World
Affordability and Hospitality Attracting Foreign Students to Siberian University
By Professor Maurice Okoli
Russia has undergone significant changes after the Soviet’s collapse. In the past thirty years, Russia has engaged in a gamut of structural shifts as aspects of its stages of transformation from the Soviet era. Those measures have noticeably impacted various sectors including education.
In this article, we are specifically focusing on the structural innovations that the largest North-Eastern Federal University has introduced in its operations and in academic curriculum, in addition, it provided an environment to meet the challenges of learning vocational skills, technical engineering, and medical specialities for both local and foreign students in this contemporary times.
Situated in the vast Siberian region, in the city of Yakutsk (Sakha Republic), and has two other campuses in Sakha (in Mirny and Neryungri), North-Eastern Federal University is one of Russia’s ten federal universities with a 90-year history, officially established in April 2010, within the system of reforms carried out in Educational Institution of Higher Education. It is interesting to note, in the first place, that the North-Eastern Federal University was named after Maxim Kirovich Ammosov, a prominent statesman, an outstanding son of the Yakut people, one of the founders of the state of Yakutia and Kyrgyzstan.
Over the past decade, this university has focused on solving geopolitical problems and meeting the human resources needs of the large inter-regional investment projects in the Russian Federation. With this human resource training in mind, it has broadened the geography of admission and extended the chance for foreign students, particularly from Asia and Africa. These students highly appreciate its (university’s) well-developed infrastructure of scientific and educational complex which has modern equipment for learning and training and for the development of basic and applied research in all the specialities.
The university’s annual reports (2021 and 2023) show that Asian and African students are primarily attracted due to affordability, a classic learning environment, and intercultural friendships. With increasing popularity during the past few years, applications have surged, and significant strides have also made it possible to appear in QS University Rankings of BRICS, the informal association of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The ascension of new members such as Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, further offers signals of hope for more foreign students moving to this region.
Recognizing its true potential for expansion, the university officials have frequently visited Asian countries such as China, India, and Vietnam, and also several African countries including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa. Foreign students are offered several scholarships and study grants, contract students are given discounts for meeting certain basic conditions and criteria.
Dr Anatoly Nikolaev, the amiable rector of the North-Eastern Federal University, often refers to his university as one of the unique educational hubs created, within the framework of post-Soviet transformational changes, to radically address the challenges and opportunities of Russia’s burgeoning corporate business sector and dynamic entrepreneurial landscape. It has adopted several innovative measures and the necessary educational tools to navigate the labour market by introducing asynchronous learning modules, providing a comprehensive and engaging approach to application and learning processes.
“Ultimately, in today’s changing labour market, our local and foreign graduates easily secure employment in different sectors based on the shared skills and knowledge acquired in NEFU. On our persuasive part, we encourage our staff to focus on teaching aspects of the curriculum such as comprehensive innovation, strategic thinking, and ethical leadership in real-world contexts. With Russia’s role and status rising in the global community, so also we as educators and trainers have to review and restructure our educational assertiveness and dynamics to make a wide-ranging impact and integrate into the competitive regions and in the changing world,” underlined by Dr Anatoly Nikolaev.
Northeastern Promise
At Northeastern, the university believes in your future. It also believes that financing your education is a partnership that continues throughout your enrollment, not just for your first year. Its commitment is reflected in the unique Northeastern promise. The promise enables students to plan for the entire cost of their academic degrees. Under the promise, it guarantees the following:
- The North-Eastern Federal University is dedicated to meeting the full demonstrated need of each admitted student eligible for federal financial aid.
- The University scholarship and grant funds will not be reduced during your undergraduate program (for up to eight in-class semesters).
- The university’s need-based grant funds will be increased annually at the same percentage rate as the increase in tuition.
- The University supports that if a student’s family experiences a substantial negative change in financial circumstances, it re-evaluates the aid package and makes available all financial resources for which s/he qualifies.
- The University guarantees students discover their field of study interests and scope provided by the university degree whereas the parents get all their answers regarding the safety and comforts of the students during their stay.
