The first Sino-foreign cooperative education institution in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has been approved by China's Ministry of Education, marking a breakthrough in the region's international higher education development.

According to the Inner Mongolia Education Department, the Sino-Russian Future Agriculture College will be jointly launched by Inner Mongolia Agricultural University and Russia's Altai State Agricultural University. It will operate as a non-independent legal entity under Inner Mongolia Agricultural University.

The new college will introduce Russian strengths in cold-region agriculture, animal science, and industry-academia-research integration, combining them with regional demands in grassland ecological protection, livestock breeding, and disease prevention and control.

It plans to offer three undergraduate majors: veterinary medicine, animal science, and agronomy. Each program is expected to enroll 100 students annually, with total enrollment projected to reach around 1,300 students.

Students who complete the programs and meet degree requirements from both universities will receive a bachelor's degree from Inner Mongolia Agricultural University as well as a bachelor's degree from Altai State Agricultural University.

Officials said the institution is expected to strengthen the development of disciplines, deepen the reform of talent cultivation, and enhance the university's international education capacity.

A representative from the regional education department said authorities will continue supporting the college through policy guidance and institutional development, while utilizing education to support the development of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the region's high-level opening-up efforts.