"We have been cooperating with University of Arizona for many years and taking small steps toward building a joint arts and science program," Kozlova said. "I think that we will launch it in 2018."
ITMO University — a participant in Russia’s Academic Excellence Initiative Project 5-100 — specializes in information technology (IT), photonics, new materials and robotics.
Project 5-100 seeks to improve Russian universities’ international competitiveness by promoting internationalization, teaching and studying in Russia, as well as enhancing the schools’ profiles and facilitating cooperation.
Kozlova noted that collaborating with the University of Arizona is very important to ITMO University as the US school has an enviable reputation for providing a unique educational environment.
Such training may further increase "high-quality learning outcomes" as well as "reinforce international scope of our programs," she added.
Kozlova explained that at ITMO, the joint program will be designed to provide students with a broad-based, interdisciplinary education in a wide range of fields.
At the University of Arizona, the program will be established at the College of Optical Sciences, one of the world’s premier educational and research institutions in optics and photonics, she added.
"This program will include not only photonics and arts, but also IT and other courses," Kozlova said.
Due to its geographical location — in the city of Tucson, Arizona — the University of Arizona provides an engaging multicultural environment that recognizes and accepts diverse talents and cultures alike, she also stated.
Kozlova pointed out that ITMO University has been successfully collaborating with a number of US institutions of higher learning.
"Regarding science, particularly with respect to new materials, we cooperate with the University of California in Santa Barbara," she said. "We collaborate with the University of Rochester on terahertz. Besides scientific cooperation, we implement joint educational programs, and we have a research camp in photonics, student exchanges as well as joint publications."
"When we were developing, the environment for students to develop innovations, boost new business ideas, foster the entrepreneurial spirit and mindset at ITMO University, we were inspired by the entrepreneurial culture at UCLA," Kozlova said. "Now there is a number of activities, students exchange in social entrepreneurship is developing between the two countries, our students in startups, entrepreneurship and business management are taking part in a joint summer school, our teachers are training UCLA programming team."
Kozlova spoke on the sidelines of the annual International Association of Educators — known by its original acronym NAFSA — conference and expo in Los Angeles, where the ITMO University delegation held a number of meetings with international partners, including from the United States, Finland, Holland, France, Germany, China and Taiwan.
The vice rector that they envisaged master program, staff training and joint grant applications discussion with the University of Arizona.
Russia's Deputy Minister of Education and Science Lyudmila Ogorodova, who headed the Russian delegation to the NAFSA conference and expo, told Sputnik in May the event is of great interest to Russian universities as it is a platform for dialogue, development of joint educational programs and student mobility between Russia and other countries.
NAFSA is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange.