Vice-Rector’s Assessment
Mr. Niurgun Romanovich Marksimov, Vice-Rector in charge of International Cooperation, at the North-Eastern Federal University, has emphasized some important points, summarized as follows: There are simple great reasons to study at the North-Eastern Federal University: the first is to learn the Russian language and delve into Russian culture and also interact with foreigners. It gives the chance to know, first-hand, the classic question of whether or not Russia is a European country, its landscape, and its enormous resources. It’s often said that Russia’s charm lies in its people. And finally, it is a way to broaden one’s horizon by studying at this world-class university.
The undergraduate student population numbers over 16,000, while more than 2,000 students are engaged in postgraduate work. 1,081 academic staff are employed at the university. Of these 150 hold doctor’s degrees, 692 are candidates for science degrees. The university consists of 5 research institutes, 12 institutes, 5 faculties, and 3 branches – the Polytechnic Institute in the town of Mirny, the Technical Institute in the city of Neryungri, and the Chukotka branch, which was opened in late 2010 in the city of Anadyr and 2 colleges and 1 Lyceum.
The university has a well-developed infrastructure of scientific and educational complex has modern equipment for the development of basic and applied research. One of the major components of the campus is modern, comfortable dormitories, fully furnished with modern requirements. Non-residents and international students create a comfortable living environment and education, as academic buildings are within walking distance of the campus.
Advantages of Studying in Siberia
Generally, the education system of Russia has made a mark in terms of infrastructure, technology, and quality of education. At present, Russia is one of the top destinations for international students who want to pursue their higher studies in medicine and science abroad. The medical universities of Russia are well-recognized all over the world.
There is a wide choice of promising specialities, unique experiences, and recognized diplomas. Russia has so many international treaties on the recognition and equivalence of documents on education. Natural and scientific education in Russia is one of the best in the world. Russia occupies a leading place in the level of training of mathematicians, physicists, chemists, geologists, doctors, and specialists in many other areas.
Russia has a high theoretical level of education, and good fundamental training, and ensures the success of the graduate in the professional field. Among the graduates of Russian universities – are presidents, heads of parliaments, ministers, well-known public and political figures, and prominent scholars of almost all states of the world.
As popularly known, Russia is not only a great destination for students but also a beautiful country to visit as a tourist. The cost of living is very affordable for foreign tourists. The people of Russia are very friendly and helpful. Being a large country by area, Russia has diverse climatic conditions in various regions.
Future Expectations and Perspectives
According to Mr Niurgun Romanovich Marksimov: “the ultimate truth is that we are prepared to give our students sufficient intellectual power and knowledge, the potential capability of learning something new and, of course, to introduce them to a more critical thinking in society.”
The North-Eastern Federal University welcomes prospective Russian and foreign students every September, the start of the academic year. As generally required, it provides all students with a distinct edge in their future professional endeavours and employment careers.
Russia, the largest country in the world covering more than one-eighth of the land area, is located in in northern Eurasia. Moscow, the capital city of Russia is one of the largest cities in the world. Russia is also one of the five members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), along with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The country shares its borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea.
Professor Maurice Okoli is a fellow at the Institute for African Studies and the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences. He is also a fellow at the North-Eastern Federal University of Russia. He is an expert at the Roscongress Foundation and the Valdai Discussion Club. As an academic researcher and economist with a keen interest in current geopolitical changes and the emerging world order, Maurice Okoli frequently contributes articles for publication in reputable media portals on different aspects of the interconnection between developing and developed countries, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Europe. With comments and suggestions, he can be reached via email: ma***********@***il.com.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
One year after launching a continental initiative designed to make excellence in public governance the foundation of a new drive to transform Africa, LEAD, the Africa CEO Forum’s pan-African leadership programme, takes stock of its first cohort and announces the launch of its second class. Built around a community of senior public decision-makers committed to modernising the state and to the continent’s digital transformation, this new cohort gathers for three days, from 28 to 30 August 2026, on the campus of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Rabat, Morocco.
A second cohort that confirms the programme’s durability
For its second class, LEAD brings together 50 fellows, senior public decision-makers engaged in the design and implementation of the continent’s economic and social policies. Over three days, participants take part in collective and collaborative working sessions, peer exchanges and meetings with figures from the public, business and academic spheres, in order to compare their practices and build shared responses to the major challenges of governance.
