SPbPU acted as an expert at the meeting at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) continues to actively develop the activities of the Russian-African Network University (RAFU) consortium.

At the end of 2024, following the visit of Konstantin Mogilevsky, deputy minister of science and higher education of the Russian Federation, to Mali, Guinea and Ethiopia, the Malian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research requested assistance in reforming higher education in the Republic. The development of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and the creation of the concept of a modern polytechnic university in Bandiagara were chosen as pilot projects. For this purpose, an expert group was formed on the Russian side, which included representatives of SPbPU, and on the Malian side the working group included representatives of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mali, rectors of leading universities and Sogoba Jacqueline Konate, Director of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

Recently, the second meeting of the Working Group on the implementation of agreements reached during the visit of the Russian delegation to African countries was held. The event was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation with the participation of key representatives of Russian education and science.

The meeting was attended by Konstantin Mogilevsky, deputy minister of science and higher education of the Russian Federation, Stepan Sokolov, deputy director of the Department of International Cooperation, Irina Abramova, director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as representatives of SPbPU and other Russian universities. Dmitry Arseniev, vice rector for International Affairs of SPbPU, Maxim Zalyvsky, head of the RAFU Project Office, and Alla Mazina, secretary of the RAFU Presidium and deputy head of the International Cooperation Department of SPbPU, joined the discussion in the online format.

One of the key topics of discussion was assistance to the Republic of Mali in creating a network of regional universities, namely the creation of a modern polytechnic university of international level in the Bandiagara region (Mali).

Dmitry Arseniev, vice rector of SPbPU, presented a report on the activities of the expert group on assistance to the Republic of Mali. He emphasized that on January 23, 2025 on the initiative of the Polytechnic University and with the assistance of Issa Togo, Honorary Consul of Mali in St. Petersburg, a meeting of the Expert Group of the Republic of Mali and the SPbPU Working Group was held.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mali, Mr. Bourema Kansaye, opened the meeting, emphasizing that the main objective of the reform of higher education in Mali is to make higher education and scientific research a driving force for the socio-economic development of the country.

However, the session noted that Mali is facing a multi-dimensional crisis, including a shortage of human resources and a lack of specialists in key areas of expertise. To address these challenges, priority areas for training and retraining were identified for the country: artificial intelligence and robotics, energy and renewable energy, agriculture, exploration and mining, space technology and satellites.

Russian-African cooperation in education continues to gain momentum, opening up new opportunities for the development of African countries.