration; Yuri Tikhonov, Director of the Institute of Sport and Physical Training; and Olga Barabash, Head of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language.

Students from China present at the meeting asked questions and put forward initiatives. One of the initiatives concerned the creation of a Chinese Students' Union at PSU. Rector Aleksandr Guliakov has already given instructions for the organizational resolution of this issue.