Forum of International Alumni in Tanzania has started!

October 7, 2025, the official opening of the Forum took place in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania. The event brought together representatives from 11 African countries, including Tanzania, Angola, Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Namibia, Rwanda, Tunisia, Ethiopia and South Africa.

The Forum was opened by Pavel Shevtsov, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, who noted: The Forum in Dar es Salaam proves the close attention of Russia to graduates of Soviet and Russian universities – professionals who completed their education in our universities and who are helping to develop relations between our countries.

The Opening ceremony included welcome addresses by representatives of the Tanzanian government, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, and greeting speeches of delegation leaders from participating countries, representatives of alumni associations of Russian and Soviet universities.

During the first day, roundtable discussions were held on developing cooperation in education and healthcare between Russia and African countries. Participants have shared their perspectives on the needs and prospects of Russian-African collaboration in science and the development of education & business partnerships.

A highlight of the opening program was the awarding of the Order of Friendship to Pindi Hazara Chana, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania. The decree, signed by Vladimir V. Putin, was read by Oleg Yastrebov, Rector of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University).

«Many of our doctors, engineers, and specialists got their education in Russia, in Moscow. We are grateful to the Government of the Russian Federation for this fruitful and friendly cooperation. The high-quality Russian education provides a solid foundation and inspiration for our development.
We invite Russian professionals and volunteers to come to Tanzania and work with us – sharing knowledge, experience, culture, traditions, and innovations.
Tanzania is strong in agriculture, tourism, and many other sectors. Now is the right time to exchange ideas and take our cooperation to a new level».

The Forum’s honorary guest, Andrey L. Avetisyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United Republic of Tanzania, noted that Africa sees Russian education as a reliable pathway to sustainable development: «Africa sees in Russian education a reliable pathway to knowledge, professionalism, and human capital development. As our relations with African countries, and specifically with Tanzania, grow closer, new opportunities appear for graduates of Russian universities. More and more Russian companies are starting their business in Africa, and graduates with Russian diplomas find application for their knowledge, becoming an important part of this cooperation. The Russian government has decided to increase the quota for Tanzania from 90 to 150 scholarships – and we are confident that all of them will be filled with talented and motivated applicants».

Alexander Evstigneev, Head of the Russian Center of Science and culture in Tanzania emphasized the importance of maintaining the tradition of alumni forums: «This is, one could say, has become the traditional Forum of graduates of Soviet and Russian universities from African countries. Over the past three years, it has been held twice – first in Dar es Salaam in 2023, and now in 2025, we are gathering graduates again. We can call this Forum a kind of World Cup of Russian education in Africa. Tanzania was chosen as the venue not by chance – there is a very strong alumni association here, and there are indeed many alumni, probably more than in other countries in the region».

In his presentation Alexander Evstigneev used the traditional Russian matryoshka doll as a model of personal growth from small to large, and from weak to knowledgeable and mighty. 

Forum participants highlighted the importance of keeping alumni connected with their alma mater and colleagues from Russia:

«I am a dentist. I graduated from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, where I earned my diploma, and completed my residency in 2021. I currently work at our state hospital, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, where we provide care for patients with injuries and other complex cases. Today is a special day – a day of meeting friends from different countries, those who also studied in Russia. We communicate, recollect our student years, and discuss how we use the competencies we got in Russia in our professional lives. Russian education gave us both knowledge, and a profession and confidence. We are grateful to Russia for the support and quality of professional education».

A distinctive feature of the Forum is the composition of the Russian delegation, which includes not only leading universities of the country but also major Russian businesses, represented by State Corporation «Rosatom», which, in addition to industrial projects, supports educational initiatives in African countries.

The forum will continue on October 8. Its participants will attend the professional development courses on new technologies in education and healthcare by attending practical classes of lecturers from leading Russian universities.

For information:

The Forum of International Alumni of Soviet and Russian Universities – Representatives of the Education and Healthcare Systems of African Countries is organized by the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University «LETI» with the support of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), the Russian Center for Science and Culture (Russian House), and the Russian Embassy in Tanzania. The official partner of the Forum is the State Atomic Energy Corporation «Rosatom».