​​​​​KAZAN, August 17. /TASS/. The China-Russia University of Technology (CRUTech) consortium will unite 10 universities from Tatarstan with 14 ones from China's Shandong Province, Albert Gilmutdinov, aide to the head of the Republic of Tatarstan, told reporters on the sidelines of the "Sprouts: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation" forum in Kazan.

"This is a unique concept. The memorandum on the implementation of this project was signed during the Russian President's visit to Beijing at the end of May this year, meaning that the status of this project has reached the highest state level. Kazan Federal University acts as the project coordinator on behalf of Tatarstan. The consortium will operate as a network alliance of Russian and Chinese universities, research, and other organizations. Its goal is to transform educational and scientific cooperation between the two countries from a format of isolated contacts into a system of joint projects," Gilmutdinov said.

From Tatarstan, the consortium will include Kazan Federal University, Kazan National Research Technical University (KNITU-KAI), Kazan State Power Engineering University, Kazan State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Almetyevsk State Technological University "Higher School of Petroleum," Innopolis University, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan State Agrarian University, Kazan State Institute of Culture, and Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov.

"The distinctive feature of CRUTech is that it involves collaboration not only between universities but also between regions — the Republic of Tatarstan, as a leading, industrially developed region of the Russian Federation, and Shandong Province, which is one of the advanced regions of the People's Republic of China," said Timirkhan Alishev, Vice-Rector for External Relations at Kazan Federal University.

Gilmutdinov also emphasized that in November 2026, a three-day forum of technical universities from Russia and China will be held in Kazan at the Bashir Rameyev IT Park as part of the cross-years of Russian-Chinese educational cooperation. One of the key events will be the international conference "Advanced Technologies in Universities of Russia and China."

The 4th International Forum "Sprouts: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation" is taking place in Kazan from August 16 to 19. The business program includes more than 50 business sessions. TASS is the general media partner of the forum.