World
Russia-Africa Diplomacy: Training of Human Resource Key Towards Overcoming Challenges and Ensuring Success
By Professor Maurice Okoli
With the rapidly changing global situation and emphasis on shifting towards the continental south, Russia has initiated processes to restructure its educational programmes. The move is part of measures to ensure the speedy training of a new generation of thinkers, highly qualified professionals, and knowledgeable specialists who would effectively handle its diverse policy initiatives with concrete results, especially in Asia and Africa.
This Kremlin-backed incredibly unique programme aims to raise the weak institutional structures and explore creative methods to improve learning processes, dialogue and exchange of ideas in education. This would enable to turn out graduates who could think outside the box and boldly explore new strategic perspectives across the Asian and African regions.
On 17 May 2023, Minister of Science and Higher Education, Valery Falkov, outlined and comprehensively explained the Asia and Africa program’s framework, its importance and the crucial aspects during the government meeting, including cabinet ministers, with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
In accordance with the government instructions or directives, the absolute majority of the program participants have a chance to study tuition-free, the bulk of state-funded slots to be distributed among the universities in the Russian Federation.
Valery Falkov noted that with changes in the geopolitical situation and the growing role of the eastern vector, it has become necessary to significantly increase the number of state-funded slots in the Department of Oriental and African Studies, up from 860 to almost 1,000. In addition, it is envisaged to proactively develop a draft programme for promoting education and research in a number of priority areas to meet the challenges of the geopolitical changing times of the Russian Federation.
The draft programme for developing training in Oriental and African studies was developed in collaboration with leading scientific institutes and universities and with the involvement of large Russian companies with interests in Asian and African countries.
Historically, Russian Oriental studies is a complex research area; it includes the study of various aspects of the life of Asian and African peoples and countries. Further, it includes the study of their history, philology, ethnology, political, social, economic development and international relations. Of course, Oriental and African studies are both based on an in-depth knowledge of the respective languages and national traditions.
Recognized world centres for Oriental and African studies have been established in Russia: at Lomonosov Moscow State University, at St Petersburg University, at MGIMO, and at the Higher School of Economics. The same goes for great scientific organizations: for instance, the Institute for African Studies, the Institute for Oriental Studies, and the Institute for China and Modern Asia. And, of course, we are speaking about the traditions of Russian Oriental studies, which must be preserved and expanded.
Therefore, it is important that while working on the programme, three goals have been precisely identified:
The first one is to consolidate the efforts undertaken by research institutes, universities, public authorities and businesses to improve the quality of education and research in this area.
The second goal is to expand Oriental studies and research in the country’s regions. The demand is overwhelming. It is believed that the Primorye, Khabarovsk and the Trans-Baikal territories, Buryatia, the Irkutsk and Tomsk regions, Kalmykia and other regions should become centres for a new Orientalist training system and for promoting research in this sphere. There is a plan to support them separately as part of this special programme.
It is important to mention here the Russian-Arctic Research Consortium, which was created by the initiative of North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) Yakutsk to develop cooperation in the Russian Arctic-Asian direction, which will contribute to the expansion of international relations of the northern Russian regions with the countries of Asia in the face of new global challenges.
The third goal is to ensure Russia’s academic and expert leadership in global leadership based on the traditions and research schools developed over many decades. This matters a lot in establishing effective intercultural communication. It is imperative to support the existing professional association of Orientalists, research schools and groups of researchers led by recognized scholars and, of course, to support talented youth.
The development programme includes several key activities, particularly the development of new curricula with a stronger practical component, which will form part of the effort to form a national higher education system.
According to Minister of Science and Higher Education, Mr Valery Falkov, the development of academic mobility comes second. This applies to students, teachers and researchers equally. “We believe that internships in the countries under study should become a mandatory part of professional education, without which it is impossible to fully master the language, understand the culture, or conduct high-quality research,” he stressed in his presentation.
“Of course, we will focus on attracting talented young people to this area by creating new youth scientific laboratories. This tool has a proven track record. We are confident that once implemented, the programme will provide a system-wide effect to achieve the country’s strategic priorities, while the demand for well-trained specialists, as well as the results of their research, will be high,” concluded Mr Falkov.
