Lukashenko at Peking University: Belarusian Students Get Diplomas in Landmark Biotechnology Program
On June 30, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko visited Peking University, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, to attend the graduation of the first cohort of Belarusian students who completed a unique joint Biotechnology program with Belarusian State University. The ceremony marked both a personal milestone for the graduates and a strategic step in deepening Belarus-China educational and scientific cooperation.
For four years, a select group of Belarus’s most talented young biologists lived between two countries, mastering one of the most complex scientific fields entirely in English at China’s top university. On this day, five of them received dual diplomas — from both Peking University and BSU — in the presence of the Belarusian head of state.
The competitive selection four years ago was exceptionally rigorous. Only the strongest students — winners of national olympiads — were chosen for the pioneering program. Today, they stand as the first graduates of this ambitious Belarus-China educational project in biotechnology.
One of the graduates, Vladislav Stepanov, spoke about his future plans:
“I plan to be useful in Belarus. I want to work with immunoglobulins — it’s a new and promising field. New enterprises are opening in this area, and the knowledge I gained here will be extremely valuable.”
His mother, Irina Stepanova, could barely contain her emotions:
“I am so happy. I’m overwhelmed not just by today’s event, but by the fact that my son has realized himself. We are waiting for a great scientist.”
A Program Born from the Highest-Level Agreement
The joint Biotechnology program was launched thanks to personal agreements between President Lukashenko and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. It was designed to train Belarusian specialists capable of building a modern biotechnology industry at home, particularly in pharmaceuticals.
Speaking at the meeting with the university leadership, President Lukashenko was direct about his expectations:
“We must go deeper so that the knowledge and experience these young people gain here spread across Belarus like a fan. Studying at one of the world’s leading universities is only the first step. Everything must serve practice and production. These five graduates must create real enterprises in Belarus and produce products based on Chinese technologies — first and foremost in pharmacology. Your experience in drug and vaccine production is extremely important to us.”
He emphasized that the graduates are already in high demand:
“All 25 of our most gifted young biologists who studied under this program are already employed. Chinese companies and even Russian partners were ready to hire them. But my strict requirement is that they must work in Belarus, in close cooperation with Chinese companies, and produce concrete medicines — including for cancer treatment.”
“You Are Ours. You Must Work for Belarus”
Lukashenko addressed the graduates with particular force:
“You must know that you are ours. You are Belarusians. You must do everything possible for the development of Belarus. We have a strong foundation for your work. You will always have the highest level of support. Create. Build. A great future lies ahead of you.”
He also spoke warmly to the parents present, noting that their children had equal opportunities regardless of background:
“It doesn’t matter whose son or daughter they are — the son of the President or a boy from a village school. They had equal chances to stand on this stage today.”
Expanding Cooperation
During the meeting, the two sides discussed further development of the program. An agreement has already been signed to launch a joint master’s program in Biotechnology. Negotiations are underway to continue recruiting talented Belarusian students in the coming years.
Andrey Korol, Rector of Belarusian State University, described the partnership as a genuine dialogue between two different educational traditions that requires constant, living communication rather than one-time comparisons.
He Guangcai, Secretary of the Party Committee of Peking University, congratulated the graduates and thanked the faculty for their dedicated work over the four years.
A Symbolic Gesture
At the end of the visit, President Lukashenko, together with the university leadership, planted a tree at the highest point of the Peking University campus — a symbolic act marking the beginning of a new chapter in educational cooperation between the two countries.
The five graduates who received their diplomas today are expected to become the core of Belarus’s emerging biotechnology sector. Their dual education — rigorous Chinese scientific training combined with Belarusian roots — is seen as a strategic investment in the country’s future.