BEIJING, September 05. /ITAR-TASS/. A Founding Agreement on the establishment of a joint Russo-Chinese International University has been signed on Friday by Academician Viktor Sadovnichy, Rector of Moscow State University (MGU), and Hu Haiyan, President of Beijing Polytechnical University (BPU).

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Viktor Sadonvichy said, "This is a historic day for us now. For the first time in the 260-year history of the MGU, a joint university is being established in China".

"This is a unique project. Graduate students of the Russo-Chinese International University will be receiving the certificates of MGU and the joint university, and the process of instruction will be in three languages. The most important task is to ensure top quality of education so that the entire scientific community would look up to the new university," the MGU Rector pointed out.

The idea of establishing a joint institution of higher learning was suggested by the Chinese side. An appropriate Memorandum between MGU and BPU was signed in September 2013. The university is to be built at the expense of Shenzhen. The MGU's contribution to the establishment of the joint university will be in the provision of of educational programs and research development products. Chinese students will account for about 80% of the enrolment and those from Russia and Central Asia countries will account for 20% of the intake.

The new university is expected to enrol the first students as early as in 2015. In the first years of its existence, the joint higher learning establishment is to enrol up to 500 students. The number of student is to be brought up to 5,000 with the possibility of a subsequent increase. Students at the new university are to have compulsory practical training in Russia and in major corpoations of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China.

Prior to the signing the Founding Agreement, Academician Viktor Sadovnichy, MGU Rector, delivered a a public lecture on the theme of "Fundamental Science and Space Research at MGU" for Chinese students and participants in the ceremonial function. In the lecture, he related the universiy researchers' contribution to the study of outer space from Mikhail Lomonosov's discoveries and to the latest advances.