L. PONOMARENKO, E. ZUEVA
PFUR AND AFRICA
Moscow
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
2009
ББK (6)66.4
П 56
Approved
by PFUR Academic Council
Ponomarenko L., Zueva E.
П 56 PFUR and Africa. – M.: PFUR, 2010. – 124 р.
ISBN 978-5-209-03190-1
The book tells the readers about half a century of cooperation of
PFU/PFUR between African countries and universities, preparation of
specialists for Asian and African countries, social, cultural and sport
life of African students.
The book is for those interested in the history of the University
and the history of Russian-African relations.
ISBN 978-5-209-03190-1
ББК (6)66.4
© L. Ponomarenko, E. Zueva, 2010
© Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Publishing house, 2010
USSR/RUSSIA AND AFRICAN COUNTRIES
(BRIEF OUTLINE OF RELATIONS)
50 years have passed like the blink of an eye. We look back
at what we have accomplished and we see events, faces, joys and
sorrows pass by like in a kaleidoscope.
50 years – is it much or little? Back in the beginning of the
1960s the originators of the University couldn’t even imagine
how the University and our life would change. Young people
who come to the University today can hardly imagine that times
and things were different then.
Time flies and sets the rules. Both we and our lives change.
But why not slow down for a moment and try to recall and analyze the events of the last 50 years.
A different country, a different century. Imagine that now is
the end of the 1950s.
After World War II in the late 1940–1960s the unshakeable
and eternal colonial empires come to an end and the USSR has a
great role to play in the destiny of the former African colonies,
providing them with full-scale support during the decolonization
and helping to solve various problems of state construction.
29 Asian and African countries participated in the Bandung
Conference which took place in April of 1956 with the aim to develop a political strategy in foreign affairs for the years to come.
In 1960 During the XV Session of the UN General Assembly
Nikita Khrushchev proposed on behalf of the Soviet Union a
«Declaration on Granting Independence to Colonial Countries
and Peoples». It was approved which led to a number of measures
that guaranteed the right for auto-determination and independent
development for the newly independent countries.
The year 1960 is known as «The Year of Africa». 17 new
sovereign independent states appeared on the map of Africa.
The USSR and its leaders established the relations with
newly independent African states having in mind not only the
3
mutual interests but also the geopolitical situation of that period
known universally as the «Cold War».
When the world became divided in two confronting camps
struggling to win, heads of world’s superpowers, primarily the
USSR and the USA, had to ensure both military superiority in the
arms race and the highest possible number of allies supporting the
policy and the steps on the world scene. Therefore they perceived
the newly independent states of Asia and Africa mainly as potential allies.
We had to show ourselves as favorable and reliable partner
in the eyes of the «New World» of Africa and Asia and tell them
about the USSR. Naturally, we showed our best qualities and
achievements in all spheres of international cooperation having in
mind our own political interests, but who does otherwise?
Thus, the cooperation had clear geopolitical and ideological
purpose. To develop the bilateral relations with the newly independent states we elaborated special political and economic programs and formed the corresponding legal base.
Effective international cooperation given the new historical
conditions required well-educated, trained people while the newly
independent states lacked qualified staff. Then the USSR granted
to the newly independent states the opportunity to train the specialists in the Soviet higher education institutions. Those who say
that it was socialist propaganda and ideological training are quite
right, but apart from that Africans who came to study to the
USSR were educated in the spirit of true internationalism, the
peoples’ friendship that promoted international understanding and
cooperation among the countries, cultures, peoples and ethnic
groups, that prevented the propagation of racism, segregation,
hate crimes and ethnic or religious conflicts. It’s only today that
we can acknowledge and appreciate the full-scale and careful efforts of Soviet instructors in instilling universal cultural values
into people of different cultures. Only today we realize that those
internationalist ideas, nowadays mostly lost and forgotten, were
right and are so difficult to restore.
Hardly anyone remembers today that in all African countries
there was an acute shortage of educated and even literate people
4
before they gained independence. Some of the mother countries
(such as Belgium, Portugal as well as the ruling white minority in
Southern Africa) followed a policy that prevented Africans from
getting education, higher education in particular. Thus, in Belgian Congo – Patrice Lumumba’s, PFUR namegiver for almost
30 years, birthplace – before it gained independence there were
only as many as 20 Africans who had been educated in Europe,
and approximately 400 people who graduated from Congo’s educational centers after attending the higher education program and
qualified as nurses, agricultural technicians, etc.1.
Vast majority of soon-to-be independent African states had
almost no intellectual elite. The following figures may illustrate
this: in Tropical Africa in the 1950s only 3% of children had access to school education; in Sudan before it gained independence
in 1956 only 380 thousand people out of 12 million population
attended educational institutions; by the end of the 1950s 80% of
Egyptians, 63% of Senegalese, 99,7% of Guinea-Bissauans were
illiterate. At the beginning of the 1960s per 100 000 people there
were 10 qualified specialists in Nigeria, 8 in Ghana, 3 in Senegal,
2 in Guinea. At the beginning of the 1970s the number of people
having an academic degree per 100 000 residents was: 37 in
North America, 13 in Europe, 3 – in the Middle East, 2 in Asia
and only 0,2 in Africa2.
V. Vasilevskiy, who was PFUR pro-rector (students) for
quite a while and later the Preparatory Faculty dean, recalls the
following: «When I worked at Moscow State University Preparatory Faculty in 1960 they told me an anecdote. One of the first
African leaders to visit the USSR was the President of the Republic of Guinea Ahmed Sékou Touré. After the negotiations our
leaders suggested training several dozens of Guineans in the Soviet higher education institutions (HEIs). In the fall there was a
call on behalf of Nikita Khrushchev so as to inquire how many
1
Ponomarenko L. Patrice Lumumba: Life for the sake of Africa’s
Freedom. – Moscow, PFUR Press, 1989, p. 32.
2
USSR and African countries (Friendship, cooperation, support in
anti-imperialist struggle). – Moscow, 1977, p. 326.
5
Guinean students came to Moscow. When Khrushchev found out
that only three Guineans came, he, with his trademark impetuosity, lashed out at our ambassador to Conakry – where are the
Guinean students? The answer was simple: that year only 16 people graduated from schools in Guinea»1.
It’s not surprising, therefore, that, leaving aside all «ideological implications» of the matter, the USSR contribution to
training the specialists in different spheres and establishment of
national education systems in African countries is hard to overestimate. Our University and our country have full right to be proud
of it.
In order to understand the establishment and development of
Soviet-African relations we should also take into consideration
the sincere interest of Soviet people, mostly the youth, towards
Africa, that became especially patent during the 1957 World Festival of Youth and Students.
In order to promote effective cooperation with African countries it was necessary to have good knowledge of their history,
languages, political systems, mentality, customs and culture. Old
and new scientific institutions as well as state organizations developed African studies as a science that boomed given the topicality of the «African problem». Now they scientists had more
reliable and objective scientific data to use in their research. It
was the birth of Soviet African studies, which nowadays represent one of the most important branches of historical science.
Before the Great October Revolution of 1917 contacts of the
Russian Empire with African states were sporadic and there was a
definite lack of knowledge. The famous Russian scientists,
namely B. Turayev and I. Kratchkovskiy had been mainly interested in studying the ancient history of Christian Ethiopia. After
the revolution, in the 1920–1930s the scientists studied the history of Africa as part of oriental or ethnographic studies.
1
Vasilevskiy V. PFUR: the first years // Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia – 40th anniversary. Past and present. Materials of the
V International Scientific and Practical Conference. – Moscow, PFUR
press, 2000, p. 75.
6
N. Vavilov, member of the Academy of Sciences, was one of
the first soviet scientists to establish in 1920–1930s fruitful cooperation with his colleagues from the African continent. D. Olderogge traveled to the countries of Western Africa to establish
and promote international scientific cooperation. Much was done
for studying the living African languages, Swahili in particular.
In 1924, the Department of African Studies was established at
Leningrad Institute for Oriental Studies in order to study African
languages. In 1928 the Soviet government made possible the admission of several African students to the Communist University
of the Toilers of the East where I. Potekhin, A. Zusmanovich and
other Soviet specialists in African studies worked. In the early
1930s soviet scientists started to develop scientifically the problems of history, ethnography and culture of African peoples,
started the research of socio-economic problems of the continent.
In 1933 the first joint scientific monograph of African and soviet
scientists was published in Moscow: «Forced Labor and Trade
Union Movement in Negro Africa». The pragmatic task of the
research was to create opportunities for African countries to opt
eventually for the non-capitalist way of development.
In 1954 the fundamental work «The Peoples of Africa» was
published in Moscow. Since the 1950s the destinations of scientific expeditions to Africa became far more diverse. A number of
staff members of various institutions of the Soviet Academy of
Sciences traveled to Africa which resulted in writing the fundamental monographs, such as «Formation of the new Ghana» by
I. Potekhin (1965) and «The History of Sudan» (1821–1956) by
S. Smirnov (1968). Soviet scientists participated in international
congresses dedicated to Africa’s geology, agronomy, biology,
botany, established effective relations with scientific and cultural
institutions of Africa1.
The contacts with African countries were promoted and developed thanks to the activities of the State Committee for Economic Relations, State Committee for Cultural Relations with the
1
USSR and African countries (Friendship, cooperation, support in
anti-imperialist struggle). – Moscow, 1977, p. 326.
7
Foreign States, Word Peace Committee of the USSR, Union of
Soviet Friendship Societies, Soviet Women’s Committee, Committee for Youth Organizations. Also the Soviet Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee was established. The problems of Africa become increasingly often discussed in the media, the foreign books
on Africa were published in the USSR. It is evident that since the
end of the 1950s the USSR somehow experienced the «discovery
of Africa», Africa aroused interest in various spheres.
Naturally, the USSR national interests required the elaboration of «non-capitalist development» conception and «socialist
orientation», support for the USSR-backed friendly countries, involvement of African countries in the Soviet sphere of influence
etc. But thanks to this policy African studies boomed and made
considerable progress.
When in the late 1950s African countries launched the decolonization, the USSR established diplomatic relations with the
newly independent African states, especially with the ones interested in the socialist way of development. In West Africa these
were Ghana, Mali, Guinea, Benin, Guinea Bissau and the Republic of Cape Verde; in Central Africa – Congo Brazzaville; in East
Africa – Ethiopia, Somali, Tanzania, Madagascar, the Republic of
Seychelles, the Union of the Comoros; in South Africa – Angola,
Mozambique, Zimbabwe. Senegal and Zambia promoted some
sort of pan-African socialism.
Ghana became the first African state to establish diplomatic
relations with the USSR in 1958. During Kwame Nkrumah’s presidentship the Soviet-Ghanian relations were especially intense: the
two countries signed agreements on trade, economic, technical and
scientific cooperation. The USSR purchased in Ghana cacao, valuable finewood, and provided support in construction of a number
of industrial plants, in geological survey, in modern fishing fleet
establishment. However, the political situation prevented the two
countries from eventual successful relations development.
Today we analyze why many African countries opted for socialism. One should have in mind that the main reason for this
was the example of the USSR. What attracted the African countries in socialism and the soviet example?
8
The USSR played the decisive role in the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Therefore, by choosing the USSR African
countries chose a powerful and strong ally, military strength not to
be overlooked. Also to them the USSR was the source of help, including the economic help, to solve the acute problems they had,
mostly in socio-economic sphere. Opting for the Soviet model of
development, African countries opted for the soviet experience of
industrialization and strong central authorities, the collectivist principles (similar to those traditionally followed by African peoples).
After Stalin’s death the USSR abandoned «Stalin’s model of development» and became more open. When Khrushchev came to power
the «Khrushchev’s Thaw» began. In 1957 the USSR launched
Sputnik, the Earth’s first artificial satellite. In 1961 Yuri Gagarin
became the first human in outer space. It was obvious for the leaders of the newly independent countries that the Soviet state system
provided the people with social guarantees such as free education,
free medical service, housing, pensions, social benefits. Through
the eyes of an outsider, especially compared with the life in African
countries, it was like a dream come true that could be achieved by
following the same way: the USSR had opted for socialism in 1917
and already in 1960 was catching up with the US in various
spheres, so then socialism had future and potential. Besides, Africans believed the capitalism to be closely linked to the colonialism.
African leaders who visited the USSR in the 1960s, among
them the president of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah and the president
of Guinea Ahmed Sékou Touré, were sincerely astonished at the
achievements of the USSR. They left the USSR determined to
study and introduce the Soviet experience in their own countries,
to train their own qualified specialists with the help of the USSR.
The USSR supported the Sub-Saharian African countries in
many ways. It supported Africa’s struggle for national liberation.
When African countries gained independence the USSR signed
bilateral treaties on economic and technical cooperation with
them. The priority spheres of cooperation were industry, geological prospecting and natural resources development (e. g. the
agreements with Ghana, Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Benin,
Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania et al.). The USSR con9
tributed to the establishment of African national geological, project, construction and research institutions, agricultural development, land development, water resources management, cattlebreeding development. The USSR also promoted trade relations,
especially with Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon, Kenya, Congo, Mali,
Nigeria, Senegal, Somali, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia. The USSR
helped to create the appropriate infrastructure, participated in
construction of major industrial and agricultural enterprises,
power plants, hospitals and schools. Soviet specialists: doctors,
teachers, constructors, geologists, military people etc. worked in
many African countries. «According to the agreements and treaties, the USSR committed to support the construction of 600 objects in Africa, 300 of which were set in operation by the mid1980s»1. Naturally, military cooperation was also very important.
African countries lacked qualified specialists. Starting from the
late 1950s African students began coming to the USSR. Our country
helped to form the new African intellectual elite, not only ideologically. These people got high-quality up-to-date education and were
of great use for their countries. Many of them became very fond of
the USSR and still have warm feelings towards our country.
In 1959 the Institute of Africa of the USSR Academy of Sciences was established. All leading higher education institutions
started to give more attention to the studies of the Dark Continent. In Moscow State University the department of African studies was established. And finally in 1960 Peoples’ Friendship University was founded.
The USSR defined the objectives of cultural and scientific
cooperation with African countries as the following: «to provide
support in the struggle against ideological expansion of neocolonialism, to help master the scientific socialism, to contribute to
scientific and cultural development, specialists education; cultural
values exchange»2.
1
African Countries 2002. – Moscow, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2002, p. 80.
2
USSR and African countries (Friendship, cooperation, support in
anti-imperialist struggle). – Moscow, 1977, p. 8.
10
The legal base of this cooperation was defined in the treaties
on economic, cultural and scientific cooperation. The first to sign
a treaty on bilateral co-operation among Sub-Saharian countries
was the Republic of Guinea on February, 26 of 1959. As a rule,
these treaties envisaged «general knowledge exchange between
the countries in order to know better the life, culture, science,
education, medical care, sports of African countries and encourage the cooperation of institutions working in these spheres»1.
The cooperation envisaged experience and scientific achievements exchange, scientific delegations dispatch, scientists,
researchers, specialists, experts, postgraduate students, trainees
exchange as well as scientific and technical documents and data
exchange. It also envisaged lectureship on specific branches of
study, inviting scientists to educational and research centers, support in national specialists training, encouraging of contacts
among scientific libraries to establish scientific literature exchange, equipment export and import, diplomas and degrees mutual acknowledgement. Textbooks were sent to African educational centers; participation in scientific forums, exhibitions of
scientific and technical achievements provided good opportunity
for data exchange. With time the treaties, on scientific and technical cooperation in particular, became increasingly complex being a part of full-range economic and technical cooperation. It
was noted that all international contacts promoted mutual understanding among nations and friendly relations development.
With the help of the USSR African countries began building
HEIs and research centers, schools, colleges, train the national
staff at the industrial plants, built with the USSR support. Soviet
instructors came to African countries, soviet HEIs began to admit
African students, pass on the experience of campaigns against
illiteracy and national specialists training.
Thus, the USSR participated in the construction of polytechnic institutes in Conakry (Guinea) and Bahir Dar (Ethiopia), Bamako School of Administration (Mali), supported the establish1
USSR and African countries (Friendship, cooperation, support in
anti-imperialist struggle), p. 291
11
ment of new departments and laboratories equipping at the existent educational institutions. Soviet instructors and professors
worked in Congo, Angola, Mozambique, Somali, Mali, CAR,
Chad etc. Absolute majority of Soviet teachers were specialists in
physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics.
African students in the USSR chose the academic programs
necessary to develop the national economies. Approximately half
of the African students were trained to work in industry, transport, communication, agriculture; the rest majored in medicine,
education, linguistics, economics and law.
The USSR supported the training of highly-qualified scientists
and research workers (mainly through postgraduate schools of the
USSR Academy of Sciences institutes and HEIs). The USSR actively participated in various international programs under the aegis of the UN, organized international workshops, symposiums,
retraining and advanced training courses and vocational training
for the citizens of African, Asian and Latin American states.
During the soviet era special attention was given to the studies of the problems of African countries: the issues of economic
development, overcoming the backwardness, peculiarities of social and political structures, the consequences of colonialism, the
problem of tribalism, nation formation, national policy, studies of
struggle for independence.
Africa became the destination for Soviet research expeditions,
namely B. Piotrovskiy’s expedition to save the ancient Nubian
monuments; Soviet linguistic and ethnographic expedition to Mali
aimed at studies of the problems of national written language of the
peoples of Africa and national problems (headed by D. Olderogge). In the 1960–1970s Soviet scientists conducted geophysical
and botanic expeditions to the states of Tropical Africa. The USSR
was visited by the scientists from Madagascar, Ghana, Sudan,
Guinea, Zaire, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Togo,
Cameroon, Somali, Ethiopia, Niger, Angola, Benin, Sierra Leone,
Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde. Starting from 1962 the USSR initiated the International Congresses of African Studies.
Soviet scientists contributed to the creation of the fundamental «General History of Africa» as part of UNESCO «Studies and
12
popularization of African culture» program, which required close
cooperation of scientists all over the world. The USSR became
increasingly interested in the culture of the peoples of Africa and
organized exhibitions, published art-books, performed research in
the history of African art. African folk groups visited the USSR.
All this helped to understand the peculiar worldview of African
peoples.
The USSR contributed to the creation and development of
national education systems in Africa. First independent African
countries gave much attention to training as many specialists as
possible, eradication of illiteracy, female education, training the
specialists of medium and high qualification. It was a difficult
path, the USSR helping to overcome difficulties and providing
support, financial above all.
In general, during the years of independence till the beginning
of the 1990s the number of educational and research centers, national researchers and students in Africa increased. «The USSR
supported the training of more than 400 thousand specialists and
qualified workers from Africa. Approximately 25 thousand African
students graduated from the Soviet educational institutions. The
USSR participated in construction of high schools and universities
in 15 African states»1. It is clear that independent development of a
country is impossible without its own national intellectual elite.
African states were in acute need for highly-qualified scientists and
researchers since they faced the problems of backwardness and
others, that prevented them from being fully independent.
By the end of the 1980s the world changes, socialist countries suffer crisis, the system starts to demise. In the early 1990s
the USSR collapsed. Being a successor to the USSR, Russia
faced growing socio-economic difficulties. The country was submerged in political anarchy, economic collapse, crime, violence,
raging poverty. It was losing its former political and economic
ties with the foreign countries. In en effort to get loans, Russia
reoriented towards the western countries.
1
African Countries 2002. – Moscow, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2002, p. 80.
13
African countries faced similar problems. Unfortunately during the postcolonial decades they failed to make come true the
dream of social justice, economic and cultural prosperity. Most
African countries suffered the aggravation of social inequality,
internal political tension, national and ethnic conflicts, political
volatility. The intention to speed up social processes at any price,
ignoring the specific historical and cultural peculiarities of development, hope for fast social changes and forced backwardness
overcoming proved to be unsuccessful. However, we can’t estimate the postcolonial period from this prospective only. Everything we mentioned regarding the Soviet-African cooperation and
the Soviet support, undoubtedly, was for Africa’s good. Although
there were noticeable negative points, namely the over-ideologization and weak economic basis of the relations, which caused
the crisis in Soviet-African collaboration. In most countries of
Tropical Africa economic cooperation meant gratuitous financial
help in exchange for the promise to build socialism. When the
USSR faced its own economic crisis, the financing of African
countries was reduced and finally came to an end, which in turn
led to the re-orientation of African countries towards capitalist
way of development. Most African socialist states were based on
single-party regimes that had no support among the population.
The West accused these countries of dictatorship and authoritarianism and contributed to overthrowing these regimes, thus making African states re-orient towards the western models of development. Soviet leaders didn’t have clear idea of what was really
happening in Africa and often made hasty and improper decisions. Russia inherited from the USSR the treaties on technical
and economical support with 37 African countries and trade contracts with 42 African countries. Much was left undone1.
Nonetheless, we can qualify the Soviet-African cooperation
as a positive experience. Now Africa has a material base created
with the help of the USSR: works, factories, power plants, equipment, schools, hospitals staffed with the specialists trained at so1
African Countries 2002. – Moscow, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2002, p. 80.
14
viet HEIs. The USSR in its turn developed an interest in Africa,
in its languages and cultures, socio-political and economic systems.
Losing this hard-to-get experience will be an inexcusable
mistake. In the 1990s Russia had almost no ties with Africa. In
the early 1990s Russia withdrew a number of embassies and representative offices from Africa, as well as some African representative offices in Moscow were closed. But in the XXI century the
situation has been changing: both Russia and Africa have
changed. Russia is ready for mutually beneficial relations with
African countries. While Russia experienced the rebirth of interest in Africa, the trade turnover, economic and political, cultural
and scientific cooperation increased. Russia and Africa once
again realize that they need each other.
In 2000 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia approved
the new concept of Russian foreign policy that envisaged the diversification of relations with African countries, including the
economic cooperation. It was also noted that Russia could take
part in peacekeeping activities in Africa by participating in
peacekeeping operations and providing humanitarian aid. The
diplomatic activity of Russia in Africa has also been increasing.
African leaders make official visits to Russia (e.g. the leaders of
Algeria, Gabon, Guinea, Egypt, Nigeria etc.).
Although North African countries remain a political priority,
Russia is eager to stir up the relations with Sub-Saharian states.