Speakers include Mehdi Jomaa, former Head of Government of Tunisia, Donald Kaberuka, Managing Partner & Founder, SouthBridge Group, and former President of the African Development Bank, Serge Ekue, President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD), Sanjay Jain, co-creator of India Stack and Director of Digital Public Infrastructure, Gates Foundation, and Mauricio Cardenas, Professor of Professional Practice in Global Leadership, Columbia SIPA, and former Finance Minister of Colombia (2012-2018).
They share their reform experience, their public policy trade-offs and their view of continental priorities. Throughout the programme, the cohort benefits from the dedicated support of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Asafo & Co, BOAD, BCG and the African Development Bank, LEAD partners that have chosen to invest in the transformation of African public action.
LEAD, a pan-African community serving public action
Created by the AFRICA CEO FORUM, LEAD is a leadership programme whose ambition is to reposition Africa’s administrative elite as a driver of reform, of performance and of dialogue with all the continent’s stakeholders.
Designed for senior African public decision-makers, LEAD sets out to build a lasting community of public officials able to share their experience, compare their practices and build common solutions to the major economic, technological and institutional transformations under way in Africa. That community is structured around three pillars: modernizing the state, improving public services, and strengthening cooperation between governments, development institutions and private-sector players.
From fellows to alumni: a long-term initiative
Made up of 36 fellows drawn from a range of administrations and institutions and representing 24 countries across the continent, LEAD’s first cohort demonstrated the quality and the potential of this community from its very first year. In less than twelve months, six of its members have taken a significant step forward: two have been appointed ministers, two have moved into strategic positions at the highest level of the state and two have been promoted to chief executive roles. These moves, which account for 16.7% of the first class, show the role LEAD plays as an accelerator of impact within African administrations.
By bringing together a new cohort of fellows every year, each of them joining the LEAD alumni community, the initiative follows a long-term trajectory: in time, to unite several hundred African public decision-makers around a shared culture of transparency, performance and regional cooperation.
A first year devoted to public service and digital public infrastructure
Throughout the year, the fellows devoted their work to strengthening African public action, to make excellence in public governance a central lever of transformation. An awareness campaign, run as part of Africa Public Service Day, brought to light those who, within the continent’s administrations and institutions, are concretely transforming public policy and improving the services offered to citizens.
Members of the cohort also took part in a special round table held in Kigali during the ACF 2026, in order to carry their thinking to a wider community of public and private leaders. That forum reinforced LEAD’s role as a platform for dialogue between the administrative elite and the continent’s economic players. Digital public infrastructure (DPI) formed the main thread of this first year of work.
Discussions covered issues at the heart of the digital sovereignty of African states: digital identity, payments, secure data exchange, interoperability, governance and the protection of citizens. This work examined the conditions under which African states are developing, in some cases, and can develop, in others, shared, open infrastructure robust enough to improve the quality of public services while supporting local innovation and preserving the capacity of public authorities to set the rules of the game.
A white paper to move from consuming technology to creating value
This year of work concludes with the publication, in collaboration with BCG, LEAD’s Knowledge Partner, of a white paper on Africa’s place in the digital economy and in artificial intelligence. With the digital economy still accounting for around 5% of African GDP, against close to 15% worldwide, the paper calls on the continent to shift from a logic of technology consumption to one of value creation.
The white paper identifies three structuring priorities for African public actors:
- Building shared digital infrastructure that serves as the backbone of public services and private innovation.
- Pooling investment in order to reach critical mass and avoid the fragmentation of efforts across the continent.
- Favouring open and interoperable architectures, with trust and governance built in by design, so as to protect citizens while stimulating the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The white paper is available here to all public decision-makers, technical partners and institutions concerned.
“LEAD’s first cohort confirms a simple conviction: Africa already has the women and men capable of profoundly transforming public action. Our responsibility, either with our partners, is to give them, at pan-African level, a space in which to compare experience, build common solutions and bring forward a new generation of public policy. With this second cohort, we want to accelerate the move from ambition to execution, in particular on digital public infrastructure and artificial intelligence, two decisive issues for sovereignty, for the effectiveness of the state and for value creation across the continent,” says Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Africa is set to make history as it hosts the World Public Summit for the first time, with Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, welcoming global leaders and changemakers from July 29–30, 2026, for the landmark gathering under the theme “New World: Africa in Shaping a Shared Future.”
The inaugural African edition of the World Public Summit marks a significant milestone in the continent’s growing role in shaping international dialogue on governance, sustainable development, human-centred leadership and global cooperation.
