From October 21 to 22, 2024, a historic meeting took place at the Russian University of Transport (RUT), resulting in the signing of an agreement for the creation of the “Russo-African University Network for Transport”. This agreement, signed by RUT’s rector, Alexander Klimov, along with representatives of Russian and African universities, aims to establish a common educational platform uniting 19 transport-specialized institutions from Africa and Russia.
The primary goal of this partnership is to develop a shared educational network that will train the next generation of professionals in this strategic sector, supporting the development of sustainable transport infrastructures between Russia and Africa. During the ceremony, Olga Shcheglovskaya, Director of the Human Resources Department at the Russian Ministry of Transport, emphasized the significance of the agreement: “The signing of this agreement marks a decisive turning point in strengthening our relations and developing joint transport projects.”
Rector Alexander Klimov also stressed that this collaboration is not only focused on education but also on the development of concrete transport infrastructure projects that will benefit the economies of the participating countries. “Our goal is to unite the potential of transport universities in Russia and Africa to carry out infrastructure projects that meet the needs of our populations,” he added.
This cooperation comes at a time when many African countries are seeking to modernize their transport infrastructures, a vital sector for economic growth and regional integration. Namibia’s Minister of Higher Education, Technology, and Innovation, Ita Kandji-Murangi, expressed her confidence in the success of this partnership. She highlighted the importance of the collaboration in training the new generations of qualified professionals: “We truly wish to organize training programs in this critical field, and I am confident that your universities will play a key role in this preparation.”
Among the Russian institutions that have joined the project are:
- Far Eastern Transport University
- Ural State Transport University
- State Maritime University F. F. Ushakov
- Volga State University of Water Transport
On the African side, several leading universities and institutes have also signed the agreement, including:
- Sunyani University (Ghana)
- Copperbelt University and University of Zambia (Zambia)
- Institute of Applied Technologies (Mali)
- Federal University of Transport (Nigeria)
This alliance has also received the support of specialized research institutions, such as the Geologists Association “GEOPRIM” from Mali.
