Institute of Archaeology of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences and Chinese science centers and educational scientific institutions expand cooperation

From March 7 to 11, 2024 at the invitation of the Renmin University of China a delegation of the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov TAS visited the People’s Republic of China.

During the visit, the delegation of the Institute of Archaeology TAS got acquainted with the main fields of scientific activity of the Institute of Archaeology of the Border Regions of China RUC and the Institute of History and Tourism of the Inner Mongolia University (PRC). The parties agreed to develop trilateral cooperation within the framework of a joint project. Within the framework of the agreement, the parties plan to conduct joint research on the study of archaeological sites – the Bolgar settlement and monuments of the Uyghur period on the territory of Tatarstan, as well as conducting exploratory investigations of sites identified in China.

A meeting was also held at the Inner Mongolia University with representatives of the Department of History IMU. The head of the Institute of Archaeology TAS A.G. Sitdikov told about the international projects of the Institute and expressed hope for the development of further mutual cooperation of institutions on the archaeology and history of the Golden Horde. Both sides expressed their strong willingness for long-term cooperation and agreed to carry out academic exchange of scientists and post-graduate students, joint archaeological excavations and publications, as well as international scientific conferences.

During the trip, the specialists of the Institute of Archaeology also visited other science centers and educational scientific institutions, including: Institute of Archaeology and Restoration of the Forbidden City Museum (the Palace Museum) in Beijing, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Музей Улавцау. There was also a meeting with the administration of the Institute for History of Natural Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who visited the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences last year to conclude an agreement on scientific cooperation.

A meeting was held with the head of the ATES, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Fahu Chen at the Association for Trans-Eurasia Exchange and Silk-Road Civilization Development. During the meeting, the possibilities for the realization of joint research projects in the field of archaeological investigations on a wide range of issues of multidisciplinary study of multi-temporal archaeological materials were discussed.

Chinese science centers and educational scientific institutions have expressed the desire to sign scientific cooperation agreements and offer to start the approval procedure for their signing. Chinese colleagues are also interested in holding the Bolgar International Archaeological School in China.