Historical Experience of Academic Exchange Between the PRC and the USSR in the 1950s.

Purpose of the study. The article deals with the process of sending students by the People's Republic of China to study in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. The sending of students was a part of the state policy to form a new elite in a short period of time and a kind of national project to rapidly increase the number of professional and technical personnel during the construction and development of New China. The process of selecting students according to the rules set by the state is analyzed. The unified national plan included determining the types and number of educational institutions, the list of specialties, setting the duration of study, conducting a preliminary political examination and medical examination, pre-departure group training, testing Russian language skills, and centralized distribution of basic necessities for students. Results. As a result of the study, the authors conclude that a large number of highly qualified specialists were trained in the USSR during the decade of intensive scientific and educational transfer. Sending students to the USSR facilitated scientific and technological exchange between the two powers and strengthened the friendship between the peoples of China and the Soviet Union. After returning home, Chinese graduates of Soviet universities became major actors in scientific, technological and economic development in various fields. The PRC has accumulated a rich historical experience of academic exchange, which serves as a valuable reference point for contemporary Chinese education abroad.