Thus in September of 2006 the President of Russia Vladimir
Putin made first official visit to South African Republic. He was
the first president of Russia to visit a Sub-Saharian state. In the
course of the visit the two parties signed a Treaty of Friendship
and Partnership between Russia and SAR and a number of intergovernmental agreements. The spheres of cooperation include
atomic energy, oil and gas and mining industry, car industry, fishing, hi-tech industry, space exploration, education, medical care
and tourism. Joint infrastructure projects are worth billions of
dollars.
Also we have been developing the cooperation with Sudan
(exploration of oil and gas fields), Mauritania (fishing), Angola
15
(military, financial and economic cooperation), Nigeria (exploration of energy and mineral resources, development of trade ties,
military and technical cooperation), Guinea (trade, economic and
technical cooperation), Ethiopia, Gabon, Senegal, Ghana, Botswana, Mali, Madagascar, Tanzania, Benin. We have renewed the
legal base of Russian-African relations and expanded the activities of intergovernmental commissions for trade-economic and
scientific-technical cooperation.
In 1996 after a long break we re-launched the state grant
program for African students and postgraduate students. Cooperation in the sphere of education has resuscitated. We conduct presentations of Russian HEIs in African countries (for instance, in
Zambia); in 2000 «Education in Russia-2000» exhibition took
place in Kenya. We have signed agreements on mutual diplomas
and degrees acknowledgement (e. g., with Chad). We have also
signed agreements on cooperation in higher education and scientific research.
Until certain time African countries had an advantage based
on rich reserves of mineral resources and cheap workforce, that
has recently depreciated. In the modern world high-end technologies and industries are becoming increasingly important as does
the intellectual labor. Development of resource-saving technologies, IT economy, converting the science in the means to stimulate productivity, new synthetic materials – these are the features
of modern life and Africa has yet nothing to do with them. But it
should work for it or otherwise it will be left out of the global
economy. Intellectual labor means the high-quality training for
the specialists. And this is the potential sphere of active cooperation in Russia. Currently higher education, more than ever, has
become a factor of political and social development.
TRAINING SPECIALISTS FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES
AT PFU/PFUR
For those who are especially attached to the University, who
worked and studied here, who know and became a part of its history, some facts related to PFUR establishment and development
are but very well-known, and it is some sort of ritual – to remember these facts at the Reunions and pass on these memories to the
next generations of students, who enter the University and become part of its history.
In the light of what we have previously said about the USSR
national interests on world arena, about the need to attract as
many allies as possible, including the newly independent African
states, the need to support the developing countries – it all required a special higher education institution to serve this very
purpose. The first to voice this idea was the soviet leader, General
Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Chairman
of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Nikita Khrushchev in his
speech addressed to the students and professors of Jakarta University (Indonesia) during his trip across Asia in 1960. Also the
establishment of the university was initiated by the Soviet Central
Committee for Trade Unions, the Soviet Afro-Asian Solidarity
Committee and the Union of Soviet Friendship Societies.
After the admission conditions and requirements were published, at the beginning of April, 1960 students from 72 countries
applied to enter the University, among them 26 Africans.
The old-timers of the University often tell the following
story. In 1960 the Soviet whaling flotilla «Slava» was stationed
in Sierra Leone. Our crew met the young Sierra Leoneans and
told them about the opening of the Peoples’ Friendship University in Moscow. It might be a coincidence, but the first foreign
student to come to PFUR was from Sierra Leone – Akhmed Murad Taki, student card No. 1 (graduated from the Medical Faculty in 1966).
17
The sole purpose of the University at the moment of its establishment was to train highly-qualified specialists for the developing countries as well as to train the researchers and instructors
for the Third World.
On November 17, 1960 in the Column Hall of the House of
Unions the solemn celebration of PFUR inauguration took place.
In his speech Nikita Khrushchev said: «By establishing the University we want to help other countries to train highly-qualified
specialists. Let the youth from these countries come to Moscow,
study, master the modern science and culture, live and develop in
the atmosphere of mutual respect. We will provide them with
everything necessary to get knowledge»1.
Since its very establishment, the University had close ties
with African countries. 1960 was the year of Africa and the year
PFUR establishment. And on February 22, 1961 the University
received the name of Patrice Lumumba.
Patrice Emery Lumumba is Congo’s (Belgian Congo – Zair –
currently the Democratic Republic of the Congo) was the most
prominent figure of the national liberation movement of Congo
and Africa in general.
Son of peasants, he started as a member of anti-colonial resistance and became head of an independent state. His complex
and at times contradictory worldview was influenced by different
social and political doctrines such as the ideology of African traditionalism and various socialist theories. Today it is obvious that
Lumumba’s views and ideals were especially influenced by PanAfricanism with its ideas reflecting the democratic spirit, the
unity of the African continent in their struggle for independence.
It is also of great significance that Lumuba’s political objectives
and ideological views were formed and eventually reformed in
the course of the struggle for national liberation on the basis of
patently anti-western nationalism.
Lumumba’s bottom-line principles were the following: an
independent state needs a radical economic reform based on the
liquidation of poverty, inequality and their causes; domestic and
1
The Pravda Newspaper of November 18, 1960.
18
foreign policy should be aimed at the establishment of independent, united and indivisible Congo and based on the ideas of PanAfricanism and military non-alignment.
Peculiar understanding of democracy, infinite devotion to the
interests of Congo, at times Utopian wish to satisfy the ancient
needs of the country or otherwise to solve the burning problems
of the Congolese, peculiar anti-imperialism, attempt to turn
Congo into the state where exploitation would be impossible –
these are the most characteristic features of Lumumba’s sociopolitical platform. They were a guideline for him as a leader of
Congo’s national liberation movement and as the prime minister
of the first national government of Congo.
It’s should also be noted that colonial regime that was essentially inhuman didn’t urge the progressive African leaders to reject the achievements of the West in the economy, science or culture. Even during the formation of anti-colonial views and the
«national democracy» the colonies aspired to promote mutual understanding and cooperation with the metropolis. Obviously, African countries and their leaders first and foremost needed to analyze their own difficult experience and understand the essence of
the colonial regime and European cultural influence in order to
finally come to a conclusion that mutual acknowledgement of the
interests of the colony and the metropolis was impossible. Patrice
Lumumba also came to this conclusion. It didn’t take him long to
realize that the cooperation with colonial authorities was useless.
By the end of the 1950s Lumumba’s social and political activities made him one of the leaders of both Congolese and African liberation movement. He aspired to set Africa free of colonialism and neocolonialism, struggled for socio-economic and political development of the independent Congo. «We have only
one concern», he repeatedly said, «to make Africa free and prosperous and set our continent free of colonialism»1.
Nonetheless, despite Lumumba’s great contribution to national liberation one shouldn’t overlook certain weak points of his
tactics and strategy. The ideology of African national liberation
1
La pensée politique de Patrice Lumumba. – P., 1965, р. 12.
19
movement, which at the time was not homogeneous, was formed
under the influence of diverse and at times contradictory internal
and external factors. As a result African national liberation movement leaders, including Lumumba, tended to combine eclectic
and contradictory elements of various theories in their ideology.
Lumumba’s life might be the most tragic and extraordinary example of this eclecticism. Now it’s obvious, that the evolution of
Lumumba’s worldview and political ideas was very fast and if he
had had enough time he, undoubtedly, would have come to a
more profound understanding of the political and historical situation, he would have critically evaluated the global issues of the
postcolonial development of Africa.
Lumumba’s political activity as well as his views weren’t
devoid of some inevitable mistakes and miscalculations that lead
to forestalling of the social and economic reforms in Congo.
Until now the new generations of Africans and people far
from Congo admire the rare virtues of the Congolese: they are
kind, hearty and would rather see positive traits of a person and
overlook the shortcomings. They sincerely believed in the triumph of justice and were maybe too trusting, even naive.
First of all, Lumumba believed too firmly that the UN
strength, authority and influence, its peacekeeping operation in
Congo approved by the national government and aimed at helping the legitimate government in its fight against the Belgian aggression and the separatists, would settle the Congo’s crisis. Lumumba kept on believing in the power of the international community even when the Blue Berets turned against him. He never
identified the UN with Dag Hammarskjöld’s, UN Secretary General, personal interests. But the life itself made him understand
that the «right decisions» were sometimes distorted and served
the opposite goals.
It is significant that the Lumumba’s and Hammarskjöld’s
lives had a tragic end: the Prime Minister of Congo was violently
murdered in the presence of the UN peacekeepers, while his political enemy, UN Secretary General, died in a plane crash in unclear circumstances, but his death was obviously linked with the
Congolese events.
20
Congolese events provoked strong reaction of the international community and the disputes that are still existent in some
respects. We, who live several decades after, are astonished at the
maturity and the profoundness of the opinions regarding Congo
voiced by the African leaders and African media of that time. In a
number of official sources and documents of that period it is clear
who were the friends and who were the enemies of Africa. «Now
the Africans know way to well», reported the Ghanaian newspaper «The Evening News», «that the USA, the defender of the socalled «international liberty» is the enemy of African national
liberation movement. It is clear now that western countries don’t
want Africa to be free. While the USSR supports the legitimate
government of Congo, the West supports the illegitimate marionette governments»1.
Until now the life Patrice Lumumba is the example of the
acute struggle between the reactionary internal and external
forces and the forces for historical progress and development. His
enemies accused him of being subversive, of being the communist agent, but he only answered ironically, «In Africa everyone
who is progressive, everyone who wants the best for his people
and everyone who is against the imperialism – is Moscow’s
agent»2.
The history set difficult problems for Patrice Lumumba. Although he started to comprehend them he didn’t have enough
time to find all the answers. During a short historical period he
couldn’t bring to life all his plans and aspirations, but his activity
and his ideas are still of great significance.
The figure of Lumumba takes us back to the days of PFUR
establishment, when the key principles of the University were
formed: the cult of science and education, highest qualification of
the students and staff, its traditions of respectful attitude towards
foreign cultures, the spirit of kindness and mutual help. During
the meeting dedicated to the tragic death of Patrice Lumumba,
Sergey Rumiantsev, the first President of PFUR, said: «We ad1
2
The Izvestia of January 9, 1961.
Congo. Kinshasa, 1960. – Vol. 2, р. 846.
21
mire Patrice Lumumba, his own people’s son who fought bravely
for national liberation, the fervent advocate of the peoples’
friendship»1.
So in 1960 17 newly independent states appeared on the map
of Africa and seized the opportunity to train qualified specialists
in the USSR.
The foreign students that came to the USSR didn’t speak
Russian, so the Preparatory Faculty was established with a program from 1 to 3 academic years.
In 1960 the Academic Board admitted to the Preparatory
Faculty 539 students from 59 Asian, African and Latin American
states, 64 of them – African students from 9 African states2. The
most numerous groups of students came from Sierra Leone and
Nigeria. Also 57 students from the USSR were admitted.
The Preparatory Faculty started the 1st academic year on October 1, 1960, the main faculties – on September 1, 1961. At that
time Peoples’ Friendship University included 6 faculties: Engineering Faculty, Agricultural Faculty, Faculty of Physical,
Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Faculty of History and Philology, Faculty of Economics and Law (4-year course) and the
Medical Faculty (5-year course). In the spring of 1961 first syllabuses on 14 specialties and 34 specializations were approved. Soviet/foreign students ratio was 1 to 5–6. Education, medical care
and accommodation were gratuitous, besides the students got
monthly allowance. The University also covered the transfer of
the students to Moscow and back to Africa.
During the last 50 years more than 7 thousand highly qualified specialists from 48 African countries graduated from PFU/
PFUR The majority of students came from Nigeria, Ethiopia,
Tanzania, Benin, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Angola, Sudan,
Ghana. For each of these countries the University trained over
200 specialists.
1
S. Rumiantsev: scientist, rector, person. Collected articles. –
Moscow, PFUR press, 2003, p. 119.
2
10th Anniversary of the Peoples’ Friendship University. – Moscow, PFU press, 1970, p. 5.
22
In this decade (since 2000) the majority of PFUR African
students has come from Tanzania, Angola, Nigeria, GuineaBissau. Less numerous groups come from Ethiopia, Mauritius,
Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea. It is obvious, that we
should stir up the advertising and educational campaigns in African countries.
At the beginning of the 1960s PFU admitted the students
from the following African countries: Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Tanzania, Cameroon, Kenya, Congo,
Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somali,
Togo, Ethiopia, Sudan. The students entered the University under
the provisions of bilateral agreements with their home countries
or as members of social organizations, political parties and liberation movements (e.g. MPLA members from Angola, PAIGC
members from Guinea Bissau etc.).
In the 1970s first students from Madagascar, Somali, Burundi, Chad, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho, Botswana, Gambia, CAR, Gabon graduated from PFU. First student
from São Tomé and Príncipe, Zambia, Malawi, Liberia, Djibouti,
Swaziland, the Seychelles graduated later, and finally in the
1990s first students from Cape Verde graduated from PFU.
Before, the admission of African students was conducted
mainly via the Soviet embassies in African countries. Currently the
admission is conducted according to Russian Ministry of Education orders, by the references of the students and graduates, according to the recommendations of the Graduates Association, Russian
Centre for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation with
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African embassies in Moscow.
Of West African countries the majority of graduates were
from Nigeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Ghana. And also less
numerous groups – from Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau.
For Nigeria the University trained an absolute majority of
specialists – over 500 in all specialties.
The students from Benin have been admitted to the University since 1960, 250 graduates to date.
The students from Côte d’Ivoire have been admitted since
1961, over 250 graduates to date.
23
The students from Mali were among the first PFU graduates,
over 250 graduates to date.
The students from Ghana have been admitted since 1960,
over 200 graduates to date.
The students from Sierra Leone were among the first graduates, over 100 graduates to date.
The students from Guinea Bissau were among the first PFU
graduates. In the mid-2000s a numerous target group was admitted on a gratuitous basis; over 100 graduates to date.
Of East African countries the majority of graduates were
from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya, less numerous groups coming from Rwanda, Madagascar, Mauritius and Uganda.
The students from Ethiopia have been admitted to the University since 1960, over 400 graduates to date.
The students from Tanzania have been admitted since 1960,
over 400 graduates to date. In the 2000s the most numerous
groups of students come from Tanzania.
The students from Kenya have been admitted since 1960,
over 250 graduates to date.
The students from Rwanda have been admitted since the beginning of the 1960s, over 150 graduates to date.
The students from Madagascar have been admitted since the
mid-1960s, over 100 graduates to date.
The students from Mauritius have been admitted since 1966,
over 100 graduates to date.
The students from Uganda were among the first PFU graduates, over 100 graduates to date.
Of Central African Countries the majority of graduates
were from the Republic of the Congo, Chad and Cameroon.
The students from the Republic of the Congo have been admitted
to the University since 1965, approximately 200 graduates to date.
The students form Chad have been admitted since 1963, approximately 150 graduates to date.
The students from Cameroon have been admitted since
1960, over 100 graduates to date.
The students from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire) have been admitted since 1960, over 70 graduates to date.
24
Of South African countries the majority of graduates were
from Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, SAR, Zambia.
The students from Angola have been admitted to the University since 1961, over 200 graduates to date.
The students from Namibia have been admitted since 1960.
Approximately 80 graduates to date. In the mid-1970 some Namibian students were admitted by the recommendation of SWAPO.
The students from Zimbabwe have been admitted since 1965,
over 70 graduates to date.
The students from SAR have been admitted since 1960, over
60 graduates to date. Since the beginning of the 1970s some students were recommended by ANC.
The students from Zambia have been admitted since 1977,
approximately 60 graduates to date.
After World War II the education of foreign students became
and important issue of foreign policy and economy both in the
USSR and in Russia.
By the end of the 1990s there were over 120 thousand foreign students in Russian HEIs, while the number of foreign
graduates of the Soviet HEIs and vocational schools was over
500 thousands, a quarter of them – African students.
The Soviet academic activity had an enormous humanitarian
potential and was in fact a gratuitous support for the developing
countries in education of national specialists since many countries
that sent their citizens to study to the USSR since the beginning
of the 1960s and until the beginning of the XXI century had no
higher education system at all and had to hire foreign specialists
to work in the industry, agriculture, education, science and culture. Besides, foreign specialists’ training was a targeted program
since most of the specialists were trained to work at the objects
built in African countries with the support of the USSR, which
was especially typical for the socialist African states.
Annual rotation (admission/graduation) of foreign students
in Russian HEIs amounted to 20–25 thousand people. RSFSR
was the key Soviet Republic in the education of foreign specialists, PFU/PFUR being in the vanguard of this sphere of academic
activity due to its Mission to educate foreign students. Our Uni25
versity has traditionally been autonomous in the Soviet system of
higher education and could independently carry out international
activities and enroll foreign students. The admission quota for
foreign students in PFUR amounted to 600–700 slots annually,
number of African students (from about 40 countries) being 150–
200. These numbers were pre-planned and rigorously observed.
For objective reasons, in the 1990s the number of foreign
students admitted to Russian HEIs and, consequently, the contingent of foreign students in Russian educational institutions decreased significantly. Russian HEIs, mainly PFUR, had to adapt
to an unknown market of educational services. To enter the international educational services market in the atmosphere of tough
competition Russian education authorities and HEIs needed skills
and knowledge of higher education marketing. Since 1992 PFUR
has set the example for other Russian HEIs in international activities organization and foreign students enrollment. It was possible
thanks to many years of autonomous work and PFUR specialists’
professional methodology. Although the admission of foreign
students on a gratuitous basis was abolished in 1992–1997, PFUR
maintained the annual number of enrollees and managed to preserve (not totally) the contingent of foreign students (considering
the regional distribution of the foreign students and the fact that
they were all admitted on a contractual basis). PFUR with other
Russian HEIs also initiated a number of joint activities and events
in the sphere of higher education marketing in foreign states. It
helped the University to strengthen its positions in the enrollment
countries, establish «supporting points» in African and Asian
countries, strike agreements with the customers and the providers
of foreign students, and create a network of PFUR enrollment
agencies. As a result, the University managed to maintain African
and Asian students enrollment dynamics.
For some time, starting from the mid-1990s and till 2008 the
number of admitted African students amounted annually to 150–
200 people1. Among the restraining factors are the limited num1
PFUR department for admission and data processing. (V. Kon-
nik).
26
ber of available accommodations on PFUR campus and the tendency to admit the increasing numbers of Russian students, especially from the autonomies of the Russian Federation.
In the 2000s African countries hold the second position after
the Asian region in numbers of annual enrollment of the students
and their total number. We should also note, that among Asian
countries the absolute majority of PFUR enrollees come from
China, while in Africa PFUR’s partners are more or less evenly
distributed across the continent. In the 2000s the annual number
of African students attending PFUR academic courses amounts to
800–1000 people.
PFUR: Foreign Students Admission Dynamics in 2000s1
Year
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total Number
of Foreign Enrollees
850
1100
1104
1120
816
1181
1568
1200
1300
1500
African enrollees
206
169
147
141
99
233
179
270
262
–
As for the admission of African students to the postgraduate
schools, in the 2000s the average number amounted to 12 people
(the highest being 16 in 2005)2.
gin).
1
PFUR department for admission and data processing (V. Kaly-
2
PFUR department for admission and data processing (V. Kaly-
gin).
27
Academic activity
PFU was a pioneer in solving various problems the founders
of the University hadn’t even imagined. When they say that PFU
was and is a singular institution, they mean its internationalism
since the people of various peoples and races study here. But behind this rant there were real problems that PFU administration,
faculty and other services had to solve.
The multi-nationality of the contingent of the students meant
that they all had different level of preparation for studying in a
higher education institution and apprehension of the course program, which meant that it was necessary to develop special syllabuses and find special approach to the students, not just simply
foreign students, but students from all over the world. We had to
consider the psychological peculiarities of the students, their
physical and moral adaptation to a completely unfamiliar environment, adaptation to the studentship. It was necessary to arrange the work of all necessary services that supported the everyday life of the foreign students: the dormitories, the canteens, the
medical centre etc. Many students had never worn warm clothes
so to provide them with necessary clothes for the winter period
PFU had an agreement with GUM (the Main Universal Store),
and senior instructors of the Preparatory Faculty explained to the
students what they should wear in winter.
It wasn’t easy to solve those problems, but everyone who
founded PFU were enthusiastic to do the job, there were no indifferent people. Not only the instructors did this work (which was,
undoubtedly, creative work) but also the students which made
them a tightly united group. The unique experience accumulated
during the past five decades should be passed on, used and extended. We are not ranting here, it is just the bare need of the
time, that requires new approaches to survive with the competition on the educational market, both domestic and foreign.
On the one hand, Soviet higher education system aimed at
training broadly-specialized workers was fully applied at the
University. On the other hand it was impossible and unnecessary
to copy the system of the rest of soviet HEIs because already in
28
the 1960s PFU intended to educate African students considering
the specific social, economic, political and cultural situation in
Africa, where future graduates would eventually work. PFU has
an extensive and unique experience of teaching various subjects
based on the necessities of the developing countries, including
African countries. PFU staff has analyzed the cultural specificity
of African students.
The first and the most important issue was and is to teach
foreign students the Russian language. If a student doesn’t speak
Russian he cannot study nor lead normal everyday life and communicate in the classes, the dormitory, the city. It’s the Russian
language that unites all students in one big family.
During the period of its work the University accumulated
vast experience of teaching Russian as a foreign language. The
specialists developed unique methods of teaching Russian for different levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and different
types of course programs (for engineering and technical, natural
sciences, humanities students) with respect to the students’ future
profession. Course programs, text-books and study materials
were developed with consideration for ethnic and cultural peculiarities of the students and the peculiarities of their native language or the intermediary language, first of all English, French,
Spanish and Arabic.
PFUR Russian teachers believe that African students are
very diligent, thoughtful, well organized and active in class. They
are very responsible regarding their classes and homework, work
hard to understand the system of the Russian language and do
their best to be phonetically and grammatically precise.
It is obvious that African students, as well as any other students, have certain peculiarities of studying the Russian language.
Mostly these peculiarities are defined by whether the student
comes form an English-, Portuguese- or French-speaking country.
Owing to the complex linguistic situation on the continent, African students are mostly bilingual or multilingual, being influenced by the intermediary language of the former metropolis
(English, French, Portuguese), although this language in turn may
be influenced by local languages and have special local features.
29
If an African studied in the former metropolis, the intermediary
language becomes the main language in his communicative and
social activity.