Hosted by the World Peoples Assembly in partnership with African and international organisations, the summit will convene government officials, diplomats, business leaders, academics, journalists, youth representatives, civil society organisations and cultural leaders from across Africa and around the world.
According to Andrey Belyaninov, General Secretary of the World Peoples Assembly, “the Summit is not just a meeting—it is a space for unity. A space where the ‘values that unite us’ come to life: respect for people, openness to the world, responsibility for the future, and a commitment to creation.
“Today, we understand more clearly than ever: the future cannot be built alone. It is born in dialogue, in trust, in the ability to listen to one another and to act together.”
The programme begins on July 29 with a series of high-level roundtables and expert discussions covering Pan-African economic integration, civil society, education, scientific cooperation, cultural diplomacy and humanitarian partnerships.
The opening plenary, “Values, Development and Partnership as the Basis of a Sustainable and Just World,” will explore how African values—including Ubuntu—can help shape a more inclusive and sustainable global future. Discussions will also focus on youth leadership, innovation, civil society, ethical AI, public initiatives and international partnerships.
The summit will also showcase Africa’s creativity and innovation through the “Innovations for the Future” exhibition, the contemporary African art exhibition “Unity,” and the international exhibition “The World Paints Happiness.”
Another featured initiative is “The Zambezi River: Economy, Society, Soul,” an international interdisciplinary project exploring the river’s socioeconomic importance across Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, highlighting the shared heritage and development potential of one of Africa’s most important waterways.
The event will conclude with the adoption of the African Communiqué, reflecting the summit’s shared vision for stronger international cooperation, sustainable development and people-centred leadership.
Tsegaye Chama, General Secretary of the Global Black Centre, promised that, “The Summit will be delivered with exceptional distinction, reflecting the magnitude and spirit of the World Peoples Assembly. It embodies a unity that is not transactional, but purposeful and conscious, a unity that shapes new contours for a world that works for all peoples of the World.”
As delegates prepare to arrive in Addis Ababa, anticipation continues to build for what promises to be one of Africa’s most significant international gatherings of 2026—one that will place the continent firmly at the centre of global conversations about the future.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria regained its position as Africa’s leading destination for equity startup investment in the first half of 2026, raising $214 million in equity financing and a total of $254 million across equity and debt, according to the latest Africa: The Big Deal report.
The report, titled H1 2026: Mapping the Money, showed that Nigeria ranked second on the continent in total funding, behind Egypt, which attracted $327 million, while Kenya and South Africa followed with $126 million and $83 million, respectively.
However, the report noted that Egypt’s top position was largely driven by a single fundraising by electric mobility company Spiro, which secured $327 million, including $270 million in equity and $57 million in debt. Excluding debt financing, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s largest equity funding market in the first six months of the year.
According to the breakdown by Africa: The Big Deal, Nigeria’s equity funding of $214 million was higher than Egypt’s $183 million, while South Africa and Kenya attracted $66 million and $46 million, respectively.
Beyond funding value, Nigeria also led the continent in the number of startups that raised at least $100,000 during the review period, reclaiming the top spot after what the report described as an “underwhelming” second half of 2025.
The publication observed that Nigeria’s fundraising performance has remained relatively stable over the past few years and exceeded the $250 million mark for the first time since 2022, pointing to renewed investor confidence in the country’s startup ecosystem.
It also found that while the Big Four startup markets—Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa—continued to dominate Africa’s investment landscape, their combined share of total funding stood at 58 per cent in the first half of 2026.
“Zooming back on the Big Four (110 out of 190 $100k+ deals, i.e. 58%), Nigeria is head and shoulders above its peers, with Egypt and Kenya almost tying, and South Africa in fourth position again,” the report noted.
The report highlighted contrasting performances among the continent’s largest startup ecosystems. While Nigeria and Egypt maintained strong funding momentum, Kenya recorded its weakest funding performance since early 2021 after a strong second half of 2025, and South Africa failed to attract $100 million in funding during the period despite leading the continent a year earlier.
Africa: The Big Deal also noted a broader shift in investor behaviour, with funding increasingly concentrated in larger transactions while early-stage investments continued to decline. According to the publication, the drop in smaller funding rounds reflects growing concerns about limited capital available for early-stage startups across Africa.
