Status of Education in the Russian Federation
02 May 2012
1. What does the Russian Federation have that SA needs? Put, differently, what are the Russian Federation
’s strengthens in education and skills development that match our priorities education and skills needs (as reflected in the Industrial Policy Framework and New Growth path and National Skills Development Strategy and Science and
Technology 10 year innovation plan):

Training in the mining value chain

The green economy

Nanotechnology

Nuclear Energy

Biotechnology

Engineering
2. Which countries (give numbers if possible) in Africa and across the world send students for studies in the Russian Federation and in which fields of study?

Specific numbers are not available currently however almost all African countries and other developing countries are given scholarships yearly by the Russian Federation.

Mining : Oil extraction and processing

Diamond mining and processing

Dentistry

Chemical Engineering

Medicine

Public Relations Management

International Relations

Most African countries with and without any presence in the Russian
Federation are getting between 25 and 40 scholarships annually for

2 example Namibia has 260 persons studying in various parts of the
Russian Federation. (The current study undertaken by the mission looked into only a handful of the African embassies)
3. Which major institutions (Colleges and Universities) do you recommend
(in their order of priority) for SA to target and why?
 People’s Friendship (also known as Lumumba University)

Moscow State University

Moscow State technology University

Oil & Gas University (in Moscow)

Kazan State University (speicalising in ICT)

DUBNA State University (specialising in nuclear energy studies)

Urals State University (Yekaterinburg)
4. Are there any institutional partnerships you would like to propose or which existing institutional partnerships can we utilise in order to facilitate academic and student exchanges?

There are none existent at the moment however the universities in
Russia are showing interest for academic and student exchanges however the Urals State U niversity, and the People’s Friendship
University have the most potential. It is also worth mentioning that
Skolkova and Far East Universities are under construction and will also have such opportunities eg ITC, engineering, technology etc.
5. What are Russian Federation’s best practices in terms of policies, programmes, projects that have enabled them to succeed where SA has challenges

The Russian Federation puts emphasis on the skills shortages and this is matched with the education systems.

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6. How do foreign students, especially, African students access funding for the scholarships, how is the standard of accommodation? How is the standard of living managed in terms of students
’ allowances, travel, insurance, etc?

The African students are getting a monthly amount of 1100 Rubles
(equivalent to R250 rands) per month from the Russian Federation.

The countries of origin also tops up this amount by between 500 to
1200 USD per month, this is country specific decision. With this amount the students are expected to pay for their university accommodation and their transport.

The students are given scholarships and they do not pay for tutorials.

The accommodation facilities vary in quality and in rentals but they are generally in acceptable conditions.
7. Status of recognition of qualifications of Russian Federation qualifications in USA, Canada, Europe, India, China, Russia, Brazil, etc
(because these tend to be used as a benchmark by DHET). Is the
Russian Federation in the Bologna system?

The status of Mutual Recognition of Qualifications between South
Africa and the Russian Federation is almost finalised, it is envisaged that the Principals will sign at the next opportunity.
8. Which major countries has the Russian Federation signed educational cooperation agreements with and what are the observable benefits thereof?

The Russian Federation has signed lots of educational cooperation agreements with African countries eg Nigeria and the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Many of such graduates practice in their countries of origin to fill the skills gap and contribute actively in the economic stratum of their countries. They also serve as first communication link for business initiatives between the two countries. The signed

4 education cooperation agreements also serve to strengthen the bilateral relations and offer opportunities for skills training.