Interregional Cooperation with Africa: The Present and Future of a Multipolar World

On September 1 in Bishkek, the heads of state of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) member countries gathered for the council for the 26th time. The association summed up the results of its activities over a quarter of a century, and one of the most significant outcomes of the meeting was the decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the African Union Commission. Meanwhile, in Russia, ahead of the Russia–Africa summit to be held in Moscow in October, several international events took place in different parts of the country from late August through September, becoming landmark milestones in the development of Russia’s relations with Africa: the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-26), the Kazan Global Youth Summit, the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg, and, of course, Technoprom-26 in Novosibirsk, a special part of which was the 3rd Forum of International Cooperation “Russia — Africa: Education. Business. Culture.”

The Russia–Africa forum, organized with the participation of the Center for Public Diplomacy, for the third year has become a significant part of Technoprom’s program, integrating the region into Russia’s current geopolitical strategy. Year after year, the number of African countries sending their representatives to the forum is growing, while the high level of delegates remains unchanged. In particular, this year Novosibirsk was visited by several ambassadors and the Minister of National Education of the Togolese Republic. In addition, the Technoprom-26 program included the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Novosibirsk Region and one of Namibia’s regions—Karas. From the African side, the regional head and a member of Namibia’s national parliament came to sign the agreement. This is already the second partnership organized with the participation of the Center for Public Diplomacy. Previously, a similar agreement was signed by Novosibirsk and the capital of Burkina Faso—Ouagadougou. These alliances will undoubtedly serve not only to increase the recognition of the Siberian region internationally, but also to develop its economy.

But what has truly strengthened the international standing of the Novosibirsk Region over the past couple of years is the active work of the Center for Public Diplomacy and Novosibirsk universities in promoting Russian education on the African continent. It is no coincidence that the theme of education and workforce training became one of the central topics at EEF-26 as well; it was the focus of a separate session—“Human Capital of Russia and Africa: Investing in the Future of Partnership.” Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova emphasized that territorial development is about creating conditions for human capital development. This is true for both Russia and Africa. And joint work in this direction has high potential. In particular, the deputy minister noted that Russia–Africa educational cooperation is moving from general competencies to industry-specific formats that create a foundation for scientific cooperation.

Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk State Technical University, and the Siberian State University of Engineering and Biotechnology, with the support of the Center for Public Diplomacy, have for the third year been actively implementing their programs in Africa—opening preparatory faculties, international classes, Russian language courses, and holding subject Olympiads to identify gifted students. The Center for Public Diplomacy also promotes in Africa a targeted education project, under which Africans educated in Russia are expected to return home to the jobs waiting for them. To this end, consistent joint work is being carried out with профильными ministries in African countries. The first students under this project arrived in Novosibirsk last year; their education at Russian universities was paid for by their future employer.

The interest of African governments in training personnel for their national economies in Russia is very high. And above all, they are interested in guarantees that specialists will return home. The Center for Public Diplomacy’s project provides practical tools precisely for reducing the “brain drain.” In turn, a stronger Africa lies within Russia’s geopolitical interests, as it brings closer the firm establishment of a multipolar world.

The visit of Mama Omoru, the Minister of National Education of Togo, to Novosibirsk is one example of the effectiveness of the initiated processes. The cooperation agreement between the ministry and the Center for Public Diplomacy, signed on the sidelines of Technoprom-26, was approved personally by the head of the Republic. Agreements between the ministry and NSTU and NSU are currently in progress; preliminary arrangements on them were reached during Mama Omoru’s personal visits to the universities.

The trustee of the Center for Public Diplomacy is the Novosibirsk group of companies “Rastsvetay,” which is why so many of the Center’s Russian projects are directly connected with Siberia. However, the scale of activity is growing, and new territories are being drawn into interregional cooperation with Africa. Kazan, where many Russian international events related to the Islamic world are held, attracts Africa’s close attention, as Islam plays a significant role in many African countries. This year, with the participation of the Center for Public Diplomacy, Kazan was able to further strengthen and develop its contacts with Africa. In particular, the Center for Public Diplomacy took part in organizing the visit of the Minister of National Education of Togo to Tatarstan directly from Novosibirsk. Here, within the framework of the Kazan Global Youth Summit, Mama Omoru held a meeting with Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky, discussing cooperation between the countries in the educational and scientific spheres. And at the 22nd “Altyn Minbar” film festival that followed the summit, with the support of the Center for Public Diplomacy, a film from Burkina Faso was screened вне конкурса.

Thus, the work of the Center for Public Diplomacy serves not only to raise Novosibirsk’s international status, but also strengthens its reputation at the interregional level, reinforcing the region’s position by developing internal and external ties. And the contribution of the Novosibirsk Region to promoting Russian education in Africa and establishing business interregional contacts is a direct implementation of Russia’s strategic goals in geopolitical terms.