John Dramani Mahama
President of Ghana
Institute of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU (1987–1988)
A growing partnership
Russia and Africa are expanding and deepening cooperation in science and higher education. Today, this partnership goes beyond academic exchanges.
- intergovernmental and interagency agreements
- >80
- inter-university agreements
- >1 800
- research projects
- >60
- Ambassadors of Russian Education and Science from African countries
- >10
African students in Russia
- graduates from the 1950s to 2025
- >80 000
- students in the 2025/2026 academic year
- >37 000
Top countries by number of students
- Egypt9 076
- Morocco4 574
- Cameroon3 161
- Algeria2 527
- Nigeria2 481
Popular fields of study
Studying in Russia through African students’ eyes
Students share their experiences at Russian universities.
Study opportunities
Russian Government Quota
Study at Russian universities with tuition funded by the federal budget.
>4 800African citizens received the quota in 2025
- Submit your application
- Pass the selection
- Receive a study referral
- Complete entry paperwork
- Arrive in Russia to study
Grant support
>400grant holders from Africa in 2025
- study tracks
- 4
- profiles
- 14
Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral studies.
Engineering and technical fields, exact sciences, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Grant package
Science and education across borders
Russian language learning centres
Learning Russian promotes educational and cultural cooperation, strengthens ties between countries and expands access to education.
11centres supported by universities of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education
- Mali — 6 centres
- Burkina Faso
- Republic of the Congo
- Angola
- Mozambique
- Namibia
Russian universities in Africa
2branches in Cairo
- Kazan Federal University
- St. Petersburg State University
>3 000students
- General Medicine
- Dentistry
- Pharmacy
RAFURussian-African Network University
A unified space provides equal access to educational resources for consortium members.
- African countries
- 17
- African universities
- 71
- Russian organisations
- 105
Summer Multidisciplinary University — 2026
- programmes
- 19
- universities
- 14
- participants
- 375
Research projects
- Student Startups
- Advanced Engineering Schools
- Youth Laboratories
- Young Scientists Congress
- Space Industry Projects
Outstanding alumni
João Lourenço
President of Angola
V. I. Lenin Military-Political Academy (1983–1987)
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
President of Namibia
Higher Komsomol School under the Central Committee of the Komsomol (1975–1976)
Américo d’Oliveira dos Ramos
Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe
Lomonosov Moscow State University (1989–1994)
Amadou Keita
Minister of Mines of Mali
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (2020–2023)
Kamel Baddari
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Algeria
Sergo Ordzhonikidze Russian State University for Geological Prospecting (1983–1991)
Bourema Kansaye
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mali
St. Petersburg State University (1990–1995)
Pindi Hazara Chana
Member of Parliament of Tanzania
RUDN University (1991–1994)
Tapsoba Aristide Rapugdonaba Ludovic
Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Russia
Russian State Hydrometeorological University (1988–1994)
Student life
Russian universities create opportunities for international communication, cultural exchange and professional communities.
