Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A grand opening of a new foreign representative office of Saint Petersburg University (SPbU) took place in the Navoi Free Economic Zone (Republic of Uzbekistan). From September expert round tables, online lectures, presentations of SPbU educational programs and other events will begin to take place here.

Sergey Andryushin, Deputy Rector for International Affairs of St Petersburg University, delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of Rector of St Petersburg University Nikolai Kropachev to the participants of the ceremony. “The opening of a representative office of St. Petersburg University on the site of the Navoi Free Economic Zone is an important step not only in the context of strengthening cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan. This is the first representative office of the University in the free economic zone, where the main tasks will be the transfer of technologies, knowledge and the commercialization of scientific developments of St Petersburg University. Residents of the Navoi FEZ are large companies, and the city-forming enterprise is the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Plant, the scientific center of which has expressed interest in cooperation with St. Petersburg State University. Thus, the University continues its policy of close partnership with employers, including within the framework of foreign projects,” said Sergey Andryushin. During the event, a presentation was shown on the history and modern potential of St. Petersburg University.

The guests were also addressed by the General Director of the Navoi Free Economic Zone Khabib Abdullayev, as well as representatives of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, universities of the region (rectors of the Bukhara State and Bukhara Technological Universities), as well as representatives of Rossotrudnichestvo and heads of companies represented in the Navoi FEZ.

The work of the SPbU representative office will be aimed at close cooperation with the corporate sector, strengthening scientific ties with universities in the region, promoting the Russian language, history and culture, developing academic exchanges and joint projects. Conferences, seminars, workshops, presentations by Russian scientists will be organized on its basis, as well as testing in the Russian language. Thus, lectures are planned for autumn on the topics “Artificial Intelligence and methods of its application in modern industries”, “Trends in the field of cellular and genetic technologies”, “Hydrogeology and modern practices for solving problems caused by exogenous and endogenous processes”, “Influence of traditions of the countries of Central Asia on Russian Culture” and “Modern Trends in Landscape Design”. In the future, it is also planned to create a St. Petersburg University Alumni Club and develop a program of St. Petersburg State University ambassadors.