According to the teachers of Russian, French-speaking African students, as a rule, master Russian faster, since they have less
phonetic difficulties and are more diligent owing to the traditions
of French educational system. The fastest to master Russian are
the students from Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Cameroon, Congo, Benin, Madagascar. The English-speaking African students come up
against phonetic and grammar difficulties. Russian proves to be
the most difficult to master for Ethiopians and students from Sudanese region, who don’t speak intermediary languages and the
local languages differ greatly from Russian and other Indo-European languages in terms of phonetics and grammar.
One of the most important factors that influence the effectiveness of students’ linguistic and general education is the habit
to learn acquired by the student in his native country (in school or
college), the reading and noting skills etc.
One of the founders of the Russian language department of
the Preparatory Faculty and one of the first teachers of Russian as
a foreign language was Ekaterina Motina. The department was
divided in several sections according to the continents: Africa,
South Asia, Middle East, Latin America. Alevtina Ionova and
Vera Vaneyeva were the first heads of African section of the
Russian Language Department of the Preparatory Faculty.
The instructors wrote text-books and tutorials with consideration for the above mentioned peculiarities of the students, including African students. The first Introductory Course in Russian Phonetics for African students was published in 1962, as
well as phonetic tutorials by I. Surkanova, I. Bogatyriova et al.
Special Russian Courses were written for French or English-speaking students, e.g. «The Russian Language for French-speaking
Students» (V. Vaneyeva, T. Vishnyakova, V. Ostapenko), «The
Russian Language for English-Speaking Students» (V. Wagner,
Y. Ovsienko).
Currently in educational institutions (universities) of Frenchspeaking countries the instructors and the students use the three
30
volume text-book for French-speaking students «Le Russe a votre
rythme», joint PFUR (S. Khavronina) and the University of Geneva (L. Bron-Tchitchagova) project.
Apart from the above named teachers of the Russian language we should also mention V. Vukolova, N. Yermolenko, I. Loginova, I. Merkulov, N. Mikheeva, Y. Ovsienko, L. Poliakova,
S. Rozanova, L. Tchauzova, T. Shustikova who contributed greatly to make it possible that our students study and graduate in
various spheres.
Theoretical basis of teaching Russian as a foreign language
with consideration of African students’ mother tongues peculiarities (Fula, Swahili, Yoruba, Igbo etc.) are covered in PhD theses
by L. Zubkova, I. Loginova, V. Petryankina, S. Khromova.
In December, after three months of studying Russian, the
students prepare annual «We speak and sing in Russian» feast.
They read poems by Pushkin, Lermontov, Simonov, Tvardovsky,
perform sketches in Russian, sing songs such as «Let There Always Be Sun», «Life, I Adore You», «The Song Stays with the
Man».
PFU/PFUR graduates played a big role in the expansion of
the Russian language in Africa. But in the 1990s due to sagging
Russian-African cooperation in education, trade and economy,
the closure of a number of Russian representative offices in African countries, the Russian language became less popular, the Africans weren’t too eager to study Russian preferring more pragmatically useful European languages.
Lately the Africans have become more interested in the Russian language, especially those who want to study in Russian
HEIs both on scholarship (granted by Russian authorities) or contractual basis. Currently the Russian language course is given in
the following African countries: Ghana (University of Ghana,
Legon), Congo (Marien Ngouabi University of Brazzaville), Madagascar (University of Antananarivo, University of Toamasina),
Mali (University of Bamako), Nigeria (University of Lagos),
Senegal (Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar), Sudan (University of Khartoum, University of Juba), Togo (University of Lome), CAR (University of Bangui), SAR (University of South Af31
rica (UNISA)). In the majority of the rest of the countries students don’t study Russian.
Successful cooperation in the Russian language expansion
may be exemplified by the Days of the Russian Language in Senegal. In January–February of 2009 Senegal celebrated the Month of
the Russian Language, PFUR and Dakar High School joint project
with the cooperation of Russian Embassy in Dakar and «Russian
World» foundation. PFUR Russianists delegation lead by the head
of the Russian Language and its Teaching Methods Department
V. Shaklein (PhD, professor) participated in this event. The delegation conducted in Dakar School the International Scientific and
Methodological Conference on the Issues of the Russian Language
Teaching. The participants of the conference attended the lecture
by V. Shaklein and the speeches of other Moscow linguists as well
as the speeches of the scientists of Dakar School and Cheikh Anta
Diop University and local teachers of the Russian language. The
participants exchanged the opinions regarding the Russian language teaching in Senegal, the problems and the ways to solve
them. PFUR assistant professors N. Ryzhova, S. Yelnikova and
E. Baryshnikova conducted master-classes, practicals, presentations and a workshop for Senegalese Russian language teachers
and informed them of the modern trends of Russian language development and relevant problems of teaching the Russian language
as a foreign and the issues of training the teachers of Russian. They
also visited the Thiaroye, Bambey, Mbour, Thies, Saint-Louis,
Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar and met the professors and
the students of the Russian language. In the Russian Embassy the
delegates awarded the winners of Russian History, Culture, Language and Literature contest. The delegation was received by the
Minister of Education of Senegal Mr. Moustapha Sourang.
Since the late 1960s PFU has been member of The International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature. Prominent Russianists Brema Doumbia (Mali) and Shegun
Olomwuiwa Odunuga (Nigeria) are PFU graduates.
Another issue that is very important for the effective education is African students basic knowledge check-up and systematizing according to Soviet/Russian standards.
32
African students choose the specialties that meet social and
economic demands of their home country. Roughly half of all African students are trained to work in industry, state administration, transport, telecoms, agriculture. The rest major in medical
care, education, economy, law and linguistics.
Until 1991 the Faculty of Engineering, Economics and Law
Faculty, Medical Faculty and Agricultural Faculty were the
most popular among African students. At the Engineering Faculty the majority of students graduated as constructors and mechanical engineers, half as many students graduated as geologists and prospectors. Economics and Law was the second most
popular, the majority of students studying Law and the minority
studying the Economics. At the Medical Faculty the majority of
African students studied medical care. At the Agricultural Faculty most African students studied agronomics, agricultural engineering and zootechnics. The least popular among African
students were the Faculty of History and Philology and the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences. At the former the students studied rather history than linguistics (since
1980 when Journalism course was introduced, it became slightly
more popular among the students). At the latter the majority of
the students studied chemistry, the minority – physics and
mathematics.
It’s noticeable that in the autumn of 1961 when the Faculty
of History and Philology started it’s work there were only 8 students majoring in history, on of them – African student. As years
went by, the humanitarian faculties became more popular among
both Russian and foreign students.
After 1991 the distribution of African students by faculties
and specialties changed. Now the Medical Faculty is the most
popular among African students. Then go the Engineering Faculty, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Philological
Faculty. Economic, Agricultural and Law Faculties which enroll
equal numbers of African students (with slightly smaller numbers
for the Faculty of Law). The least popular among African students are Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences
and the Ecological Faculty.
33
The majority of African students study at the Medical Faculty (227 people as of November, 2008). Most of them major in
medical care, the minority study odontology and pharmacy. At
the Engineering Faculty (163 people as of November, 2008) most
African students major in automation and management, also in
construction and architecture. At the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences (66 people as of November, 2008) most African
students major in international relations and political science, less
students major in social studies. Compared to the previous years,
the number of African students at the Philological Faculty has
increased (61 people as of November, 2008), most of them majoring in linguistics, journalism and philology. We have already
mentioned that three faculties – Faculty of Economics, Agricultural Faculty and Faculty of Law – enroll approximately equal
numbers of African students. As of November, 2008, there were
48 African students at the Faculty of Economics, 34 – at the Faculty of Law and 35 – at the Agricultural Faculty. Thus now there
are more students majoring in economics than in law (before the
situation was reverse). The students of the Faculty of Law major
in case-law only. Most African students of the Faculty of Economics major in economics. At the Agricultural Faculty most African students study agronomics. Very small groups of African
students study at the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural
sciences (28 people as of November, 2008), mostly majoring in
applied mathematics and computer science, radiophysics and
electronics and chemistry. The least number of African students
study at the Faculty of Ecology (14 people as of November,
2008).
All African students who don’t speak Russian study at the
Faculty of the Russian Language and General Subjects (former
Preparatory Faculty – 217 people as of November, 2008). The
University has established the School of Hotel Business and
Tourism where a small group of African students (15 people as of
November, 2008) study social and cultural services and tourism.
Before 1989 the University admitted students only on a gratuitous basis. Since 1989 it has also been admitting students on a
contractual basis. In the 2000s 2,5 times more African students
34
are admitted on a contractual basis than those admitted on a gratuitous basis.
In 1996 Russia reestablished grants for foreign students and
graduate students. There are grant quotas set for almost all African countries, although not all African countries opt for them. On
the one hand, in the 2000s African students become more interested in studying in Russian HEIs. On the other hand, most Africans don’t speak Russian and have no means of studying it at
their home countries.
The students are educated at the University with consideration of specific specialists training especially for developing
countries, including African countries. For these purpose special
text books, tutorials and course training packs are published.
PFUR syllabuses cover apart from general subjects related to the
specialty, the most important for African countries scientific,
technical and industrial aspects. First of all it applies to she syllabuses for Medical, Agricultural and Engineering Faculties.
At the Agricultural Faculty special attention is given to
studying of tropical and sub-tropical agriculture, soil and weather
conditions, system of producing crops in different regions of Africa. A number of prominent scientists gave lectures in tropical
forestry, tropical agrology, biotechnology. The course in agrology
includes study of all main tropical and subtropical types of soil.
The course in agrochemistry includes the peculiarities of mineral
fertilizers used in tropical climate. There are special courses in
animal breeding in tropical countries and in tropical animal diseases. In Soviet times the southern agricultural bases were used
for practical training, nowadays the practical training is performed at Sochi agricultural base. All mentioned courses are supported with monographs by PFUR professors: «Tropical Plants
Cultivation» (G. Ustimenko), «Animal Breeding in Tropical Countires» (P. Kutenev); and tutorials: «Tropical and Sub-Tropical
Forestry» (L. Pravdin). S. Zonn, founder of Soviet schools of forest and tropical agrology, was one of PFU professors.
At the Medical Faculty special attention is given to courses
in tropical medicine, epidemiology, physiology and malaria stud35
ies. Thus, dozens of registrars and a number of graduate students,
including African students, majoring in infectious diseases,
graduated from the Infectious Diseases Department of the Medical Faculty. The department staff prepared a number of works
and monographs that are of great medical and social importance
for Africa. Monographs «Malaria» (2004), «Chronic HCV Infection: current aspects of immunomorphology» (2006); «Human
Parasitic Diseases» course book (2004). Scientific research performed by the department also has much to do with the problems
of developing countries, including African countries: HIV/AIDS,
viral hepatitis, enteroidea, malaria.
At the Engineering Faculty most courses are based on the
examples of concrete developing countries, such as oil-field geology, fundamentals of oil and gas geology etc. Some course
books were written by PFU staff members: «Geology and Mineral Resources of Africa» (edited by E. Dolginov and V. Grigoriev), «Metallogeny of non-ferrous metals of Africa and Arabia»
(E. Dolginov, N. Stikhotvortseva). Formerly the University cooperated with Geological Departments of Sudanese, Tanzanian and
Guinean universities that served as bases for African students’
summer practical training. It is very desirable that this cooperation be restored.
At the Faculty of Economics and Law (currently two separate faculties) the academic activities and the syllabus are prepared with consideration of peculiarities of African countries. We
have developed a number of course books on the geography of
the developing countries, e.g. «Economic and Social Geography
of the Developing Countries» (edited by A. Zasukhin, 1989);
«Geography of the Parts of the World» (edited by K. Volynkin,
1970).
At the Faculty of Law there are special courses in African
legal systems, that served as a base for course books, e.g. «Formation and Functioning of Law in Tropical African Countries
(exemplified by West African Countries – Kenya, Tanzania,
Uganda)» (M. Shartse, 1983); «Legal Control in Agriculture of
the Developing Countries» (V. Bezbakh, 1983); «State Apparatus
of the Developing Countries» (N. Kufakova, 1985); «Law Sys36
tematizing and Codification in the Developing Countries of Asia
and Africa» (G. Muromtsev, 1983); «Administrative Law of the
Developing Countries» (M. Shtatina, 1985) etc.
At the Faculty of History and Philology (currently the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Philology) a number of courses in history of the developing countries
were prepared.
The first department of social sciences at the Prparatory Faculty was that of Economic Cycle History, headed by P. Milogradov, PhD. The students attended the so-called «Historic and Economic Overview», a course of lectures in their native or intermediary languages: Spanish, Arabic, French, Indonesian etc. A group of African students gave their opinion on this course in «The
Moscow News» (Les nouvelles de Moscou, 1962, I.XII.)
The staff of General History Department (the oldest historical department of the Faculty) elaborated a course in African history since ancient times till the XX century that studies the history of Africa in the context of world’s historical development.
PFUR administration invited the leading specialists form the Institutes of the Academy of Sciences to give lectures and supervise
postgraduate students, mostly the members of the Institute of Africa, the Institute of General History and the Institute of Oriental
Studies of the Academy of Sciences. Among them were O. Dreyer, leading specialist in culture of African and Asian countries;
V. Ovchinnikov, an expert in Swahili, A. Pegushev, specialist in
history of West African Countries; Y. Kobishchanov, author of
various monographs on Islam in Africa; V. Tsypkin, specialist in
Ethiopia; A. Davidson, prominent expert in history of South Africa. They also elaborated tutorials and course books, e.g. O. Dreyer and L. Ponomarenko wrote course training packs on Contemporary History of Africa.
At the philological departments the students studied the peculiarities of African languages (there was a course in Swahili)
and a number of training materials were published, e.g. a Course
Book in Swahili by N. Fedorova; I. Loginova’s tutorial on accentology of Russian and African languages. As mentioned above,
teachers of the Russian language prepared course books on Rus37
sian with consideration of English- or French-speaking students’
peculiarities.
The course in International Journalism for journalism majors
covered the history of journalism in Africa and its characteristic
features. These courses were supported with special course books, e.g. «Journalism in Asia, Africa and Latin America» by V. Sbruyev, V. Smorodinov and M. Al-Janabi, 2003.
The instructors of the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and
Natural Sciences wrote unique course books translated into English and French specially for the universities of the developing
countries, e.g. «Course in General Physics» by R. Gevorkian and
V. Shepelev, 1965.
In the academic activities, while students master the subjects
and acquire practical skills, special attention is given to the practical training. In Soviet times the students had practical training at
industrial enterprises, farms, scientific research institutes, hospitals etc. located in 35 cities and communities of 10 Soviet republics. Currently the University has permanent and provisional
bases for practical training not just in Moscow and Moscow Region, but also in Adler Region of Kasnodar Krai, in Kursk and
Kemerovo Oblasts, in the Urals.
Students of history had archaeological practice with the scientific expeditions of the Academy of Sciences Institute of Archaeology. Thus, in the summer of 1962 a group of students were members of Novgorod archaeological expedition of Moscow State University and the Institute of Archaeology. Students from Nigeria,
Mexico and Argentina took part in the excavations of ancient Novgorod sites and had the unique opportunity to literally touch the history of medieval Russia. And in the summer of 1963 the students
had practical training in source studies at the State Historical Museum: they worked with the collection of African weapons.
In general, for African countries the University trains broadly-specialized students, who have fundamental theoretical
training and can carry out not only their professional but also organizational activities.
PFUR never forgets its graduates. One of the prospective
forms of postgraduate training is the advanced training courses.
38
Such courses were organized annually in the 1977–1990s in three
specialties: tropical medicine, economics and national planning,
geology and mineral exploration.
Certainly, the students had and have some problems and experience difficulties. Some students can’t cope with the strict syllabus. In the first two years 110 students including 66 African
students, were expelled due to academic failure. Some of them
stayed for re-training. It may be explained by the low level of basic education of African students that is why many of them were
sent to the Soviet secondary education institutions.
Currently the University annually expels approximately
40 African students due to non-compliance with terms of contract, accommodation rules violation, academic failure, medical
problems, non-attendance or on one’s own volition.
Nonetheless, African students have always shown good academic performance with 84% passing the examination (mid-term
and end-of-year). Often African students hold the first positions
among students from other regions in academic performance,
with students from Nigeria, Mali, Ghana and Benin being ahead
of the others. Roughly 20% of PFUR straight-A’s are African
students1.
On March 22, 1971 PFUR held for the first time a «Straight-A’s
Gathering», conducted annually ever since. Since 1996 PFUR
holds annual Gatherings of African Straight-A’s. Also since 1996
such gatherings are conducted at the Preparatory Faculty. These
events are supported by PFUR African Students Association and
PFUR African Student Communities. The Embassies of African
Countries also support these gatherings and help purchase gifts
for the students.
PFUR old-timers remember the brightest African students of
the first enrollment, who apart from having excellent academic
results were talented organizers: Congo Fodieu form Mauritania,
Traore Mamadu from Mali, Shegun Odunuga from Nigeria, Sandasi Latouse from Tunisia.
1
PFUR Student Resources Department for African Countries (V. Prokopiev).
39
On November 27, 1961 at the Faculty of Economics and
Law Diploma of Higher Education was given to the first African
student that graduated ahead of schedule: Hange Kasimou from
Zanzibar. Before entering PFU he had studied economics at the
University of London. In one year and a half he studied the masters course in PFU. When he came back to Zanzibar, he ran for
presidency as a candidate of Afro-Shirzi Party.
African students have always participated in academic contests, and in All-Union (now All-Russian) contests of scientific
research projects.
Thus, the following African students were prizewinners at
the All-Union Russian Language Contests: Makham Allaissegi
Kulo (Chad), Abdullah Dembele (Mali), Shinachami Divardzhan
(Mauritius), Liasissi Sulaiman (Benin), Aktinas Masawa (Tanzania). The following students won awards in All-Union Research
Project Contests: Henri Kwame (Togo), Makham Allaissegi Kulo
(Chad), Kaimba Kaabe Bota (Chad), Abdullah Dembele (Mali),
Junior Paulina Loutoumta (Sao Tome), Pedro Jan (Benin).
Of the straight-A’s of 2006–2007 should be mentioned
Okokh Emeka (Nigeria), Camara Sidi (Mali), Rotich Dorothy
(Kenya), Kiloke M. Karan (Congo), Maturi Desha Dewi (Mauritius), Ramkhogon Kouchand (Mauritius), Gomes Olenka Minquiel Berzeliu (Guinea Bissau).
Africa should be proud of its students. For years and years
they have been forming a positive image of Africa both at the
University and in Russia.
According to the questioning of African students, main difficulties they come up against are: problems in study of the Russian language, inconsistency between the syllabuses and basic
academic requirements at PFUR and their home countries, adaptation to the weather conditions, constant rush in Moscow, the
feeling of being lost, psychological isolation.
Among the beneficiary factors African students name the
positive linguistic environment and constant communication with
Russian or foreign Russian-speaking students, the Russian language being the language of international communication. One of
the incentives to study is the prospect of finding a good job. Ex40
cursions and the work of Student Communities and African
Graduates Association help to adapt to a new socio-cultural environment, to understand the daily routine of Moscow. Also of
great importance is the help of teachers, supportive classes on
various subjects.
And certainly African students note the assistance of the
people who are the first to meet them at the University: staff of
PFUR Department for Admission and Data Processing, Student
Resources Department for African Countries, International Department, Preparatory Faculty staff and instructors, namely V. Vasilevsky, A. Krasavina, A. Markhanova, L. Gorbik, A. Khachaturov, A. Alexeyev, A. Badeyev, S. Melnichenko, A. Chukhno,
I. Sotskov, V. Sorokin, V. Belov, V. Doroshin, D. Kuzmin, V. Kazachkov, A. Elizarova and many others.
For years African students have been and are currently attended by V. Prokopiev, V. Konnik, I. Bevzenko, V. Kalygin et al.
African students are socially active which also makes it easier for them to adapt to the new environment. They participate in
the activities of foreign student communities, go in for sports, are
interested in arts. They are good leaders.
These are the words of a student from Cameroon: «Usually
I am very shy and it was very hard for me to adapt to living in
new conditions, it was hard to make friends. But all Russian language teachers at the Preparatory faculty kept telling me that
I might be a good actor. It took me some time to believe in it and
at the end-of-year concert «Goodbye, Preparatory Faculty» I portrayed Alexander Pushkin. And my friends and I always remember this moment with special warmth»1.
Answering how they chose their specialty, the students
stated that it was not only the way to get a good job in their country, but also that their profession was valuable to the community.
Future lawyers, for instance, are proud that they will protect human rights and maintain law and order in their countries.
Answering where they found the information on PFUR, the
majority named mass media (especially, web-media) and PFUR
1
PFUR African Students Questioning Results.
41
graduates. Answering why they chose PFUR, most students noted
its internationality, its prestige in Africa and its reputation of providing high quality education.
Looking through the publications on the occasion of PFU
anniversaries, one can see the results of everyday work of its students and instructors and fond some interesting facts.
The first student admitted to the University was Ahmed Murad Taki from Sierra Leone. He graduated from the Medical Faculty in 1966.
The first student to defend a thesis (subject «Foreign Policy
of Nigeria in 1950–1965», supervised by P. Milorgradov, PhD,
professor) was the student of the Faculty of History and Philology
Hussein Babtounde Latif from Nigeria in 1965.
In the autumn of 1974 PFU celebrated the 10th graduation.
Garcia Bires Joao (Angola) became the 5000th graduate. He
graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Law and defended
a thesis «Republic of Guinea: National Identity Formation and
Development». Later on he became rector of Agostinho Neto
University.
Engineering Faculty graduate, geologist Mohammed Sein
Ibrahim Shaddad (Sudan) named the deposit of chromites in Africa that he discovered after his PFUR professor V. Kreytor.
During the celebration of the first PFUR graduation (228 students, including 39 African Students) at the Kremlin Palace of
Congresses on June 29, 1965, Shegun Odunuga from Nigeria
(Russianist, future professor and Dean of the Philological Faculty
of the University of Lagos) said, «In the following two or three
years PFU will give Sub-Saharian African countries more engineers and doctors than the European colonial metropolis in the
70 years of their rule in Africa».
Scientific and Research Activities
The students are involved in the scientific activities of the
supervising department of the faculty and are members of the
Students Research Societies. They also participate in scientific
42
conferences and workshops which helps them develop the research skills.
