African students travel to Russia to study geology and mining engineering

The first group of students from Guinea-Bissau will soon arrive in Russia to study at Russian universities. They will receive higher education in Yekaterinburg and Krasnoyarsk in such fields as mining, geology, ecology, geological exploration and others. The program is fully financed by Russian aluminum producer Rusal.

The project involves 70 students, the company's press service reports. They will receive the Rusal-2024 scholarship under the Mining Agreement signed with the government of the African republic. Representatives of Guinea-Bissau thanked Russian partners for the implementation of the program, which will help young Guineans get quality knowledge and in-demand professions.

According to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, in the 2022-2023 academic year almost 35 thousand students from Africa studied in the country. This figure has been steadily growing in recent years: over the past 13 years, the number of students has tripled. Domestic companies are actively cooperating with African countries amid Russia's growing strategic interest in the continent. As experts note, most students do not study at their own expense, but under corporate programs or a quota from the Russian government, which include free tuition, a stipend, and reimbursement of travel and living expenses.

Students from Guinea, Jamaica and Mongolia receive free higher education under Rusal scholarships at leading Russian universities, including SFU, RUDN, UrFU, MIIT, MADI and MISIS. The number of specialties exceeds two dozen: from metallurgy and mining to economics and management, chemical technologies, mechanical engineering and medicine. The educational process includes practical training, including for future medical professionals.