It was not the first time this issue was raised. Last year, during the ‘Government Hour’ at the Federation Council, the Upper Chamber of Parliament, Russian Science and Higher Education Minister Valery Falkov mentioned it. And here I would like to quote him: “We need specialists who are not just fluent in languages of the regions and have a profound knowledge of their history and culture, but who are also proficient in economic and geopolitical matters,” he said at the Federation Council.
Understandably, more than three decades after the Soviet collapse, Russia has few well-trained multipolar-oriented specialists and professionals to work seriously in Asian and African regions. That has been the narrative during the past few years. There were complaints of an acute shortage of multipolar-oriented policy leaders with the necessary adequate knowledge and expertise to direct, coordinate and monitor purpose-driven activities in Asia and Africa.
As far as these questions are concerned, we have to look at them a bit seriously. With the emerging multi-polar world, there is increasing competitiveness for influence and the need to reinforce cooperation between government and business sectors in the social and cultural spheres in the regions.
Perhaps, we must acknowledge that the challenging task requires adopting suitable strategies for implementing a set of result-expected policy goals. On the other hand, Russia has so many reputable educational institutions graduating thousands of candidates yearly.
Closely connected with the questions under discussion here, an elaborate policy report was presented in November 2021. That report, titled ‘Situation Analytical Report’, was prepared by 25 policy experts headed by Professor Sergei A. Karaganov – Dean and Academic Supervisor of the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations of the National Research University’s Higher School of Economics (HSE University). Karaganov is also the Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.
The report was very critical of Russia’s current policy toward Africa. It indicated deep-seated inconsistencies in policy implementation and further underlined that there have been few definitive results from various efforts in dealing with African countries. It says in part: “Apart from the absence of a public strategy for the continent, there is a shortage of qualified personnel and lack of coordination among various state and para-state institutions working with Africa.”
The Institute for African Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences was founded in 1959. Since then, it has undergone various changes and conducted huge scientific research on Africa. It has nearly a hundred staff including well-experienced researchers, academic fellows and specialists on various African issues and directions.
In Russian media reports, Professor Dmitri Bondarenko, Deputy Director of the Institute for African Studies (IAS), indicated – just before the first Russia-Africa summit and precisely the 60th anniversary of the IAS – that state institutions and business companies seek the Institute’s consultancy services. In particular, the Institute played an important role in preparation for the first Russia-Africa summit held in October 2019.
“The situation has been changing during the last few years. Today, the importance of Africa for Russia in different respects – including political and economic – is recognized by the state; the Russian Foreign Ministry and other state institutions dealing with Russia-African relations in various spheres ask us for our expert advice on different points quite often,” said Bondarenko.
According to him, the situation now is much better for African studies than before the early post-Soviet years. In particular, today, there are many more opportunities for doing fieldwork in Africa. Russian Africanists and their work are becoming better known in the global Africanist community. Quite a lot of junior researchers join the academy nowadays. In an assessment, African studies in Russia are on the right road, broadening international cooperation with Africanists worldwide.
In one of the regional studies, the majority of my academic colleagues noted serious indicators that the young African generation is desirous of embracing Russia. But most of them hold the balance between the United States and Europe on one side and Russia and China on the other. Sharing further my views that there is a need for building and consolidating relations with the youth. Short-term and re-qualification courses and youth leadership programmes could be appealing here, those by the educational institutions in Russia.
The youth could critically help to shape public opinion on Russia. Learning and embracing group ideas, even mere group interaction, helps build relationships. Thus, on a broader scale, it is necessary to tap into this spectrum of the population with youth and women’s programmes. The youth could easily be attracted to stimulating activities by the Russian authorities. Russia’s long-term geopolitical stake should be noticeable, too, in Africa.
In summary, I would like to underline that the accelerated development of human resource potential is inextricably linked to economic development. The 21st century has heralded the rise of a knowledge economy, and Russia needs people who will be able to make vital contributions to tackling the social and economic challenges facing Africa. The Soviet Union made an invaluable contribution to developing the scientific and educational potential in many African countries and is now the Russian Federation’s explicable turn.