One of the ways to be recognized in researchers community
while being a student is to participate in All-Russian (formerly
All-Union) contests of student research works. Thus, Mwamba
Michael John (Kenya) won the First Prize at Moscow Student
Projects in Social Studies Contest. In 1981–1982 students of the
Department of Genetics and Selection were awarded with the Diplomas of the USSR Ministry of Higher Education and All-Union
Lenininst Young Communist League – Audrie Kwemi (Togo),
Agemon Bawo Inias (Benin) and Pedro Jan (Benin). Gerald Johnson (Sierra Leone) and John Sikoang (Botswana) were awarded
with 1st prizes at All-Union and Moscow Scientific Conference
on Human Anatomy.
The undergraduate students have to keep in mind the issue of
re-adaptation at the home country. That’s why experienced professors supervising the work on the student’s thesis take into consideration the specific working conditions the graduate will have
to face upon coming back home.
African students participate in workshops and conference
held by the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The University also conducts workshops on the problems
of Africa.
Since its establishment the University trained highly qualified workers for the developing countries and its only natural that
its staff studied these countries, including African states, their
history, geography, flora and fauna, geology, social structures,
political and legal systems, ethnic and religious composition,
economy, culture, languages and literature, arts and crafts. This
research work was summarized and covered in PhD theses by
PFU/PFUR professors. Also PFU staff created special syllabuses
based on this research which resulted in preparation of special
course books and tutorials. Thus scientific and academic activities amalgamated in practice.
The researchers are trained mostly in PFUR postgraduate
school. First PhD was defended in PFU in 1964. Currently there
are 35 dissertation councils in PFUR covering 101 specialties.
43
The subjects for PhD theses of African students are relevant for
their home countries.
In the past 50 years PFUR students wrote and defended over
80 PhD theses dedicated to general or regional issues of Africa.
Mainly, these problems are studied by African postgraduate students, although 20% of these theses were written by Soviet/Russian students.
In the 1960–1980s historical, economic and juridical studies
of Africa were focused on national liberation movements and
struggle against racism and apartheid in South Africa, on gaining
independence and state development. The students also studied
the USSR experience of socio-economic development, planning,
eradication of illiteracy, international cooperation and the ways of
using this experience in newly independent African states; they
analyzed the theories of African socialism and the experience of
African countries that had opted for socialist way of development, the foreign policy of African countries, Soviet-African and
African-Western cooperation, including the cooperation with
former metropolis; they also researched the formation of national
legal, educational and medical care systems.
Since the 1990s the subjects have changed and new approaches emerged in the research of African socio-economic development and socio-political structure and Russian-African cooperation. The most relevant subject of research now are conflicts
settlement in Africa, also with the participation of peacekeeping
troops and international bodies, which makes it necessary to develop the corresponding legal base; integration processes and regional integration. Lately postgraduate students have written a
number of theses on legal regulation of regional, domestic and
interstate conflicts, regulation of foreign investment, human
rights defense, forest conservation, ecology, transport law, international security in Africa. The students do research work on geology of Africa and the problems of mineral exploration, soil
composition, tropical diseases in Africa; the issues of industrial
development of Africa (industry, agriculture, transport). Many
theses are based on the research of West and East African countries. The linguists study the problems of national mass media
44
formation and development, and the philosophers research into
the social, ethnic and cultural processes in Tropical Africa.
Some theses are devoted to specific African countries,
namely Sudan, Ethiopia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana,
Zambia, Cameroon, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Chad, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia,
SAR.
African graduates often work in the education system of
their home countries.
For African students the problem of adaptation to Russian
weather conditions and the new environment is especially relevant. In order to accelerate the acclimatization in Moscow, students’ health is studied and built up. Specialists study the diseases
incidence rate and the adaptation of African students un Russia.
Since 1975 PFU Health Center jointly with a number of Medical
Faculty departments has studied the foreign students adaptation
and controlled their health status.
That’s why one of key scientific problems studied at the
University is the problem of foreign and African students adaptation to the new weather and socio-cultural conditions. In 1983
PFU introduced the «Students Health» research program (biological and social aspects of foreign students adaptation) supervised by N. Agadzhanyan, member of the Academy of Sciences.
This research resulted in a number of monographs, namely «Students’ Health Status and Health Protection» (Moscow, PFUR
press, 1997). In 2009 this research program was reestablished at
the university.
Students adaptation, its forms and processes require complex
approach since it is a complex and multidimensional process of
interaction between a person and the unfamiliar geographical,
economic and cultural environment and the person, having
his/her own ethnic and psychological peculiarities, has to overcome a number of psychological, social, ethical, religious difficulties and master new behavioral patterns and activities. That is
why complex study of this process requires the contribution of
doctors, anthropologists, sociologists, historians, ethno-psycholo45
gists, culture experts etc. Also studying the problem of Africans’
adaptation in the USSR and Russia one should consider the historical context, changes in Russian domestic policy, its ideological and national, strategic interests, which determines the conditions for Russian-African cooperation.
The students often experience difficulties because of low
adaptability to the unfamiliar weather and living conditions. That
is why it is necessary to find ways of optimization of academic
activities with consideration of ethnic, psychological and individual peculiarities of African students. PFUR is the leading institution in this area of research.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
PFU establishment coincided with the apogee of the Cold
War that nearly became a full-scale war in 1961–1962 and then
followed a period of détente in the relations of the two superpowers. In this complex mosaic of international relations the University emerged as an educational centre for training technical specialists and experts in humanities for the developing countries.
Soviet science, technologies and higher education were becoming
increasingly prestigious. Now the USSR could establish education quality standards.
PFUR, being a HEI established specially to provide educational services to international students, educated the foreign students from the developing countries, including African countries,
alongside Moscow State University, Leningrad State University,
Moscow State Automobile and Road Technical University, Moscow Aviation Institute, Moscow Power Engineering Institute,
Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering.
International cooperation is one of PFU key spheres of activity since the University is an international educational and scientific institution. Being an autonomous HEI, PFUR established
international relations both through the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, and with the support of its establishers: AllUnion Central Council of Trade-Unions, Soviet Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee, Union of Soviet Friendship Societies, or independently on behalf of the University’s Academic Board.
PFU has always been willing to cooperate with other Soviet
science institutions, and to establish mutually beneficial cooperation with the HEIs, science institutions, social organizations and
industrial enterprises of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
On the one hand, cooperation with foreign HEIs helped the
international community to get acquainted with the University.
On the other hand, it contributed to enhancement of PFU scien47
tific and academic activities, experience, data, documents exchange. It was also the way to get information about life abroad.
PFU international activities have always been conducted in
various directions. PFU cooperated with the international bodies
working with the problems of culture, science, industry and
healthcare: UNESCO, UNIDO, International Committee of the
Red Cross etc. PFUR is member of International Association of
Universities, European Association of Universities, European Association of International Education, University Agency for
French-Speaking Communities, Brazilian Association of Universities, The International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature.
The University has been actively developing contacts
(mainly on contractual and propositional basis) with foreign universities and colleges. PFU had constant or provisional contacts
with a number of HEIs and scientific institutions of Nigeria,
Senegal, Tanzania and other African countries. Under these agreements Soviet and Russian scientists participated in national
congresses, conferences, conventions and symposiums, performed joint scientific research; professors gave lectures and workshops, supervised the postgraduate students on exchange basis;
student exchange and traineeship programs were established.
Generally, it was mutually beneficial for all parties involved.
PFU departments established and developed relations with homologic departments abroad.
Starting from 1961 PFU held annual international workshops
for Russian language teachers from Eastern Asia, Africa, Middle
East and Latin America, attended by the teachers of the Russian
language departments from the national universities, institutes,
schools and other educational institutions, including those of
Madagascar, Nigeria, Algiers, Morocco. PFUR teachers, especially Russian language teachers, traveled to the developing
countries with the support of Union of Soviet Friendship Societies.
PFU professors visited various African HEIs to give lectures,
carry out practical studies, for experience exchange or to learn
more about the peculiarities of African countries, namely Mali,
48
Guinea, Congo (Brazzaville), Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya,
Uganda, Angola.
PFU researchers visited various countries (e.g. Somali in the
1970s) as the UN and UNESCO experts. World Health Organization (WHO) sent the Medical Faculty staff members to the developing countries to carry out comparative studies of medical education system and the issues of diploma equivalency. The USSR
ministries and administrative institutions engaged PFU specialists
in international projects in Africa headquartered at the university
of Khartoum (Sudan), Rural Polytechnic Institute for Training
and Applied Research in Katibougou (Mali) and University
M’hamed Bougara of Boumerdes (Algiers).
Sometimes African students had practical and pregraduation
training in their home countries. E.g. Agricultural Faculty students passed the pregraduation training in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria,
Reunion, Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia. Medical Faculty students
had practical training in the hospitals of Nigeria, Somali, Ethiopia
and some others.
Until the early 1990s all PFU international relations were
generally on a non-repayable basis. Since the beginning of the
1990s the situation has changed. Now PFUR tends to have a more
pragmatic approach both providing educational services and establishing or maintaining international relations, which has much
to do with general tendencies in Russian economy and the situation at the educational services market. Before the 1990s the University was geared to cooperation with the developing countries
while in the 1990–2000s it has been developing relations with
European and American universities.
Currently the objectives and the forms of educational, scientific and cultural cooperation between PFUR and every of its
partners, including African ones, are determined in PFUR Medium-Term Development Program for 2007–2009 and until 2012,
approved by PFUR Academic Board on December 15, 2006.
Expansion of PFUR international activities is important in
order for the University to provide high-quality education that
meets the international standards, to occupy the leading position
in Russian System of Higher Education and to become integrated
49
into international scientific community and educational environment.
Section III of the Program determines the strategic objectives
of PFUR international relations development:
1) to develop bilateral and multilateral relations in order to
integrate the University in the European and international system
of education;
2) to develop educational services export both by providing
educational services for foreign students at the university and
conducting part of educational activities in the foreign countries.
Information support of PFUR services export.
3) to establish and maintain relations with PFUR African
graduates;
4) to establish a support system for PFUR international activities.
As part of these strategic purposes, the objectives of the cooperation with African countries are the following:
1) to enhance student mobility as part of the projects of the
international organizations, foreign education agencies, including
those envisaging cooperation with African Countries, namely the
EU, EduFrance, the US Information Agency, Heinz-Schwarzkopf
Foundation, Humboldt Foundation, Presidential Grants of the
Russian Federation and annual programs under intergovernmental
agreements of Russian Ministry of Education and Science (courses, traineeship, advanced training for Russian language teachers,
summer schools in African countries etc.);
2) to support gradual increase of the number of PFUR instructors, professors and researchers participating in academic
exchange programs with African universities and organizations
by the year 2012;
3) to maintain the contingent of African students in PFUR by
conducting academic and methodical work with first-year students and providing supportive lessons for them;
4) to arrange the preliminary testing system for African students in key subjects in Angola, Tanzania et al. in 2008–2012;
5) to sign agreements for the admission of African students
on a contractual basis, in particular the students from: Benin,
Zimbabwe, Gabon, Uganda, Senegal, Namibia;
50
6) to increase the number of African countries providing
bases for PFUR graduates extended training to 8–10, including
Angola, Mauritius, Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Namibia;
7) to establish the Russian Language Centers in Angola and
Cameroon;
8) to conduct PFUR presentations in the following countries
(in the years 2007–2009): Mauritius, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Zimbabwe, Benin, Zambia, Botswana, Congo, Senegal, Guinea,
Ethiopia;
9) to put forward the proposals for PFUR representative offices establishment in Mauritius, Angola, Cameroon, Congo;
10) to see to it that the agreements on cooperation be signed
with the national Associations (Unions) of Russian (Soviet) HEIs
graduates of Angola, Tanzania, Nigeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire,
Zambia, Mauritius.
PFUR has some special spheres of international cooperation.
Some of these spheres are quite developed, other spheres require
further development under the above mentioned Medium-Term
Development Program for 2007–2009 and until 2012.
Until the mid-1960s PFU conducted its mission in the
framework of international agreements on economic, scientific
and technical, cultural and educational cooperation that envisaged
granting loans to the partners on easy terms.
First bilateral agreements on educational cooperation were
signed in 1965 with East-European States. On January 1, 1969
PFU signed an Agreement on Scientific Exchanges and Cooperation with the University of Khartoum and thus started the intense
bilateral inter-university cooperation. It was a five-year agreement
with the tacit extension for another five years unless any of the parties involved declared the agreement avoided in accordance with the
established procedure. This Agreement has been valid for 40 years
as for January 1, 2009 which makes it the longest agreement on cooperation ever concluded by PFUR in Africa and elsewhere.
We should also mention that this Agreement was very well
elaborated business- and juridically-wise, which made it possible to
conduct 6 Work Programs in various spheres of cooperation in
51
1970–1992 (methodological support of syllabuses and course programs enhancement, Russian experts lectureship in physics, geology, mineral prospecting, joint research projects, development of
complex methods of exploration works etc.). This Agreement has
become a touchstone of PFUR international bilateral agreements.
Below is the brief overview of bilateral agreements in force
between PFUR and African HEIs.
Agostinho Neto University, Luanda. Agreement on scientific and cultural cooperation of July 26, 1980.
In the first years after its conclusion the parties actively implemented the Agreement conducting two comprehensive Work
Programs before 1989 (PFUR professors dispatch, joint research
basically in social sciences, exact and natural sciences, engineering, medicine, agriculture; admission of students and postgraduate students to PFUR; traineeship programs). In 1985 V. Bezbakh, associate professor, gave lectures at the university of Angola and the secondary education institutions of Maputo (Mozambique) on environmental law. The Agreement is subject to
tacit extension every five years and currently remains valid.
Agostinho Neto University is the most important of the three
universities of Angola. It was established in 1963 as a High
School, starting from 1968 it became the University of Luanda
and since 1976 – the University of Angola. It holds its current
title since 1985. Agostinho Neto University is an autonomous
university including six faculties (similar to those of a classical
university). The staff numbers over 1000 people; approximately
20 000 students.
National University of Benin, Cotonou. Agreement on cooperation of April 25, 1988.
This Agreement is typical for the 1960–1980s Soviet-African relations. It envisaged numerous privileges, also economic,
for the partner University.
After 2000 the President of Benin University proposed a new
agreement. In answer to that, PFUR proposed a typical PFUR
agreement. Currently the parties study new potential spheres of
52
cooperation and the conditions for it, including the possible establishment of Russian Language Centre at the Université d'Abomey-Calavi.
National University of Benin was established in 1970 as the
University of Dahomey. It has been holding its current title since
2000. It is the largest state HEI of Benin, a classical university
including six faculties, five schools and five institutes. The staff
numbers 650 people (2006); 19 000 students.
University of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Agreement
on cooperation of 1988.
The Agreement is subject to tacit extension every 5 years
and envisages sporadic students and professors exchange.
The University of Ouagadougou was founded in 1965 as an
autonomous state university. It includes eight faculties. The staff
numbers 540 people (2006). Approximately 8000 students.
University of Ghana, Legon-Accra. Agreement of June 26,
1986.
Originally it was a five-year agreement subject to tacit extension for another five years. Currently valid. In 1987–1989 the
parties implemented the Work Program in social sciences and
philology. In 1985 assistant professor M. Shartse of PFUR Penal
Law department gave lectures at Legon Universtiy; in 1988
PFUR associate professor V. Bezbakh gave lectures at the University of Legon Faculty of Law.
The University was founded in 1948 as the University College of Gold Coast. Holds the current status and title since 1961.
It is the largest of the nine Ghanaian universities. The University
of Ghana is similar to a classical university. It includes six faculties, two colleges, nine schools, five institutes, ten research centers. The staff numbers approximately 800 people (2006); approximately 30 000 students.
University of Zambia, Lusaka. The parties have been negotiating the Agreement for quite a while. Zambian party has an
Agreement proposal put forward by PFUR. The Agreement is
53
probably to be concluded in the near future. PFUR and the University of Zambia have an experience of fruitful cooperation. In
the 1970s PFUR professor I. Panin founded the Mining Department at the University of Zambia.
The University was founded in 1965 as a classical educational institution. It includes nine faculties, one economic research institute, three distant education centers. The staff numbers
approximately 500 people (2006); 3500 students.
University of Nairobi, Kenya. Agreement on cooperation
of April 9, 1999.
The parties have been negotiating the establishment of a preparatory department for Kenyans willing to study in Russia at the
University of Nairobi with PFUR methodological and organizational support.
The University was founded in 1956 as Royal Technical College of East Africa. Holds its current title since 1970. It is the largest Kenyan state HEI including twelve faculties, five schools, six
institutes and a School of Computing and Informatics. The staff
numbers approximately 1300 people (2006); over 36 000 students.
University of Cocody, Côte d’Ivoire. The Draft Agreement
was negotiated in 2002–2003 and finalized by the parties by October, 2004. Mr. Tea Gokou, President of the University of Cocody,
was invited to Moscow to sign the agreement, but the visit was postponed due to the situation in Côte d’Ivoire. Currently the Ivorian
party is taking measures to accelerate the agreement conclusion.
The University of Cocody was founded in 1965 as a Centre
for Higher Education. Holds its current status since 1996. It is the
largest state university in Côte d’Ivoire including fifteen faculties.
The staff numbers over 1000 people (2006); approximately
38 000 students.
University of Bamako (Mali). Agreement of November 18,
2002.
It is a typical PFUR framework agreement (five-year agreement with subsequent tacit extension). Malian party requested
54
that scientific cooperation were focused on biotechnological
problems (ore leaching, medications development on the basis
of Malian pharmaceutical components, development and enhancement of epidemic disease diagnostics, treatment and prophylaxis).
The University was established in 1993. It includes four faculties focused on specialist training for specific spheres of national
socio-economy (agriculture, medicine, science and technology,
education). The staff numbers 950 people (2006); 20 000 students.
Rural Polytechnic Institute for Training and Applied Research in Katibougou (Mali). Agreement on scientific and cultural cooperation of April 25, 1975. Subject to quintannual tacit
extension.
In the framework of this Agreement the parties fulfilled five
Work Programs in agriculture, 6 Work Programs in scientific and
cultural cooperation (1975–1992). In 1995 PFUR proposed the
new program till 2000 with consideration of emergent conditions
for cooperation. Malian party is currently studying the possibility
of obtaining a UNESCO grant that can be partly allocated to cooperation with PFUR.
Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.
Agreement on scientific and cultural cooperation of May 20,
1977. Five-year agreement with subsequent tacit extension, valid
to date. In the framework of this Agreement the parties fulfilled
three Work Programs (1980–1986).
Eduardo Mondlane University is the largest state HEI of six
Mozambican universities. It was founded in 1962, in 1968 received the title of Lourenco Marques, current title was received in
1972. The University includes 10 faculties. The staff numbers
800 people (2007); 8 000 students.
University of Namibia, Windhoek. Memorandum of understanding of April 16, 1999.
Three-year memorandum envisaging extension by mutual
agreement of the parties. Valid to date.
55
Namibia’s sole University was founded in 1992. It includes
seven faculties, two colleges, one scientific research institute and
six research centers. The staff numbers approximately 700 people
(2006); 8500 students.
University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Agreement of February 4,
1983. Agreement of April 23, 1995.
First the parties concluded the Agreement of 1983 for a term
of five years with subsequent tacit extension. Unlike other PFUR
Agreements, this one established wage rates for academic exchanges. In the framework of this Agreement the parties fulfilled
two Work Programs (1983–1985 and 1989–1992) mainly in the
sphere of philology and medicine.
The Agreement of 1995 is PFUR standard agreement. In
February, 2001 president of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo visited
Russia and was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa title in PFUR.
Currently the parties are elaborating these Agreements (Nigerian party proposed a protocol akin to the Work Program).
University of Ibadan is a large and prestigious classical university established in 1948. Holds its current title since 1962. The
University includes thirteen faculties. The staff numbers approximately 1200 people (2007); approximately 20 000 students.
Sudan. Sudan was the first African country to conclude a bilateral agreement on cooperation (Khartoum, 1969), though educational cooperation with PFUR in the framework if intergovernmental agreements had begun prior to Khartoum agreement, in
1965.
University of Khartoum, Sudan. Agreement of January 16,
1969.
The Agreement is valid to date by mutual agreement of the
parties. In the framework of this Agreement the parties have fulfilled seven Work Programs. The cooperation includes academic
exchange, methodological support of Master courses development, scientific research (joint geological and economic assessment of Sudan’s ore deposits); student and trainees exchange;
56
postgraduate students admission to PFUR etc. The parties have
been studying potential spheres of cooperation.
In 1980 M. Tsivilko, Psychiatry Department professor, was
dispatched to Sudan for lectureship; in 1983–1984 head of Mining Department professor Panin assisted with the «Mineral exploration» course program establishment. The parties also have conducted joint research in geology, medicine and agriculture, implemented the joint study of geologic structure and mineral exploration of the Nuba mountains, that was lauded by the University Senate.
The University of Khartoum is the oldest Sudanese HEI
founded in 1951 as Khartoum University College that merged
Gordon Memorial College (1902) and the Kitchener School of
Medicine (1924). Current status dates back to 1956. It is a classical university including fifteen faculties, two schools, eleven institutes and two colleges. The staff numbers over 1 000 people
(2005); approximately 30 000 students.
Al-Neelain University, Sudan. Agreement of June 12, 1998.
It is a typical PFUR agreement (five-year term with tacit extension). The parties completed a Work Program in the framework of the Agreement in 1999–2003. Key projects are similar to
those of Khartoum University. Academic, administrative and students exchanges are supported by both parties.
Al-Neelain University – is the second oldest Sudanese HEI.
It has the biggest student contingent. The University was founded
in 1955 as Khartoum branch of Cairo University. It has a number
of classical courses but in general the courses are targeted at specialist training for Southern Sudan. Al-Neelain University includes twelve faculties and four research centers. The staff numbers approximately 900 people (2006). 59 000 students.
In 2001–2007 PFUR also concluded agreements on educational, scientific and cultural cooperation with a number of Sudanese universities:
– El-Imam El-Mahdi University, Kosti. Agreement of March
24, 2001;
57
– University of Gezira, Wad Medani. Agreement of March
25, 2001;
– Sudan University of Science and Technology. Agreement
of June 20, 2003.
