Agreements were signed with 30 African universities during the Africa Seeks Solutions congress in St. Petersburg
Russian institutes signed agreements with more than 30 African universities during a major congress in St. Petersburg, providing for cooperation in education and science, the training of mining engineers, and the development of the mining and processing sectors.
More than 150 participants from 48 African countries attended the Africa Seeks Solutions congress at St. Petersburg Mining University, including universities, mining and metallurgical companies, and geological organizations.
Vladimir Litvinenko, the rector of the university, and Paul Omojo Omaji, the vice chancellor of the Admiralty University of Nigeria, agreed to establish the ‘Nedra of Africa’ (‘Subsoil of Africa’) consortium.
“We walk through the immense riches that lie beneath us, yet we cannot lift ourselves out of poverty… The creation of the Russian-African consortium of universities is the most important mechanism for achieving this great goal,” said Omaji, who was elected president of the consortium.
Moscow “continues to create its own legacy, a legacy of helping people in need. This is a partner who understands our problems and Africa’s predicament,” he claimed.
Hadi Li, vice-president of the association of private geologists in Mali, pointed out that Bamako needs “personnel with competences in mineral prospecting and exploration.”
“We hope that it will be possible to establish an academic exchange with Russia of young researchers and students who will get all the necessary knowledge and skills here,” he said.
The countries are interested in collaborating on training the highest category of personnel, which includes the use of the UNESCO grant system.
In addition to other areas of cooperation, the parties talked about the creation of joint scientific teams and engineering centers, both in Africa and St. Petersburg. They will undertake prospecting and exploration of minerals, assessment of natural resources, analysis of deposits profitability, as well as scientific support for the construction of processing enterprises.
Branches of Russian universities are expected to open in several African countries, teaching the Russian language.
At the opening ceremony on Wednesday, a greeting from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was read by Director of the Africa Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vsevolod Tkachenko. Lavrov said Russia would help African countries to gain independent control over the extraction and development of their resources.
“Today the St. Petersburg Mountain University offers a new level of scientific and educational interaction with Africa,” he stated.
“I am confident that the engineering and management personnel trained through this project will contribute to the control of African countries over the extraction and development of their own mineral resources and to effective State regulation of environmental management.”