This CREMLINplus project proposal is about European-Russian scientific and technical collaboration in the field of research infrastructures. It takes up and addresses all recommendations that have been worked out in close European-Russian collaboration within three years of the Horizon 2020 project CREMLIN. CREMLINplus is a voluminous project, a grand endeavour, setting out to fully implement jointly elaborated European-Russian collaboration roadmaps and to ensure that the framework conditions will be improved and continually harmonized. The project will operate in two directions, following two main strategic goals: (1) CREMLINplus will strongly advance the five Russian megascience projects in close European-Russian collaboration. This objective refers to the technical preparation of the megascience projects for European and international utilisation. The project will allow European-Russian collaborative top teams to develop and deliver finest, novel cutting-edge technologies for both the Russian megascience projects and their European RI counterparts. (2) CREMLINplus will prepare a defined set of Russian research infrastructures, hosted at eleven laboratories, for not only Russian, but also European and international access and utilisation. For this purpose, suitable framework conditions for opening and accessing these Russian facilities will be developed and implemented. A comprehensive base of knowledge and expertise for RI managers and scientists at various levels will be created. The 35 European and Russian participants of the project have come together to build the broad and balanced consortium, connected through a history of trustful collaboration. They are the relevant entities in the domain of research infrastructures in Europe and in Russia, and thus provide the necessary strength, commitment and power to implement the project plan.

The number of specialists in resource geology in Russia and Vietnam is decreasing, their qualifications are no longer meeting demands of the labour market, which reduces national companies’ competitiveness against international ones. As the resource exploration management methodologies and technologies are changing the education curricula needs to be updated. Education systems in Partner Countries are dependent on their government where decisions are taken slowly. The best way to tackle the education modernization there is through educators and managers of the education systems. European Universities as TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Montanuniversitaet Leoben and University of Turin, recognized for their focus on geology and resources, will help partners from Russia and Vietnam to modernize their education, update curriculum and create international Master program in Geology focussed on resources providing courses in English. The capacity of lecturers of Partner Universities will be built, the curriculum considering the interests of the target groups prepared, laboratories equipped, eLearning platform for interactivity and material accessibility created, after which the teaching will start. To engage students, attract the brain drain and raise awareness winter schools “Young Geologist” will be organized in campuses in English and in Russian or Vietnamese using traditional, video and online lecturing. Having all materials online (for Master program and for winter school) the effect is expected to propagate nationally and internationally. Program will be prepared as a Double Degree with Bologna recommendations to ensure the course compatibility with EU. This will uplift Universities to an international level assuring institution internationalization and networking, increased student and staff mobility. The successful implementation will disseminate the effects for other departments and institutions through various activities organized by educators.