Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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A delegation of RAFU universities, including the Russian State University for the Humanities and the St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine, led by Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, the coordinator of the Russian-African Network University consortium, visited Bamako as part of a strategic project to reform higher education in the Republic of Mali.
The goal of the large-scale reform being implemented by Malians is to transform universities and research centers into genuine driving forces for the country's socioeconomic development. To achieve this goal, a cooperation agreement has been reached between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Mali and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Project coordination and methodological guidance are entrusted to the Russian-African Network University consortium, led by Peter the Great Polytechnic University. In 2025, SPbPU, as the lead developer, began developing a concept for transforming Mali's national higher education system.
The key event of the visit was the presentation of 29 core educational programs developed by the consortium's leading universities. These programs are intended for implementation in the Malian education system and are intended to lay the foundation for training highly qualified personnel who meet the country's modern economic needs.
The visit began with a meeting with Professor Bourema Kansay, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mali, also attended by the rectors of Malian universities and heads of research centers. The parties discussed cooperation priorities, including the establishment of the Polytechnic University of Bandiagara and the development of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
Representatives from National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, National Research University "MPEI," St. Petersburg State Agrarian University, and Astrakhan State Medical University joined the event via videoconference and presented in detail their programs in the fields of artificial intelligence and energy.
In his speech, SPbPU Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev emphasized: "We are very pleased that cooperation between Malian and Russian universities is actively developing. The 29 educational programs developed represent a practical contribution by Russian universities to achieving the ambitious goals facing Mali's higher education system. We hope that this visit will lead to the development of specific roadmaps for each of the eight priority areas of study."
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Professor Bourema Kansay welcomed all meeting participants. He thanked the Russian universities affiliated with RAFU for their fruitful collaboration over the past year and expressed hope for the further development and deepening of this cooperation. Furthermore, the minister called on all Malian universities to join the Russian-Mali Network University consortium and contribute to the development of Russian-Mali partnership in education and science.
The strategic partnership with the Republic of Mali is a clear example of how Russian universities are willing to share their best practices and competencies to achieve common goals. The creation of a new polytechnic university in Bandiagara is a project for the future. As a flagship of engineering education in Russia, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is proud to contribute to this endeavor. I am confident that our cooperation will drive Mali's socioeconomic development," added Dmitry Arsenyev.
The final days of the visit included working meetings to identify Mali's human resources needs, a roadmap for cooperation, and the signing of agreements for 19 Malian universities to join the RAFU consortium.
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