Economic relations can become a strong link between Russia and Africa. And besides, this can become an important part of the sustainable development of African countries and, of course, the key to Russia’s long-term presence on the continent. From this point of view, the Novosibirsk region of Russia has chosen a win-win strategy.
Russia is seriously working towards bringing its relations with African countries to the level of strategic partnerships. The preparations to host Technoprom-2024, in Novosibirsk, during which a special session shall be devoted to Africa, clearly shows how significant this interest is.
In a world trying to find a new system of political coordinates and form true multipolarity, Africa is attracting more and more interested views. The continent is increasingly being compared to China on the eve of its technological boom and is predicted to have an equally impressive future. Meanwhile, while Russia recalls the Soviet experience and builds new bridges with African countries, the West is forced to reconsider its methods of influence on the continent. Particularly, the Sahe region, where the West is rapidly losing its position due to internal processes occurring in society, is of serious interest to Russia. However, this interest is mutual. While the states of the Sahel plan, with the support of Russia, to achieve cultural and technological sovereignty; to obtain tools for the development of national economies, Russia is keen to weaken its political opponents of the West and to narrow their “window of opportunity” to destabilize its economy and society. Thus, the common interest is, basically, the assurance of the sovereignty of each society.
One of the main areas of Russia’s cooperation with African countries is the training of qualified personnel. That is to help in the development of competent specialists in any activity – from the army and public administration to the economy and social sphere. It is logical that Novosibirsk, which is known as the scientific capital of Russia, is focusing its efforts in this direction. Hence, towards the end of August, one of the largest international forums in Russia, Technoprom, will be held there, within the framework of which a special session “Creating the future together: cooperation between Russia and Africa in the field of personnel training” will take place.
As of March 2024, Russia and African countries had 29 intergovernmental agreements, 20 interdepartmental memorandums and 25 intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in the field of science and higher education. And in April, several significant events took place in Moscow, co-organized by the Center for Public Diplomacy, a public organization whose trustee is the well-known Novosibirsk Group of Companies “Raztsvetay”. Among these events were meetings of the ministers of higher education and science of Mali and Niger with deputies of the State Duma, a strategic session “Cooperation between Russia and African countries in the field of higher education in a changing world” and an international conference “ Export of Russian education to Africa: challenges and opportunities”, which was attended by university rectors from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi and Guinea, as well as from many leading Russian universities. In addition, the Center for Public Diplomacy, headed by the Vice-Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region, Natalia Krasovskaya, organized a visit of ambassadors of several African states to Novosibirsk to get acquainted with the region, its educational and scientific potential And currently the Center is busy organizing the participation of the African delegation in the Russian-African special session planned for the end of August.
The result of all this was, firstly, the signing of partnership agreements between the Center for Public Diplomacy and African and Russian universities, which soon promises to result in the formation of a consortium of Russian universities that want to work with West Africa. And secondly, in August at Technoprom it is planned to sign several agreements on direct interactions between universities in West Africa and Russia.
In particular, Novosibirsk State University and Thomas Sankara University in Burkina Faso have agreed to prepare for a double degree program. Also, within the framework of the memorandum, which will be signed within the framework of the Forum, joint research will be carried out and scientific programs will be implemented, including exchange and organization of student internships.
Another significant document is planned to be signed with Niger, which is centered on the acute issue of ensuring food security. The University of Niger and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, with the help of the Center for Public Diplomacy, purposefully sought partners in this area among Russian universities. As a result, the Novosibirsk State Agrarian University prepared its proposals for Niger. Now, at the University of Niger, it is planned to create an agricultural cluster, where, among other things, new technologies for growing various crops in extreme conditions (high temperatures and minimal humidity) will be tested – as part of the food security system . Novosibirsk State Agrarian University is ready not only to train specialists for Niger’s agriculture, but is also very interested in conducting joint research on the basis of the cluster.
At the same time, the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “ROSBIOTECH” is preparing its proposals for Mali, the third of the Confederation of Sahel States, which has one of the most serious problems – food storage and processing. As is known, this country also receives significant amounts of humanitarian aid from Russia. Therefore, assisting Mali in establishing food processing facilities directly affects the interests of Russia. And Rosbiotech is interested not only in the introduction of Russian technologies in the field of food storage and processing, but also in joint research of local agricultural crops with the aim of further producing food products from them.
However, Africa is of interest not only to agronomists and biotechnologists; the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Virology, for example, is looking for African partners to jointly study zoonotic infections and develop vaccines for them. The proposal has attracted interest in Niger, where it is now being discussed at the level of relevant ministries. And in July, the Center for Public Diplomacy organized a meeting of Novosibirsk virologists with the ambassadors of Guinea, Mali and Chad in order to convey proposals to these countries as well. It can be expected that some specific agreements will be reached during the Russian-African session of Technoprom.
And finally, Africa is a continent as famous for its natural resources as Russia. Unfortunately, for a long time African states were deprived of the opportunity to independently develop their deposits of natural resources. Though the situation has begun to change, however, African countries are faced with an acute shortage of relevant specialists. In particular, Niger received a request for targeted training of specialists for their mining industry. And Novosibirsk State Technical University responded to the request. At the moment, advisory documents are being prepared, the signing of which is also expected within the Forum, which means that the first Nigerian students will arrive in Novosibirsk in the near future. Personnel training and joint scientific research, which are aimed at by all Russian universities without exception that want to work in Africa, can become a strong link between Russia and Africa. And besides, this process can become an important part of the sustainable development of African countries and, of course, the key to Russia’s long-term presence on the continent. From this point of view, the Novosibirsk region has chosen a win-win strategy, realizing the potential of its universities in the African continent.
This story edited by rnn.org.ng was first reported by Pravda,ru
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