Al these agreements are standard PFUR agreements envisaging students and postgraduate students admission to PFUR, academic exchanges, joint training of health manpower, mostly for
the regions of White and Blue Nile. The three Universities were
recently established and are currently setting up the academic
structure, admission and training procedures.
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Memorandum of
understanding of April 12, 1999.
It is a five-year agreement with further exchange of opinions
regarding the results of the cooperation. Subject to tacit extension
as agreed by the parties. The Agreement envisages joint research
and students and postgraduates exchange.
University of Dar es Salaam is the second largest Tanzanian
university after the Open University of Tanzania. It was founded
in 1961 as University College. Holds its current status since 1970.
The University focuses on theoretical training. It includes seven
faculties, three colleges (Humanities) and four Economic institutes. The staff numbers approximately 600 people (2005); approximately 11 000 students.
University of N'Djamena, Chad. Agreement of April 22,
1998.
A typical five-year agreement with tacit extension. As per
request of Chadian party, PFUR sent an invitation to the University of N’Djamena in order to determine the Work Program for
the cooperation. The visit still pending, PFUR proposals remain
in force.
University of N’Djamena is the largest of five Chadian HEIs.
It was founded in 1971 as the University of Chad. Holds the current title since 1994. It includes four faculties and one research
institute focused mainly on humanities and medical sciences. The
staff numbers 240 people (2006). Approximately 6000 students.
58
Also at different times PFUR had cooperation agreements
with the University of Dakar (Senegal), the University of Ife and
University of Benin (Nigeria), the University of Bangui (CAR),
Rural Polytechnic Institute for Training and Applied Research in
Katibougou (Mali). Also PFUR dispatched its professors to Cape
Verde for lectureship. Thus, in 1986 assistant professor V. Bezbakh gave lectures to law enforcement bodies and state institutions officials of Praia and Mindelo.
PFU/PFUR has always been willing to establish continuous,
solid and effective relations with the leading African educational
and scientific institutions. The above named agreements contribute to the enhancement of students mobility.
Generally, in order to attract as many African students as
possible and provide them with the reliable information on
PFUR, it is necessary that PFUR with the support of Russian
(Soviet) HEIs Graduates Associations established Russian consulting offices in African countries. Such offices would help to
inform African youth of enrollment in Russian HEIs, provide
primary Russian language courses etc.
In Sub-Saharian African states the intellectual elite is represented by highly qualified specialists and the public servants. Simultaneously, ethnic processes and state building in these countries are still incomplete and the universities have a special role to
play in these processes. One of the peculiarities of African universities is that they are both educational and social institutions
acting as intermediary between traditional African and European
cultures, contributing to the formation of national administrative
systems. They influence on the social structure, governing and
middle class formation, ideological evolution and political, social,
economic and cultural situation in Africa. Thus African universities contribute to state construction, modern civil society and African culture formation by developing the scientific potential, scientific concepts applied to the current situation in Africa; by participating in the determination of state policy, national development strategy and scientific and technical projects. Finally, the
universities change the life of all-African community and make
Africa member of international community on terms of equality.
59
Consequently, by training science and education workers,
through bilateral cooperation with scientific, academic and research
centers, professors and students exchange, data exchange, PFUR is
involved in the above enumerated African social processes.
Of great importance for graduates international cooperation
are the International Forums of Foreign Graduates of Russian
(Soviet) HEIs raising the prestige of Russian education and Russia in the international arena.
The first International Forum of Foreign Graduates took
place in the Column Hall of the House of Unions under the aegis
of the Foreign Ministry of Russia, Russian Center for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation and the International
Coordination Board of Graduates «Incorvuz-XXI» on May 14–
16, 2003. Over 700 foreign graduates from 132 countries attended the forum, elaborated the program for further graduates
community development. The most numerous delegation was that
of Moscow HEIs graduates, including PFUR graduates.
One of PFU graduates, Rubén Maye Nsue, Minister of Justice of Equatorial Guinea (graduated in 1989) addressed the
guests of the forum. He told about the years of studies in the
USSR and noted that foreign students got in Russian HEIs modern «professional education, life experience and learned to live
together in peace, friendship and mutual understanding among
nations». He also said that key positions in Guinean government
were held by the graduates of Soviet and Russian HEIs (Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance,
Health Minister).
The first International Forum united the most active graduates of 60 national associations who have vast experience in protection of graduates’ professional interests and cooperation with
Russia and other CIS states.
Minister of Education of Russia, V. Filippov said in his
speech that the Forum summarized over 50 years of Soviet HEIs
academic activities and stressed that «The Forum evidentiated the
unanimous effort to preserve and multiply the relations with Russian HEIs, contribute to the growth of foreign students enrollment
60
and further propagation of Russian language as well as involve
the graduates in scientific, technical and business cooperation between Russia and foreign states».
The Second International Forum took place in the Column
Hall of the House of Unions on October 1–3, 2007. It was attended by more than 700 graduates from 135 countries, including
a numerous group of PFU/PFUR graduates. The participants
noted that within the previous decade Russia had been determined to become integrated in the international educational environment which had been evidentialized by the establishment of
national graduates associations by the Second International Forum. PFUR graduate of 1992, Speaker of the National Assembly
of Mali, president of Malian National Association of Malians
Who Studied in the Soviet Union, Abdraman Silla, said: «We are
very happy that Russia, our old friend and long-time partner, is
back in Africa. It is necessary to establish a mechanism for cooperation of Graduates of Russian/Soviet HEIs Associations al over
the world with a united headquarters».
In the course of the Forum the participants conducted plenary meetings in the Column Hall of the House of Unions, PFUR,
MSU, Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language. PFUR hosted
the following workshops in the framework of discussion of «Current issues of foreign students training and advanced training in
Russian educational institutions»: «Foreign students «target»
training in Russian HEIs», «Academic and professional acknowledgement of diplomas», «Development of cooperation with national graduates of Russian (Soviet) HEIs associations», «Education for CIS citizens in Russian language». The president of
Ethiopian Graduates Association, Woubishet Synegyorgis (graduated from PFUR postgraduate school in 1995), said, «Our graduates have long been contributing to Ethiopia’s development and
are willing to maintain and enhance the relations with Russia.
The USSR and Russia invested a great deal of money and effort
in our education understanding the lack of qualified workers in
many African countries, including Ethiopia».
During the forum many speakers stressed that Russian education was still in demand in their countries for its high quality
61
and comprehensiveness. The forum set new aims with the active
participation of delegates in various workshops. In the communiqué of the Forum titled «The Address of Participants of the
Second International Forum of the Graduates of Russian (Soviet)
HEIs» the attendees stressed that it was crucial to strengthen contacts and cooperation with agencies, organizations and educational institutions of Russia and CIS, to propagate the information
on Russian and CIS educational services for foreigners. Finally,
the participants of the Forum urged all foreign graduates of Russian and Soviet HEIs to promote the cooperation of their countries with Russia for the benefit of peoples’ friendship.
PFUR ALUMNI
FROM AFRICAN COUNTRIES
In most African countries, starting from the Arab North,
through Equatorial Africa and in South Africa there are PFUR
graduates working in state administration, economy, social and
cultural sphere and education.
Of 15 foreign Doctors Honoris Causa of PFUR, five are
from Africa: Sam Nujoma, ex president of Namibia (1998); José
Eduardo dos Santos, president of Angola (1998); Thabo Mbeki,
ex president of South African Republic (1998); Olusegun Obasanjo, ex president of Nigeria (2001); El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon (2001).
All these prominent people – former or incumbent heads of
their states – while being awarded Doctor Honoris Causa of
PFUR stressed PFUR’s important role in training national specialists for industry, science and education of African countries
and expressed their deep and sincere gratitude to the University
for its noble international mission.
Currently over 25 000 PFUR graduates live and work outside Russia, over 7 000 of them are African graduates of the University.
In a number of African countries PFUR graduates occupy
important administrative posts. They are notable public figures
and work successfully in international organizations. They became highly qualified specialists in various spheres, they work as
top executives in African business companies, in mass media, in
science and education as heads of departments in national universities.
Any cooperation, including international cooperation, is
based on personal relations. Our graduates are bearers of our educational and scientific traditions, they support relations between
PFUR and African universities. They are our past, our present
and our future.
63
Of great importance are the relations of PFUR with African
Associations of Graduates of Russian (Soviet) Educational Institutions. The first to be established were the associations in Ghana,
Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Mauritius. Currently there are Associations of Graduates of Russian (Soviet) HEIs in 23 Sub-Saharian
countries1. Also in a number of African countries there are associations of PFUR graduates. As a rule, the associations have their
own regulations, structure and funds based on membership fees.
PFUR graduates play an important role and even head these associations as presidents or vice-presidents. Many associations were
established in the 2000s and are still at the stage of formation.
However the very fact of their establishment is the evidence of
the graduates’ effort to maintain and develop relations with Russia.
PFUR has a Graduates Relations Department and the Association of PFUR Friends and Graduates focused on the maximum
use of the professional and scientific potential of our graduates
for the purpose of PFUR international relations development.
Before the 1990s the University included 6 faculties. Currently there are 10 faculties in PFUR: the Faculty of Engineering,
the Medical Faculty, the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and
Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Economics,
the Philological Faculty, the Faculty of Humanities and Social
Sciences, the Ecological Faculty, the Agricultural Faculty, the
Faculty of Foreign Languages and General Subjects (Preparatory
Faculty). Every faculty has African students.
Before the 1990s (6 faculties) the majority of foreign students
graduated from (in decreasing order) the Faculty of Engineering,
Medical Faculty, the Faculty of Economics and Law, Agricultural
Faculty, the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences,
the Faculty of Philology and Historical Sciences.
African graduates were distributed by faculties as follows (in
decreasing order): the Faculty of Engineering (twice as much
1
National associations of graduates of Russian (soviet) educational institutions. Reference book. – Moscow, the Ministry of Education
of the Russian Federation, 2007, p. 21.
64
constructors and mechanical engineers as geologists and prospectors), the Faculty of Economics and Law (more lawyers than
economists), Medical Faculty, Agricultural Faculty (more agronomists than engineers), the Faculty of Philology and Historical
Sciences (historians, philologists, journalists – in decreasing order), the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences
(chemists, physicists and mathematicians – in decreasing order).
Starting from the mid-1990s and in the 2000s the situation has
slightly changed. Now most African students graduate from the
Medical Faculty, followed by the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of
Humanities and Social Sciences, Philological Faculty, Faculty of
Economics, Agricultural Faculty, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Ecological Faculty.
According to the data of the Department for Foreign Students Enrollment and the Graduates Relations Department, most
graduates came back to their home countries and work in their
respective specialties.
PFUR African graduates occupy various positions in the social hierarchy of their countries. Some of them hold important
posts, but the majority represent the «middle management» in
state and administrative institutions, economy, education and
healthcare. Approximately 20% of the graduates failed to find a
job in their home states and emigrated to the neighboring African
or western states.
Employment of PFUR African graduates at home depends
on socio-economic and political situation in African countries, on
whether the diplomas are acknowledged by their home states and
also depends on the demand for certain workers and on general
reputation of PFUR graduates in the country. Before the 1990s it
also depended on whether the country was pro-Soviet or prowestern (thus, in a number of South African states PFUR graduates failed to find a job for political reasons and had to emigrate).
Some graduates, thanks to their professional and leader skills,
now occupy important state, party or social posts and contribute
to raising the prestige of Russia in African states and the development of mutually beneficial economic, political, scientific and
educational cooperation between our countries.
65
Of course there were difficulties. In the 1960–1980s some
pro-western countries didn’t acknowledge Soviet education and
Soviet diplomas. They believed that African students from the
Soviet HEIs were less competent than those trained in western
countries and preferred the graduates from English, French and
American universities (in CAR, Kenya, Cameroon, Zaire, Senegal, Rwanda, Mauritania). Graduates form the Soviet HEIs had to
pass qualification examination in order to find a job.
Thus on returning to Benin or Madagascar, that after gaining
the independence were dependent on the former metropolis, Soviet graduates had to certify the diploma in France. It explains the
high percentage of PFUR graduates that emigrated to France for
traineeship or postgraduate studies. Later (from the 1980s) these
countries acknowledged Soviet diplomas. Ivorian authorities also
required that the Soviet diplomas were replaced by French ones
and all Ivorian PFUR graduates traveled to France for diploma
certification.
In general, in the 1960–1970s the University had to struggle
against the unwillingness of a number of African and Western
states to acknowledge Soviet and, in particular, PFU diplomas.
There was a common prejudice that PFU students got political
and ideological, not professional training, that PFU programs
were less comprehensive and demanding and inferior to the
courses of other soviet universities. PFU diplomas were often
equated to technical school diplomas.
Starting from the 1980s African countries faced social and
economic difficulties resulting in increasing unemployment of
specialists with higher education which forced them to emigrate.
In a number of countries the growth of unemployment of certified
specialists was caused partly by the surplus in specialists with
higher education (in humanities, natural sciences and some engineering specialties), which in its turn is the evidence of illconceived HR policy and misallocation of manpower. African
countries also currently experience an acute shortage of specialists with secondary (vocational) education.
Some graduates leave their countries, migrating mainly to
the Western states with further identization («brain drain») or
66
opting for postgraduate studies in western universities. The specialists also migrate from poor to more developed African countries.
Prior to the 1990s there were economic and political reasons
for the migration of African specialists. Currently the specialists
migrate in search of higher salaries, better working conditions
and better career opportunities.
Specialists migrate within African continent from poor to
more developed countries of South and Tropical Africa and the
oil producing countries of the African North. The graduates from
English-speaking countries move to Nigeria, the graduates from
French-speaking countries – to Côte d’Ivoire. From Nigeria – the
largest African country for which PFU had trained specialists in
all spheres – the graduates move to Europe and the USA in search
of higher salary.
Still, the majority of PFU/PFUR African graduates have
managed to find occupational work in their home countries. Judging by the data for the mid-1980s, we can conclude that 80% of
PFUR African graduates worked in their home countries, the
emigration amounted to 20%. Vast majority of PFUR African
graduates worked in non-productive sphere (state administration,
science and education, healthcare etc.) – 79%, 15% worked in
production sector, 6% in agriculture1.
Such distribution of specialists in socio-economic structure
of African countries had its reasons. In the 1960s after gaining
independence African states faced the acute shortage of qualified
workers in the governments of the newly independent countries.
Roughly half of all graduates working in non-productive sphere
occupied posts in various administrative bodies, including lawyers, economists, engineers, historians, agronomists etc, Approximately 80% of them worked in specialty. The graduates moved
to other countries to find occupational work. Most emigrants
were engineers and healthcare specialists.
In the 1990–2000s the situation changed. Liberalization started both in Russia and African countries and most spheres of
1
PFUR Department for Foreign Students Enrollment (G. Sokolov).
67
economy were privatized which caused the transfer of specialists
from public to private sector of economy. Given the increasing
social and economic problems and growth of unemployment,
many African PFUR graduates had to change the jobs or migrate
to Europe and America.
Below is the brief overview of PFUR African graduates by
faculties1.
The Faculty of Engineering. In the 1960–1980s vast majority of PFUR African graduates worked in specialties, percentage
of migration being relatively high because of the search for
higher salaries. In the 1990–2000s the percentage of specialists
working in specialties decreased due to socio-economic problems
and unemployment growth, percentage of migration remaining
high.
Generally, the graduates of the Faculty of Engineering work
in the sphere of industrial production and its branches: mechanical engineering, oil and gas industry, mining industry, hydraulic
power industry, manufacturing industry.
African countries need to build modern infrastructure, improve energy and water supply, expand road and railroad network, enhance the communications. Our graduates work in these
spheres as engineers, consultants and supervisors.
Africa is rich in natural resources and needs specialists in
mineral resources prospecting and exploration, namely oil, uranium, diamonds, gold and other non-ferrous metals. But still most
African students of the faculty major in engineering and construction and not in geology and prospecting.
Relatively small number of graduates (approximately 5%)
work in science and education, mainly higher education. PFUR
graduates in engineering work as instructors in the universities
of Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria. African countries are in great need
of scientific research institutes specializing in geology and mining. 2% of PFUR African graduates perform research in these
spheres.
1
PFUR Department for Foreign Students Enrollment (G. Sokolov).
68
Faculty of Economics and Law (since 1996 – two separate
faculties: the Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Law).
Economics majors. In the 1960–1980s specialists in economics and national planning worked mainly in various state institution since African countries needed to set up the management
of national economy and social institutions.
PFUR graduates worked as economists, planners, advisers in
key ministries: ministry of industry (Nigeria, Sierra Leone), ministry of national planning (Kenya, Tanzania, Togo), ministry of
power economy (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire), ministry of public
works (Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Mali), ministry of
economy (Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria), finance
ministry.
In the 1990–2000s there is demand for middle managers
both in public and state organizations and enterprises.
Approximately 7% of graduates work in science and education.
Law majors. In the 1960–1980s PFUR Faculty of Law
graduates worked in international organizations, diplomatic agencies and foreign policy agencies of their home states. Relatively
numerous groups of PFUR graduates worked in the Foreign Ministries of Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, some of them holding important posts or being
prominent diplomats of Africa.
About 20% of law majors worked in courts and prosecutor’s
offices. 10% worked in the system of secondary education as instructors. Many PFUR Faculty of Law graduates had private legal
practice.
In the 1990–2000s the number of economics majors working
in private enterprises and the number of law majors having private legal practice increased.
Among law majors there are more specialists not working in
specialty than among economics majors. Many PFUR Law and
Economics graduates emigrate.
Medical Faculty. In the 1960–1980s and in the 1990–2000s
vast majority of graduates worked in specialty although the per69
centage of emigration also remains relatively high. The specialists emigrated and emigrate for economic reasons in search of
better working conditions and higher salaries. Besides, in a number of African countries Soviet/Russian diplomas are not acknowledged. The graduates also can come up against difficulties
while searching the job due to differences between our and African healthcare system, medications and treatment methods. Before many Nigerian PFUR graduates enrolled for clinical practice
or postgraduate studies in England or the USA.
Vast majority of PFUR graduates are practicing physicians.
Some Medical Faculty graduates proved their high qualification
and currently hold executive posts in state institutions supervising
the development of healthcare system. PFUR graduates from Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya work in national Health Ministries.
About 5% work in science and education.
Agricultural Faculty. Agriculture is the most important
branch of African economy. Most Africans work in agriculture
although using quite primitive methods. Therefore highly qualified agronomists and consultants should introduce the latest scientific and technical achievements and have an important role to
play in the development of African agriculture.
Most graduates work at their home states excluding those
emigrating from the poorest African countries to more developed
ones. About 30% of PFUR Agricultural Faculty graduates work
in state administration, in national Ministries of Agriculture, and
in international organizations (e.g. in Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN).
Most graduates work in agriculture as agronomists or agricultural engineers. Some of them are top executives of agricultural enterprises.
After gaining independence African countries started to develop national agricultural science for practical purposes. About
2% of African graduates of PFUR Agricultural Faculty work in
special scientific research institutions. Small number of graduates
work as administrative officials.
70
Faculty of History and Philology. In 1996 was divided in
two separate Faculties: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Philological Faculty.
In the 1960–1980s 70% of history majors worked in specialty in their home countries: half of them as history teachers at
schools and 10% in HEIs. About 16% of historians worked in
cultural organizations: publishing houses, libraries, museums, archives. In the 1990s-2000s history majors tend to work in various
sectors of state administration and Foreign Ministries.
In the 1960–1980s specialists in Russian language were in
demand in Africa given the developing Soviet-African relations.
Many Russian language specialists worked in specialty as translators/interpreters, teachers of the Russian language, state officials,
journalists. PFU trained such specialists only for the countries
where they could use their knowledge of Russian. In the 1990s
there was a slump in Russian-African relations, and the Russian
language was supplanted by English and French. Currently some
African countries show growing interest in getting education in
Russia and in learning the Russian language. Also the Russian
language is becoming more important in Angola, Namibia and
SAR where there are Russian industrial enterprises.
Specialists in the Russian language are involved in public work
and contribute to studying and propagation of the Russian language,
literature and culture. In the late 1960s The International Association
of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature was established.
Some PFU African graduates were its vice-presidents: Brima Doumbia (Mali) and Shegum Olomouiwa Odunuga (Nigeria).
About 45% of African specialists in the Russian language
worked in state apparatus as officials and interpreters. Some were
administrative officials.
In 1980 the Faculty introduced the course in journalism. Students of this course work in specialty in mass-media (newspapers, magazines, radio and television). Some PFU graduates work
as administrative officials. Percentage of migration among journalists is relatively high.
In 1990–2000s the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences introduced the courses in international relations, politi71
cal science and social studies that are very popular among African students. Graduates of the Faculty work in embassies and international organizations, in administrative bodies. Many specialists emigrate to Europe, USA and Canada.
Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences. In
the 1960–1980s and in the 1990–2000s the graduates of this faculty worked and still work in the system of education: half of
them work as school teachers, half – as instructors in HEIs,
mainly in the universities. 10% of African graduates of the Faculty contribute to the formation of national fundamental science.
Small number of graduates work in state administration, mass
media, ministries and state agencies. The percentage of emigration compared to other PFU African graduates is relatively low.
Mostly the specialists emigrate form the poorest African countries to the more developed ones in search of a job.
Ecological Faculty. There are few African graduates of this
faculty. In their home countries they work mainly in state administration.
As mentioned above, in the 1990s Russia lost its strong positions in African countries, but we are willing to restore them. The
changes that occurred in Russia and Africa require new approach
to international relations. In every African country from ten to
thousands of Soviet/Russian HEIs graduates work in national
administration, economy, science and education. PFUR graduates
work in 48 African countries. Russia should use these human resources to develop and enhance Russian-African mutually beneficial cooperation. Our graduates are the ones to give information
on Russia. And it is crucial that this information be positive.
Graduates
International organizations, diplomatic bodies:
Ave Aderonke Oluyomi (Nigeria) – assistant in European
Parliament.
72
Buraima Abdu Nadgimu (Benin, grad. 1969) – worked in the
Socialist Countries Department of the Foreign Ministry of Benin.
Bomlen Marts (SAR, grad. 1977) – was member of the Commission for the Investigation of Apartheid Crimes.
