Experience of international scientific and educational cooperation in architecture and construction engineering

International cooperation is one of the most important activities of higher education institutions. This is explained by the fact that the success of any university is currently driven by the level of its internationalisation, which contributes to training of highly qualified specialists and development of scientific and innovative directions. The attractiveness and efficiency of modern Russian and foreign universities is evaluated by various rankings, which are transformed into one of the most important tools of competition and education policy. A reliable ranking takes into consideration different groups of factors in university life. The analysis of ranking systems showed that they all have criteria related to internationalisation issues. The results of assessment of leading universities' effectiveness in the Сentral Black Earth region in 2014 showed that Tambov State Technical University was a leader in the field of international work. The paper discusses the importance of international co-operation in research and higher education and shares the experience of the Institute of Architecture, Construction Engineering and Transportation under Tambov State Technical University. The need for strengthening the international cooperation as a driving force of research and innovation has been substantiated. A brief description of the Institute of Architecture, Construction Engineering and Transportation, its structure, facilities and enrollment numbers of international students is given. The results of collaborative projects between Tambov State Technical University and Bialystok University of Technology (Poland) in the field of construction materials, engineering structures, information technology, and sustainable development of territories are analysed. The educational programme "Civil Engineering" designed for international students as well as international projects and academic mobility programmes, including those with Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation (Italy) and “Neptune” (Denmark), are discussed. The experience of TSTU’s participation in “ERASMUS + Capacity building in higher education” and “ERASMUS + Credit mobility” is explored.