On the morning of June 7, 2025, Vice President Ren Youzhou of Central China Normal University (CCNU) met with Olga Vasilyeva, President of the Russian Academy of Education (RAE), and her delegation at the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing. The two sides reached a significant consensus on strengthening cooperation in educational research and officially signed a framework agreement to guide future collaboration.

The meeting was also attended by Viktor Basyuk, First Vice President of RAE; Ranna Shadovnikova, Vice President of RAE; and representatives from RAE’s Department of International Cooperation and Public Relations and Department of Protocol and Secretariat. CCNU was represented by officials from the Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education, the School of Foreign Languages, and the Office of International Cooperation.

President Vasilyeva introduced the organizational structure, academic disciplines, and operational mechanisms of the Russian Academy of Education, highlighting its extensive collaboration network with universities both in Russia and abroad. She emphasized that the newly signed agreement with CCNU provides a strong foundation for deeper engagement. As 2025 marks the China-Russia Year of Culture, she warmly invited CCNU experts to attend the upcoming China-Russia Education Forum in Moscow and expressed keen interest in promoting practical, in-depth cooperation in the field of "AI + Education"—particularly in the theory and practice of inclusive education.

Vice President Ren noted that in May, three academician-level experts from RAE were invited to participate in the 2025 World Digital Education Conference. At a parallel forum hosted by CCNU on "The Changing Role and Competency Development of Teachers in the Intelligent Era," the experts shared their latest research. During their visit, they also toured CCNU’s Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education and held productive discussions on research collaboration, including joint project applications and the establishment of shared laboratories—injecting fresh momentum into bilateral cooperation.

The two sides also engaged in in-depth dialogue on inclusive education research and China-Russia teacher training initiatives. Participants agreed to broaden the scope of cooperation and work together to contribute meaningfully to educational partnership and cultural exchange between the two countries.

Founded in 1943, the Russian Academy of Education is Russia’s premier academic institution in the field of educational research. Headquartered in Moscow, it functions as a national think tank, providing scientific support for government policy-making in education, curriculum development, and pedagogical reform. It also coordinates nationwide educational research. The Academy's highest governing body is the General Assembly of Academicians and Corresponding Members, with the Presidium handling day-to-day affairs between sessions. President Vasilyeva previously served as Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (2016–2018) and as Minister of Education (2018–2020). The Academy plays a key role in modernizing education across Russia and the broader Eurasian region and remains actively engaged in educational exchange initiatives under the framework of the China-Russia Committee on Humanities Cooperation.