Jackson N. Kessy (Tanzania, grad. 1965) – was commercial
adviser with the UN committee for developing countries.
Imoro Abdulai Alhasan (Ghana, grad. 1987) – was member
of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia.
Yesso Bogey Marius (Côte d’Ivoire) – in the 1980s was FAO
deputy director for food products.
Camara Adama (Mali, grad. 1965) – was advisor with the
Malian embassy in the USSR.
Condge Rene (Zaire, grad. 1976) – worked in WHO.
Mamadu Ba Suma (Guinea, grad. 2001) – official of the Department for International Cooperation of the Foreign Ministry of
Guinea.
Matey Sharlo (Togo, grad. 1972) – was fist education and
culture secretary with the Embassy of Togo in the USSR.
Nunes Correya Adelino (Guinea Bissau, grad. 1970) – was
the Embassador of Guinea Bissau in Algiers.
Peki Canna Kwama (Zaire, grad. 1968) – worked in the UN
Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Rukangatore Christophe (Burundi, grad. 1976) – head of
Foreign Ministry department.
Sakajja Barteka (Uganda, grad. 1977) – PhD in Law, Ambassador of Uganda to the Russian Federation.
Samuel Tito Armando (Angola, grad. 1990) – Angola’s ambassador to Russia.
Sattesand Peertihum (Mauritius) – in the 1970-1980s was
Mauritius’ representative to the UN.
Sibushimine Gerard (Burundi, grad. 1978) – former first secretary of Burundian embassy to the USSR.
Sunzu Bernard (Burundi, grad. 1968) – was advisor to the
foreign minister of Burundi.
Ture Penhugo (Côte d’Ivoire, grad. 1973) – former representative of the Economic Community of West African States.
Efraim Efiong Mbaba (Nigeria, grad. 1971) – worked in the
UNECA.
73
Statesmen, party leaders and members, public figures:
Abdou Moudi (Niger) – former Healthcare and Social Development minister of Niger.
Abiola Abimbola Fgunrinde (Nigeria, grad. 1990) – vice
president of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Agadzi Victor Kofi (Ghana) – former State Epidemiologist of
Ghana and head of Committee for Peace of Ghana.
Adzesi David Cocu (Togo, grad. 1973) – former Deputy
Minister for Agriculture and secretary of Togolese Union of Public Workers.
Anthony Zumafor (Cameroon, grad. 1966) – former deputy
head of department for scientific research of the Ministry for Information and Culture of Cameroon.
Achieng Ongonga (Kenya, grad. 1966) – PhD in Economics,
Head of Tourism Board of Kenya, professor of Maseno University.
Bani McCay (SAR, grad. 1977) – was the developer of agricultural program for ANC.
Zhanna Muzhavamaria (Rwanda, grad. 1065) – Minister of
Education, Science, Technology and Research of Rwanda.
Keita Funeke (Mali, grad. 1966) – was the Minister of Finance and Commerce of Mali.
Kofi Kuma Isaac (Ghana, grad. 1970) – after graduating
from PFU postgraduate school was head of department in the
Ministry of Finance, Economy and Planning of Ghana; Western
Regions of Ghana Cooperation Manager (equals to Deputy Minister).
Kramchandrasil Bussauon (Mauritius, grad. 1970) – Minister of Energy and MP of Mauritius.
Laki Siril Mabasa (SAR) – PhD in History, Secretary of
ANC Executive Committee, SAR Foreign Ministry Executive for
Conflicts Settlement.
Lanfaka Makan (Senegal, grad. 1966) – was deputy director
of the Chamber of Commerce.
Lasis Adams Osunde (Nigeria, grad. 1965) – prominent unionist of Nigeria, PhD in Economics, former deputy secretarygeneral of the Nigeria Labor Congress.
74
Makufi Joseph (Angola, grad. 1974) – was the leading specialist in cotton with the Ministry of Agriculture.
Manuel Maria Difuila (Angola, grad. 1973) – PhD in History, former President of Independent Trade Unions of Angola,
professor of Agostinho Neto University, one of the authors of
UNESCO’s fundamental «History of Africa».
Marcelino Ngema Ongene (Equatorial Guinea) – State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of
Equatorial Guinea.
Maudidi Jamada Mrisho (Tanzania, grad. 1967) – deputy
chief medical officer of Zanzibar Ministry of Healthcare.
Menkenda Ambruas (Angola, grad. 1973) – PhD in Technical Sciences, former vice-president of the «Diamand» diamond
company in Luanda province, Deputy Minister for Mining Industry.
Mziray Peter Kuga (Tanzania, grad. 1989) – leader of the
Progressive Party of Tanzania (PPT).
Moris Alfonsie Milansie (Mozambique, grad. 1970) – former
vice-governor of one of Mozambican provinces for agriculture.
Mussa Hamis Ali (Tanzania, grad. 1967) – former Deputy
Minister for Agriculture of Zanzibar.
Nashiru Oladejjo Raimi (Nigeria, grad. 1967) – former
Healthcare Minister of Oyo state.
Nsue Meye Ruben (Equatorial Guinea, grad. 1989) – Minister of Justice and National Security of Equatorial Guinea.
Nyakunga Benedict (Tanzania, grad. 1967) – former Minister
of Public Works.
Omar Sheikh Omar (Sudan, grad. 1973) – former Minister
for Energy Resources of Sudan.
Parker Ezikel (Sierra Leone, grad. 1973) – former chief
agronomist of the Ministry for Agriculture of Sierra Leone.
Policarpo Marcos Lopez (Guinea Bissau, grad. 2005) – Deputy Minister for Education of Guinea Bissau.
Prempekh Jantuya (Ghana) – PhD in Economics, former
member of Ghana’s Committee for Peace.
Samba Lamin Mane (Guinea Bissau, grad. 1965) – former
member of Temporary Revolutionary Council – the supreme ex75
ecutive body of Guinea Bissau; Minister for Natural Resources,
State Commissioner for Natural Resources.
Sewa Simon Mbuini (Madagascar, grad. 1987) – PhD in Philology, head of Malagasy National Television and Radio Company.
Silla Abdraman (Mali) – MP.
Tele David Olodo (Benin, grad. 1982) – Head of the Department of Public Transport of Benin.
Theodor Cuarta (Angola, grad. 1975) – executive of the
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Party of Labour, head of the Department for International Cooperation of
Angolan Ministry for Education.
Timoteo T. Borges (Cape Verde, grad. 1969) – former member of PAICV, participant of the XXVI Communist Party of the
USSR Congress as the representative of PAICV.
Wilfred Oronsaye (Nigeria, grad. 1969) – former Minister
for Communication of Bendel State of Nigeria.
Shangula Kalumbi (Namibia, grad. 1983) – former Deputy
Healthcare Minister of Namibia.
Shoo Gideon (Tanzania, grad. 1986) – PhD in Philology,
head of Publishing House, political observer with Tanzanian television, Secretary General of PFUR Graduates Association.
Emmanuel Miller Odogu Egbune (Nigeria, grad. 1972) –
former second secretary of the National Party of Nigeria.
Public and private enterprises, law enforcement agencies,
health authorities:
Adane Abera Tafera (Ethiopia) – district attorney of Addis
Ababa.
Ayigbede Otegbeye Augustine (Benin, grad. 1965) – former
CEO of public agricultural company.
Benjamin Nialiepu Enania (Nigeria, grad. 1969) – was the
first surgeon in Nigeria to perform plastic surgery.
Victor Vamain (Guinea Bissau) – former director of Car Assembly Plant in Bissau.
Wubishet Senegiorgis (Ethiopia, grad. 1993) – PhD in Law,
practicing attorney in Addis Ababa, head of Graduates Association.
76
Debrework Yadete (Ethiopia, grad. 1992) – PhD in Law,
Leader of Ethiopian community in Russia, businessman.
Demeke Lemma (Ethiopia, grad. 1978) – former director of
one of the first Ethiopian state farms.
Kakadie Yapi George (Côte d’Ivoire, grad. 1967) – was chief
engineer at the construction site of the Bandama River hydroelectric power plant.
Kante Kabine (Guinea, grad. 1965) – PhD in Physics and
Mathematics, former director of Kindia Bauxite Bauxite Mine
(built with the support of the USSR), director of the Technical
University and the Institute for Information and Scientific Research, head of the National Department for Scientific Research
and Technique with the Guinean Government, Advisor to the
President.
Chrostopher Edde (Nigeria, grad. 1991) – head doctor of
Lagos hospital, head of the Graduates Association.
Magambo Elizabeth (Tanzania, grad. 1977) – president of
the Association of Soviet HEI Graduates – residents of Tanzania
«Society – World», head of the legal department of the Ministry
of Transport.
Ndabarugarise Anaklet (Burundi, grad. 1973) – former director of public tea company with the Ministry for Agriculture of
Burundi.
Nsuka Joseph (Angola, grad. 1976) – head doctor of the hospital in Lunda Sul province of Angola.
Paolo Carlos de Mina (Guinea Bissau, grad. 1969) – former
director of Central State Hospital in Bissau.
Ramdawon Pretidev (Mauritius, grad. 1985) – MD, CEO of
laser medicine clinic in Muritius.
Raharison Victor (Madagascar, grad. 1966) – former deputy
head doctor of the Institute of Public Hygiene.
Saliu-Lawal Mustafa Dapo (Nigeria, grad. 1969) – one of
the leading experts in traumatologic orthopedics.
Solomon Aya Aguale (Nigeria, grad. 1975) – former managing director of private gas service company in Lagos.
Usi Hamis Hadji (Tanzania, grad. 1965) – Vice ProsecutorGeneral of Zanzibar.
77
Juan Antonio Ndongongo (Equatorial Guinea, grad. 1992) –
PhD in Technical Sciences, CEO of «Sonagas» gas company.
Efimba Victor (Cameroon, grad. 1966) – was one of the leading ophthalmologists of Cameroon.
Emmanuel Kalawole Adeyina (Nigeria, grad. 1968) – was
head of tramatologic department in the training medical facility
of Lagos University.
Ester Daniel Mariki (Tanzania, grad. 1966) – first womandoctor of Tanzania, worked at the Central Hospital of Dar es Salaam.
Science and Education:
Abdn Mohammed Humed (Djibouti, grad. 1980) – worked in
Geological Scientific Research Institute of Djibouti.
Adote Pierre (Togo, grad. 1975) – was head of cotton Scientific Research Institute.
Alasan Sangare (Côte d’Ivoire, grad. 1974) – worked in Oil
Seeds Scientific Research Institute.
Alexina Kuarku Arthur (Ghana, grad. 1980) – Russian language teacher at the Russian Language Department of Foreign
Languages Faculty of the University of Ghana.
Ambang Zashe (Cameroon, grad. 1986) – PhD in Agriculture, professor of the University of Yaounde.
Breyma Dumbiya (Mali, grad. 1970) – PhD in Philology,
former vice-president of the Institute of Linguistics, former vicepresident of The International Association of Teachers of Russian
Language and Literature, editor of «The Progress» newspaper,
long-time representative of Mali to UNESCO.
Garcia Bires Joao (Angola, grad. 1974) – former ViceChancellor of the University of Angola (Luanda).
Da Silva Alfons (Benin, grad. 1983) – secretary-general of
the national bureau of the Association of Soviet HEI Graduates,
history and Russian language teacher, head of the Library in
Cotonou, PhD in History (1986).
Dembele Sidiki Gabriel (Mali, grad. 1985) – PhD in Agricultural Sciences, former dean of Rural Polytechnic Institute for
Training and Applied Research in Katibougou (Mali).
78
Djob Edwin Udjah (Nigeria, grad. 1967) – worked at the
Department of Agriculture of Ahmadu Bello University.
Georgina Kopano Mosana (Botswana, grad. 1971) – Russian
language teacher at the University of Botswana.
Grace Ifeinwa Agulefo (Nigeria, grad. 1970) – head of the
Russian language department of Nsukka University.
Ibironke Ladja (Nigeria, grad. 1968) – PhD in Philology, worked at the Russian Language Department of the University of Lagos.
Malezo Al Fon (Zaire, DRC) – PhD in History, dean of the
Faculty of History at the Superior School of Mbandan.
Margaret Alekoya (Nigeria, grad. 1968) – worked at the
Russian Language Department of the University of Lagos.
Maria Celeste Pereira (Angola, grad. 1966) – was the founder of the Institute of Foreign Languages.
Mario Sissoko (Guinea Bissau, grad. 1973) – was the director of the National Labrary and the Center for Scientific Research.
Maftaha Karenga (Tanzania, grad. 1965) – head of department and deputy dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Dar es Salaam.
Murad Taki Ahmed (Sierra Leone, grad. 1966, first student
of PFU) – President of the Pharmaceutical College.
Njona Erastus (Kenya, grad. 1990) – PhD in Agricultural
Sciences, former dean of Egerton University.
Nygussie Kassae Volde Michael (Ethiopia, grad. 1999) –
PhD in History, professor of the Department of Political Sciences
of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of PFUR.
Paul Bonne Michel (Congo, grad. 1979) – teaches history at
Patrice Lumumba School.
Paul Munienembe (Malawi, grad. 1985) – dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Malawi (Lilongwe).
President of PFUR Graduates Association.
Sidibe Usseini (Niger, grad. 1969) – after graduating from
the postgraduate school of Timiryazev Agricultural Academy was
vice-president of the Agricultural Scientific Research Institute.
Traore Balla Mussa (Mali, grad. 1966) – physicist, worked
in the Laboratory of Solar Energy of Bamako.
79
Wedako Prosper (Benin, grad. 1967) – PhD in Economics,
professor, head of department at the university of Benin, vicepresident of the National Institute of Economics of Benin.
Charles Adenfele Alade (Nigeria, grad. 1974) – PhD, professor, head of department at the university of Lagos.
Shegun Olomwuiwa Odunuga (Nigeria, grad. 1974) – internationally recognized expert in the Russian language, propagandist of the Russian language in African Countrires, vice-president
of The International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, head of the Department of Philolgy of the
University of Ibadan.
Ezra Farm Kirounga (Uganda) – PhD in Physics and Mathematics, was deputy dean of the Faculty of Technology of
Makerere University.
Andrew Kawani (Zimbabwe, grad. 1970) – history instructor
at the university of Zimbabwe.
Ernest Chiloembo Chitembo (Republic of the Congo, grad.
1983) – PhD in Economics, professor at the university of Brazzaville.
Yake Gondo (Côte d’Ivoire, grad. 1990) – PhD in Mahtmatics, mathematics instructor at the university of Abidjan.
Yamonshe Jules Aniset (Benin, grad. 2001) – instructor of
the University of Benin.
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND SPORT LIFE
OF AFRICAN STUDENTS IN MOSCOW
Social life
African students have always played an important role in the
life of our University and the academic, scientific, cultural and
sporting activities.
De-ideologization of our society at the beginning of the
1990s had a double impact on the University. On the one hand,
ideological training was abolished and the students were somehow left to themselves. On the other hand, it was an opportunity
to review the life of the University and preserve the best academic traditions of PFUR.
PFU has always intended to keep abreast of the social events,
to inculcate active social position into its students, taught them to
love their motherland even if they were thousands of miles away.
And it wasn’t only for the reasons of ideologization of the soviet
society and the propaganda among foreign students. It was a much
more complex phenomenon. The University is a multinational institution and sometimes it was difficult for the students of different
countries to get along because of their cultural, educational, religious or political background. In the atmosphere of poly-culturalism it was at times hard to promote mutual understanding which
affected the academic activities and the relations among students.
But the University did its best to promote friendly international
relations. It is always necessary and at the same time very difficult
to strike the right balance between tolerance and the right to stand
up for one’s views and convictions. It is difficult to understand and
accept the foreign culture being a patriot of one’s own country.
That is why the University has always given much attention not
only to the academic and scientific activities, but also to the organization of the events that helped the students get to know and
understand the people of other cultures.
81
PFU African students have always been in the know of what
was happening in their home countries and in the world and at
times reacted quite emotionally which lead to conflicts caused by
disagreements in the international communist, labor and national
liberation movement and also by ethnic and religious intolerance
and separatism. It was especially relevant in the 1960–1970s.
Not only Africa but the whole world were keeping tabs on
the situation in the former Belgian Congo (later Zaire, now the
Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1960–1961 and the actions
of its head – legitimate prime minister of Congo Patrice Lumumba. When at night of February 13, 1961 the students heard
on the radio that Patrice Lumumba and his two followers had
been violently killed it provoke unrest in the students dormitory
on Pavlovskaya street. The students wanted to go to the Belgian
embassy at night. R. Romanov, PFU provost, urged the students
to form a committee and prepare a rally for the next day. At night
the students prepared banners and mustered support of the students of the other faculties. The mass rally at the Belgian Embassy took place on February 14, 1961. The African students
broke in the embassy and caused extensive damage1.
Few days later upon request of PFUR communities of African students and PFUR academic board, on February 22, 1961
the Government of the USSR awarded the name of Patrice Lumumba to the University (The Pravda of February 23, 1961). The
University held this title until 1992.
Sub-Saharian African countries have peculiar polyethnic
tribal social structure that manifests in many spheres and very
often leads to domestic and interstate conflicts in Africa. At times
tribalism lead to conflicts among PFU African students being the
direct reaction on the events in their home countries. After all,
PFU African students often represented different ethnic groups.
The most tragic were the days of the Civil War in Nigeria. In
June, 1967 the Civil War broke out in Nigeria. It was caused by
1
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia – 40th anniversary. Past
and present. Materials of the V International Scientific and Practical
Conference. – Moscow, PFUR press, 2000, p. 52.
82
ethnic, political and economic reasons. On May 27, 1967 under
the influence of nationalist groups the rich in oil Eastern region
seceded from Nigeria and declared independence as the Republic
of Biafra. It lead to a bloody Civil War that ended only in 1970
and claimed lives of 500 000 to 2 million people. The two-times
president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo did much for the victory
of the National Military Forces. The war in Nigeria reflected in a
way the situation in all African countries. The Federal government was supported by almost all independent African states
members of the Organization of African Unity and by the USSR.
Then-president of Nigeria Yakubu Gowon in an interview to the
Moscow Radio expressed high opinion regarding the position of
the USSR: «During the meeting with our public leaders you must
have realized how strong is the desire of Nigeria to have good
relations and mutual understanding with the USSR».
During the war Nigerian students of PFU divided in two
camps. Today it is hard to understand the role of such processes
in the formation of the political and cultural mentality of African
students. But back then PFU administration understood that it
was necessary to take into consideration the specific relations
among different ethnic groups when accommodating them in the
dormitory or conducting public events or even in the academic
activities. Since then PFU never faced such incidents.
Another form of expressing the political ideas were numerous rallies. Mainly they were protest or support rallies in the
wake of the international events.
Thus on January 23, 1973 PFU students rallied to mourn the
assassination of Amilcar Cabral, Secretary General of the African
Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
On November 10, 1981 PFU conducted a rally of solidarity
with the struggle of the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America on the occasion of the 36th Anniversary of World Federation
of Democratic Youth establishment.
In the 1970–1980s of utmost relevance was the struggle of
the South African peoples against racism and apartheid. In this
period on the eve of the «Day of Africa» PFU traditionally celebrated a «Week of Soildarity with the Struggle of African Peo83
ples» and a scientific conference dedicated to these problems, a
festival of political songs and other events.
In the mid-1970s Portuguese African colonies commenced
the active struggle for independence. In May, 1974 the University
for the first time celebrated the Day of Africa’s Liberation. Later
this day became the Day of Africa, then the Week of Africa traditionally celebrated annually at the end of April and the beginning
of May. As a matter of fact the events of the Week of Africa last
more than a week and include a scientific workshop dedicated to
the current economic, social, political, cultural and other problems of Africa with the participation of the ambassadors of African countries and leading specialists in African studies, an exhibition of African art. Before it also included a festival of African
films including the films of African graduates of All-Union State
Institute of Cinematography.
Starting from the late 1990–2000s PFUR has also been conducting various events in the wake of current African issues. Annually, the University conducts nights dedicated to memorable dates in
the recent history of Africa: the Independence Day of Guinea Bissau
in September and the night devoted to the Day of National Hero of
Angola Agostinho Neto; an exhibition and a night on the occasion
of the Independence Day of Angola in November; a week of Cameroonian Youth and the Assembly dedicated to the Independence
Day of Gambia; Independence Day of Mauritius in March; the anniversary of Peace Treaty Subscription in Angola in April.
PFUR also celebrates the Days of diplomatic relations establishment between the USSR/Russia and African countries. Thus,
on October 6, 2001 the University hosted a gala night on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment between the USSR and Angola.
PFUR students have traditionally met with the ambassadors
or Embassies representatives, with government delegations of
African countries. On October 18, 2002 the students met with the
government delegation of Burundi, on October 5, 2002 Rwandan
students met with the delegation of the Ministry of Education of
Rwanda, on March 29, 2003 the students met with the deputy
prime minister of Guinea Bissau Pedro Da Costa.
84
In 2004 PFUR hosted the delegation of the National Assembly of Kenya including Dr. Oburu Odinga, graduate of PFUR
Faculty of Economics of 1967, one of the most respected politicians of modern Kenya. And in 2008 Head of Tourism Board of
Kenya Dr. Ongonga Achieng (also graduated from PFUR Faculty
of Economics in 1966) headed the Kenyan delegation at the
MITT-2008 exhibition. He visited the University, met with students and gave a lecture on Kenya and its current position in Africa.
During the first semester of the 2008–2009 academic year
the University was visited by the ambassadors of Kenya, Guinea,
Ethiopia, Namibia who met with students. Such meetings traditionally are very warm and friendly and the students prove to be
very interested and active.
Prearranged meetings between PFUR administration and African diplomats and delegations as a rule focus on the educational
issues, students security, medical services and accommodation.
Since 1961 the University participated in all Marches of
Toilers at the Red Square on the 7th of November and the 1st of
May.
The old-timers remember April 14, 1961 when they together
with other citizens hailed the first cosmonaut Y. Gagarin at the
Leninsky Prospekt in the presence of over 800 students and professors of PFUR, including more than 500 foreign students.
When the cortege was passing the spot where PFUR delegation
was standing, Sudanese student and a football-player A. Zein
sprang over the barrier, jumped on Khrushchev’s car footboard
and gave Yuri Gagrin a bunch of flowers and a note expressing
the admiration with Gagrin’s heroism and the achievements of
science and technique in the USSR.
