News in Press-centre

Representatives of the FEFU Center for International Promotion, Tourism and Protocol met with a delegation from the West Africa Transformation Network and African Business Development Network LLC from Ghana, West Africa at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). The parties discussed the potential for expanding bilateral cooperation and promotion of the Russian education.

The meeting touched on the possibilities of African-Russian cooperation in the field of personnel training and development of human capital. As experts noted, applicants from the African continent are showing increasing interest in education at FEFU - they actively participate in the International Olympiad of the Global Universities Association, the winners of which become Master and Postgraduate students at Russian universities. Already today, about 50 students from Africa study at the university, and the main specialties that students choose are related to the natural sciences - medicine, biology and chemistry.

“In recent years, Russian-African cultural exchange has significantly expanded - today we are seeing a threefold increase in the number of foreign applicants from Africa. We hope that our collaborative work will not be limited only to academic initiatives - FEFU is always open for closer cooperation both in the field of science and technology, as well as in mutually beneficial and long-term projects in the field of business, innovation and joint scientific research,” emphasized FEFU President Boris Korobets.

The University is constantly expanding international relations, thus confirming the status of the leadership of Russian education abroad and an expert hub for interaction with Asia and Africa. The humanitarian mission of FEFU is to create conditions for constructive international cooperation not only in scientific and educational, but also in the socio-economic and cultural spheres.

“The Russian Federation, as a country expanding its academic horizons, can become a stronghold for the development of West Africa through the provision of access to higher education. This will significantly strengthen humanitarian and economic ties, give a new impetus to growth,” said the leader of the African delegation, the Chief Executive Officer and President at Africa Business Development Network Ltd Edward Keta Alfa.

The expert also added that since the 1970s, many foreign citizens have studied under higher education programs in the USSR. Since then, there have been many changes, among which are the redirection of the vector of academic mobility towards the United States and Europe. However, the West also contributed to the exploitation of the African continent. In the light of these events, Russia is a more promising partner, and Edward Keta Alfa expressed his hope for continued further cooperation.

FEFU representatives noted that the problem of colonialism and its consequences for the educational and other spheres of states will be considered within the framework of the VIII Eastern Economic Forum. On September 10, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Historical Society, together with FEFU, will hold a thematic conference, where a young researcher from the Republic of the Gambia, a FEFU Bachelor's degree in international relations, currently a FEFU Master's student in international relations, Peter Mendy I., will make a meaningful report. The discussion will be attended by leading scientists, politicians, activists and media representatives from the friendly countries of the Asia-Pacific region. They will discuss the history of colonialism, its impact on inter-ethnic relations and national unity, on the current economic situation, as well as the problems of neo-colonialism and the struggle against Western neo-colonial discourse.

Also, within the framework of the Eastern Economic Forum, on September 11-13, FEFU, together with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, will hold the 12th APEC International Conference on Cooperation in the Field of Higher Education "In pursuit of development". Over the past 12 years, the conference has become an important expert platform for the development of regional policy in the field of higher education. This year, the discussions will touch upon the issues of using artificial intelligence in education, the possibility of improving the quality of training of engineers and IT specialists, as well as the creation of a multi-competence system at APEC universities.

Let us recall that the Far Eastern Federal University is the center of modern oriental studies in Russia, the country's academic outpost in the Asia-Pacific region. More than 20 thousand students study at the university, 3.5 thousand of which are foreigners from 79 countries. FEFU accepts foreign students both from traditional country destinations - China and India, and enters new educational markets - Iran, Ecuador, Colombia. The university teaching staff include world-class recognized experts in oriental studies, and due to the geographical proximity to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, students have unique opportunities to practice and communicate with native speakers of foreign languages.