The visit was within a Fulbright Grant Program aimed at developing academic cooperation between Russia and the USA in the sphere of higher education. American delegation was represented by Dr. Barbara S. Abromitis (Director of Grants, College of DuPage), Dr. Warren Brown (President of North Seattle College), Dr. Julie Lavender (Vice President for Academic Affairs), Dr. Daniel Rodkin (Associate Vice President, Santa Fe College), Dr. Dean Roughton (Academic Dean, College of the Albemarle), Nadine Russell (Global Leading Director, Central Piedmont Community College).

The meeting addressed a number of topics: the history of higher education in the USA, community colleges and their role in the institutional system. The delegates emphasized that community colleges offer education on a wide range of disciplines and provide a set of competences for the students that let them work for the certain position after graduation. Another important trait of community colleges is the possibility of enrollment for the third year of the Bachelor’s Degree Programs at Higher Education Institutions. The delegation representatives discussed the cooperation issues between schools, colleges and universities regarding dual education.

The most important and interesting part of the meeting was designated to communication with the second year students from Russia and Nigeria (KNRTU Faculty of Petroleum and Petrochemistry), that are studying at bilingual program. The students introduced themselves, spoke on their studies and interests with the foreign guests. When the official part of the meeting ended, the students surrounded American professors and discussed all the questions that they were interested in.

KNRTU has had partnership with the Fulbright Program in Russia for a long time. Since 2011, KNRTU has hosted 4 Fulbright summer schools in nanomaterials and nanotechnologies and much work has been done in the sector of faculty academic exchange.