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 a fellow at the North-Eastern Federal University, Russia
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Accessing the US Dollar in the East Africa region has now been made easier with the expansion of the stablecoin settlement infrastructure of SCRYPT.
This development enables banks, payment providers and corporate treasury teams to move value into and out of the continent in real time.
Businesses paying international suppliers frequently have to convert local currency into USD before purchasing stablecoins for settlement, incurring FX conversions and spreads before any payment is made.
But SCRYPT is eliminating this intermediate conversion by enabling direct settlement corridors for local African currencies into stablecoins.
This development allows businesses to move from local currency to stablecoin settlement in a single licensed transaction, without first sourcing rationed bank dollars, as stablecoins are increasingly becoming settlement infrastructure rather than an investment product.
The expansion adds settlement support across four African currencies: the Kenyan shilling (KES), Tanzanian shilling (TZS), Rwandan franc (RWF) and Ugandan shilling (UGX). Each corridor is delivered through the same full-stack infrastructure our clients already use for trading, custody and treasury operations.
Speaking on this, the chief executive of SCRYPT, Norman Wooding, said, “Across Africa, stablecoin adoption is driven by economic need, not speculation.
“Businesses here are not chasing yield; they are trying to pay suppliers and manage treasury without losing margin to a banking system that rations dollars. Licensed, fair-rate dollar access is the clearest proof of what this infrastructure is for.”
Also commenting, the Managing Director of Markets & Trading at SCRYPT, Mr Gabriel Titopoulos, said, “Until now, reaching stablecoins from local African currencies meant buying scarce dollars and incurring several layers of conversion costs.
“SCRYPT removes this friction. Firms and payment providers can now settle straight from local currencies through live corridors, with local partners.”
World
African Graduates Association Promoting Multifaceted Initiatives With Russian Educational Institutions
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
In preparations for the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late October 2026, Dr Francois Ngan, deputy chairman of the Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities, during an official working visit, has held a consultative meeting with Professor Vladimir Filippov, the President of the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN), and former Minister of Higher Education of Russia, Chairman of the National Commission for Accreditation of Higher Education.
RUDN is an educational institution established in 1960, primarily to provide higher education to Third World students. It has now become a popular multidisciplinary spot for many students, especially from developing countries. The university offers various academic programmes and has research infrastructure that comprises laboratories and interdisciplinary centres. The university is named after the former Congolese leader, Patrice Lumumba.
Dr Francois Ngan and Professor Filippov discussed the importance of the Graduates Association as a continental platform dedicated to strengthening unity, cooperation, and promoting shared progress among African graduates who studied in the former Soviet Union and in the Russian Federation. They also reviewed multifaceted initiatives that could bring together alumni associations from across Africa, whose members obtained education and professional training, and cultural experiences in Soviet and Russian institutions of higher learning.
Professor Filippov expressed optimism in addressing emerging challenges as a result of shifting geopolitical changes, emphasised strategic cooperation in the educational sphere with Africa, in general, and with the Republic of Cameroon, in particular, and further about the integration of African students during their studies in the Russian Federation.
The meeting also touched on academic and scientific work, the possibility of rewriting a scientific thesis, and the official organisation of transferring versions translated into six languages for the library of RUDN. Significant questions relating to Russia’s educational opportunities, collaborations and partnerships involving African countries were thoroughly discussed.
The Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities was created under one continental umbrella to promote friendship, for professional networking, to engage in cultural exchange, and with particular emphasis on forging strategic cooperation between Africa and Russia.
World
Russia to Support Industrial Growth, Technological Advancement and Supply Chain Resilience across Africa
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
With the heightening of geopolitical rivalry and competition, a new Russia-Africa working group has emerged as a significant institutional mechanism and plans to focus on facilitating and monitoring strategic investments, industrialisation, and infrastructural development—the Strategic Action Plan 2023-2026—that was outlined during the second Russia-Africa summit, in St.Petersburg, the second largest city in the Russian Federation.
While substantial progress has, largely, lagged on the multidimensional economic front with Africa primarily due to its internal difficulties and the complexity of relations with its former Soviet neighbours, Russian officials believe there still remains huge untapped potential in strengthening bilateral cooperation. As planned, President Vladimir Putin has already signed an executive order that directs Moscow to host the forthcoming third Russia-Africa summit in October 2026.
