Russia promotes higher technical education in Africa

Delegates from numerous African countries took part in an international congress on education in St. Petersburg

Opening new branches of Russian universities in Africa and providing specialized training support was the main focus of the Africa Seeks Solutions congress, which kicked off at St. Petersburg Mining University yesterday.

The congress will see the creation of a Russian-African consortium of higher technical education institutions, which will involve 42 countries. The participants will be provided with a single set of courses and disciplines that will be taught in Russian, English, and French.

During the opening ceremony of the congress, St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had earlier revealed plans to establish branches of leading Russian universities in Africa.

He also described St. Petersburg as “one of the major scientific centers of Russia.”

There are 69 higher education institutions in the region, and 27 of these focus on engineering. Nearly 2,000 African students are studying at the city’s universities.

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A welcome letter was also sent to congress participants by Valentina Matvienko, the chairperson of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. One of the key tenets of Russian foreign policy is the establishment of long-term and multilateral relations with African countries, she said. Matvienko described the congress as the most important socio-political event that will make “a significant contribution to [the] strengthening” of these relations.

The guests of the Africa Seeks Solutions congress included Lesotho’s Secretary General of the Ministry of Natural Resources Relebohile Lebeta; Namibian Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation Kandjii Murangi Ita; Zambia’s Executive Director of Universal Mining and Chemical Julius Kaomi; and Chairman of the Russian-African Consortium of Higher Education Institutions Paul Omojo Omaji. 

The event is being attended by 130 organizations, including universities, research institutes, mining and metallurgical companies, geological committees, agencies, and ministries. The congress will continue until December 15.