At that times the University traditionally held meetings with
national liberation movement leaders, state and party leaders,
writers and public figures of Africa.
On September 8, 1972 and December 29, 1976 the students
met with then-Communist Party of the USA prominent member
Angela Davis. In May, 1976 the students and the instructors met
with the President of Mozambique, National Liberation Front
85
Leader Samora Machel. In 1980 the University was visited by
Alfred Nzo, secretary-general of African National Congress. In
May, 1977 the students of the Faculty of History and Philology
met with the renowned South African novelist Alex La Guma. In
1986 PFUR hosted Thomas Sankara, the President of Burkina
Faso. And in 1981 PFUR celebrated a Gala Night with Dean
Reed.
In 1965 Pauline Lumumba, Patrice Lumumba’s widow visited the USSR. She met with PFU president S. Rumiantsev, professors and students and looked at the life of the University that
had been named in honor of her husband. In 1976 Lumumba’s
elder son Francois Lumumba visited the University. Then he was
a postgraduate student of the Faculty of Economics of Budapest
University. Professor V. Stanis, then-president of the University,
offered him to continue the studies at the University of Lumumba, but although Francois was very touched he rejected this
offer saying it would take much time and effort to learn Russian.
Francois Lumumba was invited to the Summer Camp in Makops;
he was very happy to meet the international students of the University and was satisfied with his visit.
In the 1990–2000s the meetings never ceased. PFUR administration, students, professors and postgraduate students met
with heads of African States who were awarded PFUR Doctor
Honoris Causa titles, namely Sam Nujoma, ex president of Namibia (1998); José Eduardo dos Santos, president of Angola
(1998); Thabo Mbeki, ex president of South African Republic
(1998); Olusegun Obasanjo, ex president of Nigeria (2001); El
Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon (2001).
African students were very active not only within the University. They participated in the activites of «Africa» Youth Club
of the House of Friendship, Ignatio Gabriel of Nigeria being its
president in the 1980s. They also participated in the events conducted by the Council for Foreign Students.
PFU African students and graduates contributed to the foundation and activities of Soviet Friendship Societies. Saulo Serwamukoko was secretary-general of «Uganda–USSR» friendship
society, James Kamia being secretary of the executive committee
86
of this society; Ramlal Pokunalala was one of the founders of
«Mauritius–USSR» friendship society and Ivan Luke Rakotomamondji was head of «Madagascar–USSR» friendship society.
PFU delegations participated in World Festivals of Youth and
Students in Helsinki (1962), Sofia (1968), Berlin (1973), La Habana (1978), Moscow (1985), Pyongyang (1989). Our African students were awarded with various prizes for participation in the cultural program of the festivals: Joseph Nsuka, Angola (Berlin,
1973), Jean Marie Vianey, Rwanda (Berlin, 1973), Shirazi Abdul
Rakhim, Uganda (La Habana, 1978), Erik Adjetey, Togo (La Habana, 1978), Cornelius Abdala, Rwanda (La Habana, 1978), Seibu
Wake Nasiru, Benin (La Habana, 1978), Ngoye Ntidaharendere,
Rwanda (La Habana, 1978), Nzabimana Kallikst, Rwanda (La Habana, 1978), Cecilia Selundika, Zimbabwe (La Habana, 1978).
In the summer of 1985 Moscow hosted World Festival of
Youth and Students. In April, 1984 PFU established the steering
committee for the festival headed by the postgraduate student of
the Faculty of History and Philology Laki Siril Mabasa (SAR).
PFU delegates participated actively in the workshops on racism,
apartheid, peace and disarmament, rights of the youth, economic
development, military non-alignment, ecology, Middle-East conflict etc., namely Laki Siril Mabasa (SAR), Kupi Suma (Liberia),
Tabo Mohaleroe (Lesotho), Halina Mamo Bisau (Ethiopia), Okocha Teophilous (Nigeria), Imoro Abdullay (Ghana), Gideon Shoo
(Tanzania), Ramdawon Pretidew (Mauritius), Ibo Gay Jonas
(Côte d’Ivoire), Alfons Da Silva and Gustav Unsa (Benin), Manuel Hanutula (Namibia), Kan Mamadu (Senegal).
In Soviet times we conducted the All-Union Festival of
Amateur Art. PFU African students were the prize-winners of
these festivals: Joseph Nsuka (Angola), Shirazi Abdul Rahim
(Uganda), Jean Marie Vianey (Rwanda), Thomas Bazaminda
(Burundi), Deogratias Hitimana (Rwanda), Janson Michel Rakotoariniwa (Madagascar), Livet Rakotoarumalala (Madagascar),
Cornelius Abdala (Ghana), Abton Tembo (Zambia), Benn Claude
(Benin), Cecilia Seloundika (Zimbabwe).
PFU students participated in the festivals of political songs
in PFU and other soviet cities – Novosibirsk, Riga, Yerevan. Our
87
ensembles from SAR and Namibia were among the prizewinners. African students also always participated in the Nights
of international friendship, in the meetings with pioneers and
schoolchildren, telling about their countries, their culture and current political situation in their countries.
Student communities
Currently there are over 100 international and national organizations of students, postgraduate students and trainees. African students are united in 32 student communities. First African
student communities were established in 1962–1963 (Ghanaian,
Malian, Cameroonian, Ivorian, later – Kenyan). Every community has its structure and organization. Almost all African student
communities charters have been amended to date.
African student communities have been actively participating
in all spheres of PFUR’s life and have their own time-tested forms
of public work. The Communities work for the benefit of every single member, conduct the «welcome nights for freshmen», «farewell
to the graduates» feasts, help the newcomers to adapt to life in Moscow, monitor the academic progress and the discipline of the members and keep in touch with PFUR graduates back in Africa. They
celebrate the national holidays and memorable dates in the history of
their countries, organize themed conferences and symposiums.
In the 1980s some communities tried to support financially
and morally their home states. Thus, in 1982 Ghanaian students
sent 1.3 tones of Medicaments to Ghana. SAR students traditionally sent sporting equipment and text books to a school of ANC
in Tanzania. Namibian students of the Medical Faculty in the
summer of 1982 went to Angola to provide medical care to the
refugees. In 1982 Malagasy students sent humanitarian aid to the
Malagasy flood survivors.
In the mid-1960s first all-union African communities were
established in the USSR with the active participation of our African students, namely: the Union of Angolan Students in the
USSR, a branch of the Union of Botswana Students in the USSR,
88
the Union of Ghanaian Students in the USSR, the Union of Kenyan Students in the USSR, a section of the Union of Mozambican
Students in the USSR, the Union of Somali Students in the
USSR, the Union of Tanzanian Students in the USSR, the Union
of Sierra Leonean Students in the USSR, the Union of Nigerian
Students in the USSR etc.
Among the volunteers of the African student communities in
the 2000s were: Yeo Adama (Côte d’Ivoire), Mekeme Junior
(Cameroon), Sane Ismael (Senegal), Narey Umaru (Niger), Demba Umar Sheikh (Guinea – Conakry), Anice Yamonshe (Benine),
Kulibali Drissa (Mali), Vincent Eshebor (Nigeria), Okot Sylvester (Kenya).
African students have also participated in PFUR selfadministration, e.g. in the administration of the students councils
of the Faculties. Thus, during many years (the 1970–1980s) students council of the Faculty of History and Philology was headed
by Roger Lousaya Maminge (Peoples’ Republic of the Congo),
he was succeeded by Laki Siril Mabasa (SAR); students council
of the Agricultural Faculty was headed by Abdullay Dembele
(Mali) and Nsabonimana Kallikst (Rwanda); and the students
council of the Faculty of Economics and Law was headed by
Akpa Gbary Raphael (Côte d’Ivoire) and Anikara Standford (Nigeria). African students were also members of the executive
committee of Interclub, namely Kosou Kosm (Benin) in the
1980s. In the 2000s Steve Boussiki (Cameroon) has been the
President of the Council of PFUR Campus.
Construction Brigades
One of the activities of the University was the establishment
of International Students Construction Brigades (ISCB).
The first ISCB of the University was formed in 1963 to participate in the building of first PFU dormitories. In 1964 PFU
ISCB fallowed the Shortandy District of Kazakhstan.
In the summer of 1964 for the first time in the USSR an international construction brigade «Youth of the Planet» was estab89
lished. It was formed by 74 citizens of 18 countries. In 1965
Komsomol ordered to dispatch the brigade to the All-Union
«Abakan-Tayshet» construction site. The brigade consisted of
29 people, including 19 African students from Kongo, Kenya, the
Union of the Comoros, Tunisia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Chili,
El Salvador, Columbia, Costa Rica and Cyprus. The brigade
worked in Siberia as part of joint construction brigade of the
Bauman Moscow State Technical University at the AbakanTayshet highway construction site and significantly over-fulfilled
the initial task.
75 our ISCBs worked at the virgin lands. In 1966–1967 one
of this brigades worked at the «Shirokovskiy» Sovkhoz. In
Doroginka community there was no school to admit all children.
In two months our ISCB (5 Soviet students and one African student, Tero Kato Kitali from Uganda) built a two-storey secondary
school.
In 1975 on the occasion of the 15th Anniversary of PFU its
ISCBs were awarded with state prizes for their achievements,
namely Fransus Yabeko (Cameroon), Mbulu Monso (Zaire) and
students from Argentina, Iraq, Japan, India and the USSR. PFU
ISCBs received dozens of honorary pennons for their work and
achievements. Many African students members of the ISCBs
were awarded with Certificates of Honor of PFUR and local administrative bodies.
Our ISCBs worked in Kazakhstan, at BAM (Baikal Amur
Mainline) construction site, in Siberia, Karelia, at Sakhalin, Latvia, Krasnodar Kray and other locations. In the 1970–1980s
100 African students annually (on the average) participated in the
ISCBs. Among them were Julius Shiveva (Namibia, Philology),
Mbulawa Kaniso (SAR, Medicine), Nioni Tchanioni (Zimbabwe,
Mathematics), Rakotoariniwo Janson Michel (Madagascar),
Moabi Mathews (SAR), Ounsa Kwame Gustav (Benin). In the
2000s 80% of members of PFUR ISCBs working on campus and
at the university buildings and dormitories have been African
students.
90
PFUR African Students Association
Until the mid-1990s if there were any problems African students counted on the support of their communities. There was no
need to create a united African Students Association.
With the demise of the USSR in 1991 the situation changed.
When economic reforms began, it turned out that the allowance
for foreign students was not enough, eventually it was abolished,
and the number of African students reduced, not many willing to
study on a contractual basis since Africa in that time also faced
liberalization and consequently socio-economic and political volatility.
The number of African students reduced and African communities of PFUR became less efficient, they became inter-isolated. It was necessary to establish a united organization for all
African students and on February 4, 1996 PFUR established African Students Association. Its Charter was approved by the Council with the President of PFUR in April, 1996.
The Association is one of the most active organizations of
the University and its contribution to the academic, scientific,
cultural and sporting activities can hardly be overestimated.
The Association has no political objectives. It unites the communities of African students and the citizens of some countries that
have not established communities yet. It is formed on voluntary
basis and currently its members number approximately 1000 people. It has to types of membership: collective and individual.
Key objectives of the Association are:
– to represent and defend the interests of African students;
– to provide conditions for successful studentship and studies;
– to popularize spiritual and cultural values;
– to promote friendship among African students and the students from other continents;
– to raise PFUR’s prestige as the international, scientific and
cultural institution of international importance.
The activities of the Association aim to:
– improve social, economic and cultural status of African
students;
91
– contribute to providing conditions to satisfy professional,
scientific, academic and sporting needs of African students;
– jointly with PFUR’s administration solve the problems of
studies, accommodation and order in Campus;
– promote unity among African students;
– contribute to the academic progress of African students;
– organize scientific and cultural events.
The Association cooperates with PFUR Friends Association,
Associations of the Graduates of Russian HEIs, Russian Association of Foreign Students, non-profit, cultural, scientific and other
organizations and associations of the Russian Federation, communities and other public organizations of PFUR. African Students Associations does much to acquaint the staff of the University, Moscow citizens and general public with historical, cultural
and national traditions and customs of African peoples.
In order to fulfill its aims the Association has a Charter that
determines its structure. As any other organization, the Association has steering bodies, each having a determined number of
members and responsibilities. Main bodies are the Congress, Executive Committee, Check-Up Committee and auxiliary committees, board of curators, Executive Committee and auxiliary committees being the most active.
The Executive Committee is formed by 10 members of different African communities and is headed by a President. The
President and his team are elected annually by the Assembly of
African Student Communities. The Executive Committee represents the Association before the University and other institutions
and coordinates all general activities of the Association.
The Executive Committee has 8 auxiliary committees. The
most active is the Women’s Committee headed by Gladys Rotich
(Kenya) and Suzy Fona (Cameroon). The Committee for Education is also very active and tackles academic issues.
Of great concern to the Association is the security of African
students outside PFUR and their adaptation to life in Russia. The
Association regularly conducts meetings with the students of the
Preparatory Faculty to explain to them how they should live and
behave in and outside the University.
92
The masterminds and the founders of the Association were
the graduates and postgraduate students of the University: Adane
Abera Tafera (Ethiopia), graduate of the Faculty of Law, currently MP and district attorney of Addis Abeba, and Emmanuel
Esiyashi (Nigeria). Yeo Adama (Côte d’Ivoire), then-student of
the Faculty of Law, was the first President-elect of the Association.
In the past years the Presidents of the Association were: Yeo
Adama (Côte d’Ivoire), Demba Sheikh Omar (Guinea), Anice Jules Yamonshe (Benin), Richard Eksoma (Nigeria), Abdul Karim
Obadje (Nigeria), Edwin Lukong (Cameroon), Mustafa Mohammed El Hassan (Sudan), Paolo Da Silva (Guinea Bissau), Juldas
Okie Etoumbi (Gabon), Moshili Mama Nsangu (Cameroon),
Barry Abdulai Candia (Guinea), Okoh Emeka (Nigeria).
The Association conducts over 25 major events annually.
Some of them have already become traditional: The Week of Culture of African Peoples (The Week of Africa), Meeting of African Straight-A’s, «African» footlball championships, women’s
mini football, handball and basketball championships, «Miss Africa» beauty pageant, the 8th of March Feast, Graduates Day.
The first Week of Africa took place in 1997 on the occasion
of the anniversary of the Organization of African Unity establishment (May 25). It included the scientific conference dedicated
to civil wars in Africa. The conference was attended by the Ambassadors of Cameroon, Tanzania and Ghana.
In 1998 the Association founded the African Discussion
Club gathering every three weeks. It had five sections (political
sciences, medical sciences, law, journalism and natural sciences).
The first gathering of the Club was devoted to the corruption in
Africa (with the plenary speech of Jose Doria, assistant professor
of PFUR’s International Law Department). The second meeting
of the Club focused on the role of OAU in conflicts settlement.
In the late 1990s the club was closed to be reopened in 2008.
The members of the club gather on a weekly basis. The activities
of the club are organized by Nigussie Kasse Volde Mikael, PhD
in History, professor of the Department of Political Sciences. The
meeting of October 2, 2008 was devoted to the 50th anniversary
93
of African decolonization (it was on the 2nd of October, 1958 that
Guinea gained independence). The meeting was attended by the
extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of Guinea to Russia, Dr. Amara Bangura who delivered a speech, and by diplomats and experts in African studies. Next meeting of the club was
devoted to the conflicts in Africa. Among the speakers were the
famous writer, expert in Africa, PhD Y. Vinokurov, and specialist
in Ethiopia M. Volpe. Another meeting dedicated to the globalization and Africa was attended by PFUR experts in political
studies, professor A. Ushkov, professor D. Slizovskiy. The meetings are always place for fervent discussions, collisions of different points of view.
In 2008 the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences inaugurated the Room of African Studies where one can find various
exhibits from Tropical Africa and many books on history, politics, economy and culture of African countries. Also the exhibition includes the gifts of the students, graduates and postgraduate
African students and the instructors who worked in different
countries of the region.
For sure, the Association has found its niche in PFUR but it
continues to develop and search for new working methods. It was
established in hard times when there were fewer African students
in PFUR than before, and some African PFUR communities existed only on paper. It surged as a result of demands, needs and
decisions of African students and met their every-day needs and
requirements. Those who worked in the Association, had a very
useful experience they will undoubtedly use in their future life
and career.
It is absolutely obvious that the Association wouldn’t be so
efficient had id not be for the support of PFUR administration
and African corpse diplomatique in Moscow. The executives of
the Association meet annually with PFUR’s President to discuss
the outcomes of their work, solve the problems and coordinate
their activities.
The Association is backed by African Embassies in Moscow.
African diplomats attend many of the events conducted by the
Association and provide financial support which is very impor94
tant since the Association is a non-profit organization. Among the
active supporters of the Association are the Embassies of Angola,
Tanzania, Nigeria, Mozambique, Guinea, Cameroon. Also the
Association is backed by PFUR Friends Association and the Association of the Wives of African Ambassadors.
53 African countries need specialists for their education systems, and the Association supports the young specialists who will
eventually develop Africa’s science, culture, economy, social and
political institutions, education and medicine and international
relations.
African amateur ensembles and art groups
African students have always actively participated in cultural
and sporting events of the University.
In 1961 PFU established the International Club (Interclub)
for vocal ensembles, choirs, instrumental and dance groups, art
studio. All these groups were headed by professional artists,
dancers and musicians. Thus, in 1961 PFU organized an international dance ensemble directed by V. Butkina, former ballerina of
the Bolshoi.
Interclub became an authentic art community. It had a public
board of faculties and communities representatives, among them
were Ai D’Almeida, Togo (first president of the Club) and Kosou
Kosm, Benin.
African students performed together in art groups of African
communities. Currently hundreds of African students participate
in amateur ensembles of Interclub.
Manny of the vocal and instrumental ensembles were wellknown outside the University: Nigerians Tropicans (Nigeria), The
Star of Africa (Rwanda), Ogidigidi (Ghana), folk vocal groups of
the students form Madagascar, Mali, Burundi, SAR, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, People’s Republic of the Congo, dance groups
from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Ghana, Mali, SAR, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Mauritius; choir of South African students, multiple
prize-winner of All-Union Political Song Contests.
95
Many Africans were multiple laureates of World Festivals of
Youth and Students, All-Union Festivals of Amateur Art, Political Song Contests. Clarissa Polinias and Valer Bandili in Angolan
dance «Candimba», Joseph Nsuka in «Kalinka» and Chetne
Okoro-afo and Benjamin Ocaro in «Afro-Cha-cha-cha» became
trademark performers of the University known all around the
world. In April, 1988 V. Zatsepin and William Cine-Bailey (Sierra Leone) won the prize for best art song at the X International
Student Festival of Political Songs.
In the 1960–1980s our soloists performed at the Kremlin
Palace of Congresses, Column Hall of the House of Unions and
«Rossiya» Concert Hall: Moses Garber (Sierra Leone), Cornelius
Abdala (Ghana), Beni Claude (Cameroon), Cecilia Seloundika
(Zimbabwe), Erik Agetey (Togo), Zouma Berten (Madagascar),
Alfons da Silva (Benin).
Our African students appeared in motion pictures such as
«Tom Sawyer», «The Return of the Resident», «TASS is Authorized to Declare». They participated in TV shows: «Arts and
Crafts», «Little Blue Light» (Goluboy Ogonyok), «Widen the
Circle» (Shire Krug), «Dances of the World», «Young Voices»,
«Traveling around the World», «New Year at Different Continents». African students also constantly participate in PFU team
of «The Merry and Inventive» (KVN).
In the 1960s Guinean students directed a documentary «This
Winter in Moscow» about the life of African students in Moscow.
As mentioned above, later during the Week of Africa there was a
festival of African movies including those by African graduates
of the Institute of Cinematography (e.g. documentary about the
celebration of National Day of Tanzania in the USSR in 1968).
In 2004–2008 ensembles of the Interclub, including the African ensembles, performed at the Moscow House of Nations,
Moscow Centre for Culture of Peace and Tolerance, in cultural
centers of embassies (The Embassies of Ethiopia and Angola).
Interclub has always hosted concerts and meetings of students and professors with many prominent people, namely the
presidents of Zimbabwe, Madagascar, India; Paul Robson, Thor
Heyerdahl, Bertrand Russel, S. Budenniy, Dean Reed, I. Papanin,
96
cosmonauts G. Beregovoy, A. Nikolayev, V. Bykovskiy, Mambers of the Academy of Sciences M. Millionshikov, Y. Ovchinnikov, E. Tchazov.
Apart from song and dance ensembles, many African students are members of art studio, theatre group and group of artistic declamation.
On February 5, 1962 PFU published the first issue of University newspaper «The Druzhba» («The Friendship») with the
active participation of then-student and now internationally famous Russianist, professor Shegun Odunuga (Nigeria). At different ti-mes the newspaper editors were Jason Samuel Ogola
(Kenya), Kwame Dochi Arhin (Ghana), Ignatius Gabriel (Nigeria), Donata Radsaunarivelu (Madagascar). Every issue of the
newspaper was sent to all continents.
In PFUR there has always been a group of poets and novelist, some of them were acclaimed by the readers and their works
were published in the mass media. In the 1960–1980s these were
the poems of Clifford Okocha (Nigeria) and J.K. Chachua (Cameroon). Some authors have been publishing their poems in «The
Druzhba»: Temba Tabete (SAR), Ansogba Romen (Benin), Lawrence Ansong (Nigeria), Carlos Alberto Saraiwa (Angola), Carvalho Fonseca (Angola), William Yao Darco (Ghana).
The group has conducted meetings with famous poets: Y. Yevtushenko, A. Voznesenskiy, S. Schipatchyov, African poet Zimbabke Ndolou.
Africans are traditionally talented in poetry, music and
dance. Poetry has always a way to express their feelings, grieves
and joys, it sang lullabies and called for freedom. African poetry
has special lyricism, mysticism, sensuality. It is for a reason that
Europeans have called African poets «Black Orphei».
In the USSR African poetry was discovered in the 1960s.
We published anthologies of African poetry and the verse of
young African poets – students of Soviet HEIs.