On June 30, a regular meeting of the Business Council on Africa was held under the chairmanship of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry. It was dedicated to issues of trade, economic and investment cooperation with Africa. The group discussed the current state and prospects for the implementation of policy initiatives with an emphasis on assisting the countries of the continent, strengthening their economic, energy, technological and food sovereignty, as well as training specialists for Africa.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated that Russia-Africa relations primarily depend on an understanding of the importance of collective action based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and resolving common tasks. In the past few years, Russia-Africa cooperation has been noticeably strengthening. “We are deepening political dialogues, developing bilateral contacts with African countries, promoting cordial cooperation between ministries and departments, and expanding humanitarian exchanges. We are also continuing the structural diversification of trade partnerships and economic dimensions.”
“Next on the agenda is the launch of diplomatic missions in The Gambia, Liberia, Togo, and the Union of the Comoros,” Lavrov said at a meeting of the Business Council under the Russian foreign minister. Lavrov noted that Russian embassies began operating in three other African countries in 2025: Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. A new Department for Partnership with Africa was also established. According to the top diplomat, “expanding Russia’s diplomatic presence on the continent contributes to developing relations.”
There are already 45 Russian embassies operating in Africa. The Russian foreign minister noted that Moscow is quickly rebuilding its presence in African countries, which sharply declined during the collapse of the Soviet Union. “There will be literally four or five countries left where we still need to establish full-fledged embassies, and then, we will have 100 per cent coverage of the entire African continent with our diplomatic presence,” Lavrov emphasised.
After the first summit in October 2019, the Foreign Ministry also created the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. Its main tasks include controlling the roadmap to Africa’s multidimensional cooperation and guiding potential Russian investors to the continent. This also underscored the priority and post-Soviet solidarity Russia currently attaches to its policy towards Africa, within the growing framework of the emerging new architecture of multipolarity in the Global South.
In an interview in June 2026, the director of the Department of Partnership with Africa at the Foreign Ministry, Tatyana Dovgalenko, shared a few insights in the lead-up to the third summit. Furthermore, Dovgalenko explained that Russia would move away from security to concentrate more on economic issues, especially to team up with African colleagues to streamline mechanisms for implementing projects that will ensure food security and agriculture, and help Africa in installing processing facilities to support its self-sufficiency. She also emphasised energy and vital infrastructures, and the third direction was to simultaneously work more coherently with sub-regional organisations.
Over the past few years, bilateral relations have been increasing. There are positive dynamics in trade turnover, estimated at $30 billion. Steps are being taken to build payment systems, preferably in national currencies, while Russia looks to open four more diplomatic offices, bringing the total to 48 across Africa. Russia is currently training 37,000 African students, but only approximately 1/3 on state scholarships in Russia’s educational institutions. “We are ready to share valuable experiences of building a sovereign development model with African partners to achieve self-reliant economic growth based on their own resources and capabilities. Russia aims at creating processing capabilities and localising production, and provides access to advanced technological solutions,” underlined Dovgalenko in her interview with New Eastern Outlook.
For African countries that have endured difficult decades on the path to political independence, it is now important to take full control over the untapped resources, direct income and revenue toward stimulating the national economic sector, rather than paying for the well-being of the Western “golden billion” during this changing geopolitical era, according to Dovgalenko.
According to reports, the forthcoming Russia-Africa summit will have an economic agenda, including the digital economy, technology, artificial intelligence, healthcare, investment, and settlements in global trade. Of course, the agenda will also cover Africa’s political aspects. But if African friends bring along any specific ideas, Russia will give them serious attention. In addition, with continuity and consistency, pay increased attention to expanding ties with Africa’s regional integration associations.
Going forward, the focus will be on translating strong trade relations into deeper investment partnerships, fostering technology collaboration, strengthening industrial linkages and contributing towards the shared objectives set by the leadership of both African countries and Russia. At the third summit, the above-mentioned specific initiatives will be further designed. In this regard, the key document, the new action plan for the next three-year period (2027-2029), is intended to reflect dynamic realities in the future relations of Russia and Africa
