International Activities

International Association for Transport Universities in Asia-Pacific Countries

It is impossible to create global economy without transport corridors, technological innovations in this sphere and, obviously, without partnership among European and Asian countries. Implementation of new technologies is impossible without regular upgrade of the educational system in transport universities. The International Association of Transport Universities of Asian-Pacific Countries (IASTU APC) was established on the initiative of the Far East State Transport University at the 3^rd International Symposium for Railroad Universities in Europe and Asia (Khabarovsk, 2009) to fill this need.

President of the Korea National University of Transportation Choy Yon-Hi became the first president of the IASTU APC. Today she is the president of KORAIL. The president of FESTU Boris Dynkin was elected a president of the IASTU APC at the 4th international symposium in Nanjing.

At the 8th Symposium the president of the Dalian Transportation University was elected the next president of the Association The president of FESTU, Iurii Davydov was elected Vice-President of IASTU APC.

IASTU APC made its goals the following: the integration of scientific and educational potentials of the universities, research institutes and railroad industrial companies of APC; the development and implementation of intellectual projects and services that ensure training and re-training of railway engineers; the development of policies in transport science and education; etc.

IASTU APC has shown rapid growth attracting new members from the very first days of its existence. Nowadays IASTU APC consists of 24 member universities from 8 countries: Russia, Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, Australia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. The expanding geography of cooperation within the frameworks of IASTU-APC testifies to the topicality of the tasks resolved.

Among the other advantages from the IASTU APC is a wide specter of possibilities for international cooperation in scientific and educational areas. IASTU APC membership allows the member-universities to gain access to all educational resources of all the participant universities of IASTU and to take part in all events organized by the Association.

Today IASTU has four active committees: the Education and Science Committee, the Committee for Logistics and Development of Eurasia Transport Corridors, the High-Speed Traffic Committee, the Geotechnical Research Committee and the Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency Committee.

IASTU APC has a wide cooperation field: International Symposia for railway Universities in Europe and Asia, the Network University for Transport and Logistics of the Asian-Pacific Countries, joint research and publications its results, professional probations and trainee courses, special short term educational programs and projects should be pointed out especially.

The first and the second International Symposia of Railway Universities in Europe and Asia took place in the Republic of Korea, Seoul. The 3^rd Symposium was hosted by FESTU (the Russian Federation, Khabarovsk). The 4^th took place in China, Nanjing, the 5^th was held in Kazakhstan, Almaty; the 6^th was held in South Korea at the Korean National University of Transportation, the 7^th took place in China, Dalian at the Dalian Transportation University. The 8^th International Symposium of Railway Universities in Europe and Asia took place in China, Nanjing at the Nanjing University of Railway Technologies.

The Network University for Transport and Logistics of Asian-Pacific Countries functions as an equal partnership consortium of all organizations-members of IASTU. Coordination and other duties of the Network University for Transport and Logistics APC are performed by the coordinator university.

The main goals of the Network University were defined as follows: the development of educational and scientific fields of IASTU member universities; the development of the mechanisms for academic mobility of students and professors (it is assumed that participants of educational process will have a possibility to obtain education in the other IASTU universities); the contribution to intercultural dialogue and the joint work of academic communities.

The main objectives of the Association were defined as: training of high qualified Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate students in the fields of transportation and logistics, organization of the "included education" as a form of a free academic mobility on the basis of resources of IASTU APC, the search for new forms of interuniversity cooperation.

When the Network University was designed its advantages were analyzed and later were affirmed during its work. Today it allows to effectively organize the model of open education in the territories of the participating countries and scale down prices for maintaining educational programs, technologies and marketing.

These competitive advantages can be intensified with a wide range of educational programs, possibilities for getting more than one diploma, upgrading service quality, training of a new generation of professionals capable at working on the whole Eurasia territory within different cultures and life approaches, raise the rating of all universities, gaining the possibility to use material base of other universities and publish scientific research and reports in specialized magazine of the members of ATU, gaining the access to libraries of other participants.

