RUDN and China: Science beyond borders

RUDN and China: Science beyond borders

In the last five years, academic staff of RUDN alongside the Chinese universities and research centers has achieved impressive results. More than 1,000 scientific publications were made jointly in a wide spectrum from engineering and technology to medicine and social sciences. 19 of these materials were published in top-rated journals which verifies that the works were world-class level.

Numbers speak for themselves

During this cooperation period with Chinese representatives, scholars of RUDN published 1,474 joint works. Quality of these publications is acknowledged by their distribution across quartiles:

  • 948 Q1 level publications including:
  • ○ 33 publications in TOP-1%,
  • ○ 247 publications in TOP-5%,
  • ○ 267 publications in TOP-10%;
  • 348 Q2 level publications.

The cooperation got particularly fortified in the recent years. Between 2022 and 2026, scholars from RUDN published 1,003 works co-authored with the Chinese partners. Among them there are 684 Q1 level publications (15 — in TOP-1%, 190 — in TOP-5%, 196 — in TOP-10%) and 225 Q2 level publications.

Key publication partners of RUDN in China were:

  • Chinese Science Academy (185 publications),
  • University of Chinese Science Academy (66 publications),
  • Northwestern University of Africa and Forestry (57 publications).

Syhnthesis of new compounds and ecology of rice fields

Joint research encompasses 5 key fields: Engineering and technology, natural sciences, life sciences and medicince, social sciences and management. This wide range of fields allow scientists from both countries to exchange expertise and solve complex problems at the intersection of disciplines.

For instance, in the field of organic chemistry, RUDN University researcher Eric Valery E. van der Eiken, in collaboration with Chinese colleagues, has prepared a study focused on the synthesis of new compounds using photoredox catalysis and electrochemical activation. These “green” methods enable high selectivity and energy efficiency, opening up prospects for the development of pharmaceuticals and new materials.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Kucher and Yasser Rebuh, researchers at the Institute of Ecology at RUDN University, have developed an innovative approach to predicting landslides along China’s coastline in collaboration with their Chinese colleagues.

“Russian researchers were responsible for risk analysis methodology and environmental modeling, while our colleagues handled big data processing and the development of neural network models. The Chinese side was represented by Xiangtian Zheng and Wei Huang from the Nanjing Institute of Technology, Xici Zhang from the Nanjing State Grid Company, as well as Muhammad Burhan Khalid and Tibra Ishak from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. “This collaboration has enabled us to create a high-precision landslide map and a tool for early risk warning,” said Dmitry Kucher, Associate Professor at the Institute of Ecology, RUDN University.

Yakov Kuzyakov, a professor at the Agricultural Technology Institute, described the characteristics of greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies in a joint review with his Chinese colleagues. These fields provide staple foods for half the world’s population, but they account for about 48% of emissions from agricultural land. The scientists’ study showed that comprehensive agronomic management strategies (selecting new rice varieties, irregular flooding, and straw removal) can reduce emissions by an average of 24%, 44%, and 46%, respectively.

In addition, in one of the most recent joint studies, published in January 2026, Yakov Kuzyakov and his Chinese colleagues investigated how the shape of a plant’s canopy (canopy architecture) affects yield. If farmers around the world adjusted the shape of their crops to achieve an optimal compactness index of 0.55–0.58, global crop yields would increase by 336 million tons per year—enough to feed 800 million people. At the same time, N₂O emissions would be reduced by 41.6%.

Research Projects Involving Chinese Scholars and Joint Grants

It is important to note that this collaboration extends beyond publications—it involves specific research teams and funded projects. Between 2023 and 2026, RUDN University is implementing eight research projects that include Chinese nationals. A total of nine scientists with Chinese citizenship—all full-time university staff members—are involved in these projects. The projects cover topics ranging from sociolinguistics and economics to agriculture, as well as technical sciences (space-based Earth observation systems and engineering).

Joint grants with Chinese partners also deserve special attention. In 2024–2026, with the support of the Russian Science Foundation, the project “The Role and Mechanism of PCSK9 Inhibition in Enhancing the Efficacy of Hadron Therapy by Remodeling the Tumor Immune Microenvironment of STK11-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma” is being implemented. The project leader from RUDN is Konstantin Gordon, a senior research fellow at the Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology of the Medical Institute. The Chinese partner is the prestigious Fudan University.

Among the successfully completed projects is a grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (2020–2022) on the topic “Russia and China in the Global Political Arena: Aligning National Interests in Global Governance.” During the research, Russian scholars, in collaboration with colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, developed recommendations for coordinating the two countries’ foreign policy and economic actions within the framework of international institutions. The project made a significant contribution to the development of a common conceptual framework in the field of international relations.

Academic Mobility and Partnerships

RUDN researchers are regularly invited to give presentations at leading universities in China and are offered the opportunity to join professional alliances. A prime example is Dmitry Atyakshin, Doctor of Medical Sciences. In 2024, he delivered a lecture on the functional morphology of the tissue microenvironment at the invitation of Xi’an Jiaotong University. During this visit, an agreement was reached on joint scientific research between the Chinese university’s Institute of Mitochondrial Biomedicine and RUDN.

In total, RUDN has 90 cooperation agreements with universities in China. The main form of collaboration consists of 18 joint educational programs covering 14 fields of study, including natural resource management, regional studies, international relations, finance and credit, psychology, and education.

Our university has direct representative offices at Chinese higher education institutions. The RUDN Russian Language Center operates at Dalian University of Foreign Languages. In addition, RUDN specialized classes have been established at Shandong University and Xi’an International Studies University. These centers not only promote Russian language and culture but also serve as platforms for academic exchange and joint research.

RUDN also acts as one of the leading coordinating universities of the University of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which underscores its leading role in the development of the educational and scientific space across the entire Eurasian continent.

The scientific cooperation between RUDN and China continues to develop dynamically. The university intends to expand its network of partnerships, increase the number of joint publications in top-quartile journals, and launch new educational programs. Our university takes pride in being one of the key bridges connecting the scientific schools of Russia and China.

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