Russian-Malian cooperation in education has reached a new level

A delegation of universities participating in the Russian-African Network University (RAFU) consortium, led by the coordinator, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, visited Bamako. The delegation also included representatives of the Russian State University for the Humanities and St. Petersburg University of Veterinary Medicine.

The goal of the large-scale reform carried out by the Malian side is to turn universities and research centers into a real driving force for the socio-economic development of the country. To achieve this goal, an agreement on cooperation was reached between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Mali and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

Project coordination and methodological guidance were entrusted to the consortium of the Russian-African Network University (RAFU), which is headed by St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. In 2025, SPbPU, as the lead contractor, began developing a concept for the transformation of the national higher education system in Mali.

The key event of the Russian delegation’s visit was the presentation of 29 basic educational programs developed by the leading universities of the RAFU consortium. These programs are intended to be implemented in the Malian educational system and are designed to lay the foundation for the training of highly qualified personnel who meet the modern demands of the country’s economy.

The visit began with a meeting with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mali, Professor Burema Kansai, which was also attended by the rectors of Malian universities and heads of scientific centers. During the meeting, the parties discussed the priorities of cooperation, in particular, the establishment of the Polytechnic University in Bandiagarа and the development of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

The event was also joined online by representatives from Tomsk Polytechnic University, National Research University «MPEI», St. Petersburg State Agrarian University and Astrakhan State Medical University, who gave detailed overviews of their programs in artificial intelligence and energy.

Dmitry Arseniev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at SPbPU, emphasized in his speech: We are very pleased that cooperation between Malian and Russian universities is actively developing. The 29 educational programs developed are a practical contribution of Russian universities to the implementation of ambitious tasks facing the higher education system of Mali. We hope that during this visit, specific roadmaps will be developed for each of the eight priority areas of training.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Burema Kansai, welcomed all participants of the meeting, thanked the Russian universities of the RAFU for their fruitful work during the year, expressed hope for further development and deepening of this cooperation and called on all Malian universities to join the consortium «Russian-African Network University» and contribute to the development of the Russian-Malian partnership in fields of education and science.

In the final days of the visit, working meetings were held to determine the staffing needs of Mali, discuss a roadmap for cooperation and sign agreements on the accession of 19 Malian universities to the RAFU consortium.