WEIA Faculty and East-China Normal University are launching joint academic supervision of doctoral dissertation research
In July 2026, the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs (WEIA) of HSE University and East-China Normal University (ECNU) signed an Agreement for Doctoral Dissertation Co-supervision and Defense. The Agreement heralds a new stage in the partnership between WEIA Faculty and ECNU, which harkens back to the 2013 Agreement on student exchange. Since then, cooperation between WEIA Faculty and ECNU has expanded beyond academic mobility, and is set to reach a new level – joint training of researchers.
The Agreement provides doctoral students of WEIA Faculty and those of the School of Politics and International Relations at ECNU with an opportunity to undertake studies and to write and defend a dissertation on international relations at both institutions under the guidance of academic supervisors appointed by each institution. The Co-supervision framework also allows students to undergo a yearlong research internship at the partner institution, with the subsequent granting of a Candidate of Sciences degree at HSE University and a PhD at ECNU.
ECNU, founded in 1951 and located in Shanghai, is one of China’s leading universities. In 2017, it was included in the Double First Class University Plan, a governmental higher education initiative that brings together world-class domestic universities. ECNU’s academic achievements rank within the top-1% of the Essential Sciences Indicators world rating for 14 research areas. The School of Politics and International Relations at ECNU will act as a key partner to WEIA Faculty in executing the Agreement. The School is one of the leading research centers for Russian and Eurasian studies in China. The new cooperation framework paves the way for conjoining both institutions’ expertise in the field of international relations and creates additional opportunities for training aspiring researchers who specialize in Russia-China relations.
The Doctoral Dissertation Co-Supervision Programme is set to be launched in the Fall of 2026, and the first exchange of doctoral students will take place in 2027. The launch of the Programme is an important step in the advancement of academic cooperation between Russia and China, which will create new opportunities for training of world-class researchers and serve as a foundation for furthering educational and research cooperation between HSE University and ECNU.