Network University functions as follows: IASTU APC member-universities suggest educational programs for including into the united databank, they can send their documents in an electronic form to the coordinating university. After that the coordinating university maintains the databank on the Network University web-site, mails information to other member universities, and performs all paper-work of the Network University.

The member university interested in co-working on some educational program applies to the united databank for the available program. Further implementation of the program will be maintained by interested university and its partner that run this program. The partners will coordinate and open the joint educational program. All information about this collective educational program should be send to the coordinating university.

The united databank of educational programs is functioning on the site of IASTU APC (http://iastu-ap.org). Today there are 16 programs that could launched on the basis of Network University. Masters degree programs in English in the areas of IT, power supply, civil engineering and economy are available at FESTU.

It should be pointed out that IASTU cooperates not only with universities but  transportation organizations form countries-participants and research universities for organization of short term programs for advanced training of Russian and foreign personnel, researchers in transportation sphere (multimodal railing, high-speed running, traffic safety support, transport corridors, etc.).

Some transport organizations that are not officially a part of the IASTU have been involved in the work of the IASTU APC in the last three years. For example, South Korea was presented by Korea Railway Research Institute, International Railway Training Center for UIC Asia (IRATCA), Korean Transport Institute, Rail Network Authority, Incheon Green Environmental Center, KORAIL, Korean Council for University Education, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, and KORASS.

Ministry of Land, Transport and Infrastructure of Japan, Niitsu Rolling Stock Manufacturing Factory East Japan Railway Company, JR East, JARTS, Railway Technical Research Institute, Japan Freight Railway Co. Ltd. were involved with work as Japanese representatives.

The cooperation with Chinese organization such as Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd., China Railways, and the Association of Railways under the Ministry of Railways of the PRC (Beijing) has been fruitful.

Today FESTU as a part of IASTU is involved in collective research with the Korea National University of Transportation (Republic of Korea) for connecting Trans-Korean and Trans-Siberian Railway. Professor from KNUT arrived to Khabarovsk for one-year advanced training. The FESTU post-graduate student from Chinese associate university will present his work in Moscow State University of Railway Engineering in May.

IASTU APC has organized several programs for advanced training for top-managers and personnel of the Russian Railways, presidents of transport universities of Russia in Japan. Many branches of national economy including transport should be upgraded in the era of globalization. These programs of advanced training gave an opportunity to all participants to encounter Japanese progressive experience in transport industry, high speed railways infrastructure, organization and operation, traffic safety support on JR and the underground.

Every year FESTU welcomes hundreds of students from associate universities in the Khabarovsk International Summer School (KISS). FESTU organizes different professional summer schools in such areas as civil engineering, transport logistic, mechanics for engineers, Russian language and culture. For example 120 students from China, Japan, Republic of Korea and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea attended KISS in 2013; 142 and 155 students attended KISS in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Academic mobility of students and professors is an all academic year round activity.

The Beijing Transportation University conducted a seminar for Vice-Presidents of Russian Railway Universities on the management of educational process in Chinese universities and training the personnel for transportation system in April this year.

IASTU is a very prospective project which can be proven by presence of the Deputy Minister of Education of Korean Republic, the Deputy Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Chairman of National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on Education, Sport and Culture, Russian Deputy Minister of Transport at the 6th symposium of IASTU. The Russian Federation Deputy Minister of Transport and the Deputy Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs of the Republic of Korea with the president of KORAIL and the Deputy Chairman of Hyundai Rotem discussed cooperation of the two countries.

Some important topic issues were discussed at the plenary meetings including specialized research zone and technologies in transportation sphere, smart transportation technologies and logistics, national transformational networks such as civil engineering, service and prospective of developments, transport corridors etc., training personnel for transportation sphere and cooperation among transport universities and organizations, resolving problems in the field of cooperation in international transportation; the development of global system of the transportation inspection.

Presence of people of power and business representatives can be considered as high interest in the IASTU APC work.