SPbPU at the meeting of the III Interdepartmental Commission on Africa

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) took part in the meeting of the 3rd Interdepartmental Commission on Africa at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation chaired by Deputy Minister Konstantin Mogilevsky. Polytechnic University was represented by Dmitry Arseniev, vice-rector for international affairs, and Maxim Zalyvsky, head of the project office of the Russian-African Network University consortium.

Stepan Sokolov, deputy director of the International Department of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, presented a report on key initiatives in the field of scientific and educational partnership with African countries: the creation of the Russian-Guinean Science Center, cooperation with Mali and Niger, and the project of engineering classes in Ethiopia.

Polytechnic University coordinates the work of the Expert Group for the development of the concept of reforming higher education in Mali. Dmitry Arseniev and Maxim Zalyvsky highlighted the main stages of the work already done to create a modern polytechnic university in the Bandiagara region. The analysis of the existing concept of the Malian side revealed the need to update it taking into account the strategic priorities of the country. SPbPU experts proposed to supplement the concept with areas that meet the global challenges and demands of Mali: agriculture, construction and architecture using local materials and knowledge, environmental management, medicine, art, culture and sports.

Nine working groups have already been formed with the participation of Russian universities of RAFU for the development of educational and methodological programs. By the end of 2025, expert visits to Mali are planned to assess the infrastructure and conduct training seminars.

Dmitry Arseniev emphasized the importance of adapting projects to the needs of African partners: We focus on the joint development of solutions that take into account the unique needs of the Republic of Mali and are integrated into its national development strategy. This approach not only stimulates the transformation of educational systems, but also creates the basis for sustainable technological progress through the training of highly professional staff that meet modern challenges.

The university in Bandiagara should become an educational hub combining Russian standards and Mali’s local priorities. As part of the speech, SPbPU noted cooperation with the National Center for Artificial Intelligence of Mali: in 2024, its specialists were trained at SPbPU, and now programs for retraining teachers and supplying equipment are being developed.