«Ogonyok» published small themed books of poems, some
of which were devoted to young African poets. Preface to one of
these books was written by the renowned Soviet poet Yevgeniy
Dolmatovskiy. He praised the achievements of modern African
97
poetry: «Middle of the XX century is a landmark in the history of
our planet. European powers are losing their colonies one by one.
It is not by chance: the oppressed peoples have risen from
knees… I have visited many African countries and had the opportunity to get acquainted with African poetry. In Africa there is
poetry in tribal languages, mostly oral poetry that has much to do
with songs and music, and the poetry in the languages of the metropolis… Both have energetic rhythm, interesting concepts and
impetuosity»1.
In this book there were poems of our students – Joseph Akkem Fondem (Cameroon), student of the Faculty of History and
Philology, and Bendili Moloky (Nigera), student of the Medical
Faculty.
Джозеф Аккем (Камерун), 1965 г.2
Голос негра
В дрожащих сумерках на горизонте лет
Я вижу судно – Черный континент, –
Вплывающее в зыбкий мир мечты.
В затерянном, как континент, году
Тогда воображенье натыкалось
На заросли лиан:
– А что за ними? –
И на преданья предков:
– Кто за ними?
Тогда лишь зверь готовил нам беду,
А стычки между нами были редки,
А знанье обрывалось, как тропа,
У случая плетясь на поводу.
1
The Black Swan and the White Swan are Friends! // Verse of
young African poets – students of Moscow Universities. «Ogonyok»
Library, № 14. – Moscow, «Pravda’ Publishers, 1965, р. 3–4.
2
Ibid., р. 5–7.
98
Тогда
Я потерял моих потомков имя,
Был разлучен я с предками своими,
И превращен в раба,
И назван негром
На берегах Америки.
Да, это я, негр,
В поте лица хлопок ращу,
В поте лица строю мосты,
В поте лица нефть ищу,
Скрепляю рельсов стыки.
Бегут поезда через мосты,
В них мчатся хлопок мой, нефть моя, кровь моя.
Музыка джаза,
И та моя!
Нет в них книг для меня!
Нет в них мест для меня!
Сзади меня сожгли мосты,
Передо мной зажгли кресты.
Прошлое – будущее,
В пламени бушующие!
Негр!
Откликаюсь на это имя.
Негр!
В кулаки сжимаются пальцы.
Негр!
Это руками моими Земля домами поднимается,
И окна домов смотрят туда,
Откуда пришел негр, – за океан.
А там – в тамтамы весело бьют
Впервые за сотни лет,
А там – годами накопленный взрыв
Цепи вскинул, землю взрыв,
Для новых посевов!
Все мы, все мы, все мы –
99
Негры как Ниагара,
Если поднимем голос.
Все мы, все мы, все мы – желтые, черные, белые,
Мы, работая, историю делаем.
Мы, как зерна, собраны в колос.
Кто различит нас, когда мы в хлебе?
Лебедь белый и лебедь черный – дружат!
Птицы в небе вместе кружат.
Негр?
Я африканец.
Негр?
Я сын человека.
Руки сомкнем и выйдем на битву века!
Против белых с черными душами,
Против черных с рабьими душами.
Потушим, потушим, потушим мы
Злобы огни в глазах
И рык в голосах
Потушим!
Currently PFUR poets follow the traditions of its founders.
Вильям Яо Дарко (Гана), 2006 г.
Знание
Что такое знание?
Я имею в виду любое знание – глубокое и прекрасное.
Знание того, кто ты такой
И нужен ли ты людям – детям и взрослым,
Умным и глупым, белым и черным, богатым и бедным,
Достоин ли ты их.
За знаниями мы ходим в школу,
А потом в институт,
100
Мы изучаем математику и философию,
Социологию и психологию.
Почему мы стремимся к знаниям?
Это – фундамент жизни,
Это – дыхание общества,
Это – дорога вперед.
Без знаний нельзя создать общество,
Нельзя управлять государством,
Нельзя производить и защищать людей.
Без знаний нельзя быть созидателем,
Нельзя быть полезным для общества.
Но иногда знание убивает.
Это происходит, когда им воспользуются преступники,
Когда оно порождает ненависть.
Поэтому знание должно быть только положительным,
Строителем, а не разрушителем,
Миром, а не войнами.
Когда оно перестанет быть продажным,
На земле наступит мир.
It is only in comparison that one can see and understand the
similarities and the differences, uniqueness and singularity of different aspects of human society and cultural and ethnic peculiarities of different peoples of the world. That is why in order to understand and to know each other it was not only necessary to
show Russian culture to Africans but also to acquaint Russian
people with the traditional and modern culture of African peoples.
First exhibition of African in Moscow art took place in 1967.
At the end of the 1980s with the active participation of assistant professor V. Nikitin «PFU History Museum» was established. It exists up to now and constantly broadens its collection
mainly with the gifts of PFU graduates and delegation visiting the
University, including the African guests. Apart from its permanent exposition the museum conducts themed expositions. In
2004–2005 it opened the exposition on the culture and traditions
101
of Ethiopian peoples and their relations with Russia – «Russia–
Ethiopia. Century of Friendship». In 2005 on the occasion of the
60th anniversary of Russian Cultural Center in Addis Ababa establishment, the museum sent to Ethiopia a themed photographic
exhibition «PFUR and Education of Ethiopian Students». In 2007
the museum organized the personal exhibition of the Member of
the Union of Photographers of Russia Vasiliy Klimov titled «Africa in My Heart».
African students played an important role in the establishment of the Museum of Africa in Moscow school № 1445.
Traditionally interesting is the program of the Week of Africa and the «Planet Yugo-Zapad» Festival organized by PFUR
African communities and art groups and supervised by PFUR African Students Association.
During the Week of Africa and the Folk Festival visitors
may see the performances of African art groups and the exhibitions of traditional African art.
The first Day of Africa (since 1997 – the Week of Africa) was
celebrated in 1974 and now it is traditionally celebrated on the 20s of
April (the latest Week of Africa gathered some 2000 participants).
The first International Folk Festival took place in May 1,
1987 at the Miklukh-Maklaya Street with the participation of
over 60 amateur ensembles of PFUR from Asia, Africa and Latin
America. Over the years this festival has become a very important event. Now it is a district feast of students «Planet YugoZapad» and is conducted with the support of district administration and PFUR. In 2005 the Festival was attended by 10 000 visitors. Africa traditionally presents over 30 exhibitions of Authentic Art and African art groups (dance and song) participate in the
final concert of the festival.
Apart from these all-University events African communities
organize nights and exhibitions dedicated to the life of their countries. Thus, in the 2000s Nigerian community has traditionally
celebrated the Week of Nigerian Peoples at the end of November.
A series of meetings «Evening at the Motherland» dedicated to
various African countries are also conducted under the aegis of
African Students Association.
102
The University also has a Women’s Committee, African students
being its active members. In the 1980s it was headed by Marta Mpentubundi and later – by Danisilie Sibanda (Zimbabwe). African Students Association also has its women’s committee. In March, 2003 it
organized the gala night on the occasion of the Day of Angolan
Women, and in March, 2007 it conducted an exhibition and conference «Role and place of African women in modern world». Women’s
committees organize cultural events for African students, couples day,
days of culture and cuisine of different African countries.
African communities have also traditionally conducted «Miss
African Students Association» beauty pageants and participate in
the «Miss Africa» contest.
«Miss African Students Association» unites all African girls
studying in PFUR. It was established in 1998 and traditionally
takes place in May. First winner of this contest was Monica
Nashandi (Namibia), in 2007 – Mabinto Ndjai (Guinea Bissau)
and in 2008 – Kiana Seif Rashidi (Preparatory Faculty, Tanzania). This event is traditionally attended by PFUR students and
African diplomats working in Russia.
Our African students also participate in «Miss Africa» contest organized by the corps diplomatique of African countries.
Until the mid-1990s the University had a resort in Makops,
not far from Sochi and also camps in Koshnitsa and Merenesti
(Moldova) so African students could spend their vacation in
south. Also the University has always organized excursions
across the country for foreign students. Of course in Soviet times
the students had more opportunities to visit all places of interest
in the USSR. Currently we organize excursions across Moscow,
the Moscow Region, the Golden Ring and St. Petersburg.
PT and sports
African students always participate in all sporting events at
the university.
In Soviet times African and Latin American students were
the core of PFU teams in all kinds of sport and participated in all
contests among HEIs and the International Moscow Olympics.
103
Team sports have always been most popular among African
students – football, basketball, mini football, handball – as well
as track and field. African students have traditionally won the
competitions in sprint, high jump, long jump.
African students have always been talented sportsmen and
sport leaders. We can mention Theodore Cuarte (Angola), Amado
Dumbia (Mali), Mohammed Elgadi (Sudan), Emmanuel Ekboga,
Ayodel Koedjo, Latif Babs Husein, Latif Ogboe, Martin Gasiwu,
Udom Samuel (Nigeria), Raphael Imbiason (Cameroon), Nagbojules Hodonu, Nestor Hodonu (Benin), Andrew Sibanda (Zimbabwe), Stanley Chola (Zambia), Ratsrazka Ratsimandresi (Madagascar), Fred Opont Checheku (Ghana), Justice Muyogoro
(Tanzania) etc. In the 2000s – Francois Ngan Tony (Cameroon),
Diomande Dro Hiasinte (Côte d’Ivoire), Alrayed Harrison (Nigeria).
Currently African Students Association and Sport Complex
of the University jointly organize annual championships; football
championships, women’s mini football championships, women’s
handball championships, women’s basketball and volleyball
championships (for African students).
In 2006 Cameroonian team won the championships in mini
football, and Equatorial Guinea won the women’s mini football
championships. In 2007 Guinea won the winter basketball championships and Ghana won mini football championships. In 2007
Ghana won football championships as well as world Universities
championships.
In 2008 during summer holidays African students participated in the «World Championships» in football, Ghana winning
the event.
PFUR SEEN THROUGH THE EYES
OF ITS PROFESSORS AND ALUMNI
Charles Alade (Nigeria) –
Graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology in 1974.
PhD in History, professor of the University of Lagos
In 1984 Charles Alade defended a PhD dissertation and
came back to Nigeria to become one of the leading professors of
the University of Lagos. Apart from academic and scientific activities, Mr. Alade is involved in administrative work.
Professor Charles Alade was the mastermind and the chief
coordinator of the graduate course in international relations and
strategic research at the university of Lagos (1998–1999); he also
was the chief coordinator of the postgraduate course in international relations (2000–2002).
In 2002–2005 Charles Alade was the vice-president of the
Campus of the University of Lagos and the head of the History
and International Relations Department.
Apart from the academic activities, Charles Alade was the
representative for the vice-president of the Center for Environmental Protection of the Ministry of Education of Nigeria and the
member of the University Senate (1998–2005).
Mr. Alade is the author of a number of course books recommended for the students of Nigerian universities and the contributor of Nigerian and international scientific publications.
Professor Alade’s children – Helen and Michael – also studied in PFUR.
Michael Alade graduated from PFUR Medical Faculty in
2005 (Magna Cum Laude, PhD in surgery). His thesis was approved by the British Medical Association. He currently works at
the Surgery Department of the University of Lagos.
105
Complimentary Address
I would like to express my most heartfelt congratulations on
the occasion of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
50th Anniversary.
I am proud to be the graduate of this great University, the
citadel of education and science. On October 2, 2008 it was
40 years since the day I came to the Soviet Union willing to seek
knowledge and succeed in science. The years in Moscow were
the best and undoubtedly the most memorable of all my life.
Whatever I do and whoever I am, I always remember and appreciate that wonderful time.
I remember with special nostalgia the year when I started to
learn Russian. Our first teacher – Lidiya Kirilina – didn’t only
teach us to understand the grammar and the phonetics, she also
instilled in us the love for Russian art, literature, culture, customs
and traditions.
Up to now I remember the gripping lectures of the internationally famous expert in Egiptology, Member of the Academy of
Sciences, Mikhail Korostovtsev who literally submerged us in the
atmosphere of the Ancient World. I will never forget the Head of
my Department, a talented researcher and the member of the
Academy of Sciences of universal acclaim Ahmed Iskenderov or
the professor of ethnography Pavel Puchkov. I admire all of my
teachers: professor Tamara Batayeva and the supervisor of my
graduation work and my PhD thesis, associate professor Lidiya
Zarina.
I also remember with warmth and gratitude my fellow students Gennady Sokolov, Ludmila Ponomarenko, Mario Sissoco,
Bernard Lasite and many others.
I am sincerely grateful to our senior instructors N. Zemsky
and V. Gasparov, who devoted much of their precious time and
energy to our problems and gave us valuable advice.
All our professors and instructors were great professionals
and wonderful people. They gave us fundamental knowledge and
we always look up to them and worship them whatever we do.
106
Vladimir Savin (Russia) –
Graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology in 1972.
Professor of the Department of the History of Russia
PFU Graduates in Angola:
the memories that became history
In the mid-1980s – early 1990s I was dispatched for five years to Angola. It was quite an interesting experience to work at
the Faculty of Law (ISCED) of Agostinho Neto University mostly because the majority of my students had vast professional and
life experience but didn’t have the higher education: they were
school headmasters, social workers of the Ministry of Education
and other ministries and administrative agencies of the country.
In the mid-1980s Angola was still fighting the Civil War, the
capital was full of refugees, tensions were running high. But we
had to put up with that and do our best to fulfill our mission, to
help the people of Angola to train highly qualified specialists. Before that I had worked in Latin America and had been to Africa,
but this was a different situation. It wasn’t enough just to get used
to it, it was necessary to understand and accept it and live like the
Angolans. My son and my wife were with me and it made the life
much easier, but still I spent most time at the «predio» where all
the University professors lived. I was very happy to find out that
in Luanda and other provinces of the country there were many
graduates of the Peoples’ Friendship University and other Soviet
universities which made the work quite pleasant. It won’t be an
exaggeration to say that every meeting with the graduates of my
University was special. They were highly qualified people, educated on the principles of friendship, mutual understanding and
support. It was like a breath of Lumumban air although we hadn’t
been fellow students and didn’t know each other back in Moscow.
There were also many Soviet PFU graduates in the Republic.
Within a short period of time we formed some sort of non-formal
association of our graduates – Angolans, Soviet people, other Africans, Latin Americans who lived and worked in this wonderful
107
yet struggling country. I am not only referring to the climate,
flora and fauna. I always admired the people of Angola – simple,
open-heated, decent and kind. During my stay I never faced disrespect. And it’s the honest truth. All this and first of all the presence of our graduates, feeling of support made us feel at home. It
was an island of our Motherland and our University.
New stage of contacts and cooperation began with the visit
to Luanda of PFU Pro-Rector for International Relations D. Bilibin in January of 1987. His agenda included among others a
meeting with PFU and other soviet universities graduates. Notably, there had been many «our» people in Angola prior to my arrival – Alexey Maklashov and Georgy Mekokishvili, PFU Faculty of Economics and Law graduates, representatives of Union
of Soviet Friendship Societies; Sergey Dorenko, graduate of the
Faculty of History and Philology, interpreter of the National Political School; Vladimir Timoshek, graduate of the Faculty of
History and Philology, 1st secretary of the Soviet Embassy in Angola; Mikhail Lesovoy, graduate of the Faculty of Economics and
Law, advisor to the Embassy; Nikolay Frolenkov, graduate of the
Faculty of Economics and Law, advisor to the Embassy; Evgeniy
Tcherevik, graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Law, member of the Representative Office of the UN in South West Africa;
Alexander Zelentsov, graduate of the Faculty of Economics and
Law, head of the team of soviet professors of the National Political School; Leonid Ranchniskiy, graduate of the Agricultural
Faculty, executive of the Soviet Trade Mission in Angola. Of
great importance for the training of administrative workers was
the work of the graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Law,
professor, PhD in Law, head of the Department of Civil and Labor Law Vitaliy Bezbakh, who gave lectures to the executive
workers of the ministries and agencies of Angola in the Institute
of State Administration (Instituto da Administracao do Estado) of
Angola.
Non-PFUR graduates also contributed to our work – the professors and the staff members of PFU working in Angola, most
notably assistant of the Student Department of PFU Viktor Prokopiev, who supervised the Courses of the Russian Language,
108
and many others who together with other graduates laid the foundation for contacts and cooperation among PFU graduates.
The meeting took place southward of Luanda, on the Atlantic coast, not far from the National Museum of Slavery, former
center of slave trade in the colonial times, where the slaves were
sold for Brazil and other countries of Latin America. Everyone
took part in the preparation of this meeting – PFU graduates from
Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Congo, Latin America. This meeting
was special because the families of PFU graduates, their wives
and children, also participated in it. We built special huts to hide
from the tropical sun and heat and laid the «international» table
as we do it in Russia. Later the head of the Representative office
of the Union of Soviet Friendship Societies Georgy Mekokishvily
suggested that we arranged a reception on the occasion of
D. Bilibin’s arrival and invited all PFU graduates and other soviet
universities with their families. Our further stay in Angola was
full of meetings with our «fellows» from PFU in the House of
Friends Association in Luanda, Karl Marx theater, spectacular
sport venues during various competitions attended by Soviet
teams or during the important national events.
I would like to mention our Angolan graduates who as hosts
always helped us in our work and our everyday life. I knew that
Theodore Cuarta, graduate of the Faculty of History and Philology,
then-executive representative of UNESCO in Angola and later the
head of International Relations Department of Agostinho Neto
University. Then he already had four children and a good career.
Every meeting of our families at my or his house was warm and
touching. Being educated in the International Orphan Home in
Ivanovo, Theo spoke perfect Russian. Later he was a pioneer, a
Komsomol member, got good education. The only difference from
us was the color of his skin, but for us, educated on the principles
of internationalism and the respect for people of all races and nations, it didn’t matter. The most important thing was the personality, not the color. And Theo was and is a wonderful person.
I was surprised to meet the graduate of the Faculty of History and Philology, the historian Emmanuel Difuilla. Once our
super Felipe came and said that there was a man waiting for me,
109
an Angolan. When I came down I didn’t recognize in this formidable man my fellow student, although during the University
years we had lived on the same floor in the Dormitory. When he
introduced himself, I remembered Emmanuel, still a young man,
very thin but very energetic. He was still very energetic then, in
the 1980s. At that time he was one of Angolan trade union leaders, responsible for international relations, he traveled constantly
all around the world. He was an important public figure, but he
hadn’t forgotten anything, he hadn’t lost his connection with the
University. During my stay we met several times and these meetings were always kind, pleasant and full of remembrances of our
studentship, our professors and our friends.
Another PFU graduate held an important post in the Angolan
Ministry of Health – Joseph Nsuka, graduate of the Medical Faculty. Already as a student – and he had been a good student – he
was involved in amateur performances, he was a fervent advocate
of Angolan culture. His brilliant Russian and Angolan dances inspired everyone, nobody could stay indifferent. It’s not by chance
that Joseph was member of PFU delegation during the X World
Festival of Youth and Students in Berlin in 1973 and was
awarded with several prizes. Back in Angola, after many years of
work and experience, he was still energetic and friendly, although
he was an important state official.
I can’t but mention our Latin American graduates who also
worked in Angola. I mean Jorge Rodriguez Alarcon (Peru),
graduate of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, who worked
at Agostinho Neto University at the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
He was and is an open-hearted, honest and fair person, very industrious – even his friends and family call him a «toiler». Now
Jorge works at the PFUR Department for Students Supervision.
But back then, far away from Russia, our conversations were a
real delight for me and my family. He is a close, even intimate
friend always willing to help. I also met and had interesting discussions with the Graduate of PFUR Faculty of Engineering Guillermo Tavara (Peru), who then worked at the Ministry for Construction of Angola. A well-rounded person, he was an expert in
the problems of economy, politics, history, a passionate supporter of
110
justice and peoples’ friendship. I also met several times with Edilberto Abergu (Peru), graduate of the Medical Faculty, who worked
in an Angolan hospital. I had heard him to be a good specialist and a
wonderful person. There were other PFUR graduates – from Angola, Cape Verde, SAR, Guinea Bissau and other countries who
used every opportunity to meet their colleagues from PFU.
PFU graduates also often met at she Soviet School in Angola
where studied the children of soviet specialists, the children from
the Warsaw Pact countries, and the children of Soviet-Angolan
families. The feasts of the school were always very nice, it was
real internationalism, all as a united family, which helped create
the atmosphere of friendship in a far away country. I always feel
somehow excited when I hear news from Angola on the radio, on
the TV or meet the Angolans, whose children study now in
PFUR, I always remember this unique country, the years spent
there and the kind Angolan people.
Of course the most mobile was that group of soviet PFU graduates who spoke Portuguese, knew the history and the culture of Angola. We worked in different groups and participated in joint events,
both formal and informal. I also think I should mention the good
work of wonderful people, graduates of the Faculty of Physics and
Mathematics, Anatoly Krapivko, lamentably deceased, and Ivan
Shendrik, who worked at the Cunene campus of the University in
the south of the country in hard war times and were always cheerful
and responsible for their mission. Ivan Kolbin, graduate of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, also worked in Angola long
enough. Like other «Lumumbans» he was always to help me when
I, as a head of the group of soviet instructors, needed his assistance.
Time flies. Some things we forget, but the most important
stays intact and it is unforgettable, it is always in your heart. This
part of our lives is interesting not only because we worked in this
astonishing tropical country but also because we met wonderful
people, PFU graduates who had warmest memories about their
professors, instructors and PFU staff who had helped them to become real professionals. We should never forget it!
I wish you all the best, my dear PFU and PFUR graduates,
wherever you are!
111
Michael Wolde (Ethiopia) –
Graduated from PFUR in 1991, PhD in history, professor
of the Department of Political Sciences of the Faculty of Humanities
and Social Sciences of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
Looking back on my life, since 1985 closely connected with
the University, I realize that it was typical for the students of my
generation.
I came to Moscow at the end of August of 1985 from thensocialist Ethiopia, country that changed its name four times during the XX century.
Ethiopian students of PFU had to pass a special commission.
I wasn’t so lucky to get admitted to PFU and had to go to Voronezh. But the destiny decided otherwise. I was late for the train
twice and of course the official of the Ministry of Education was
very angry and said that if I were late another time, they would
send me back to Ethiopia. That’s why on the day of my departure
I didn’t leave my room in the hotel to avoid any bad luck. And
the fate was waiting there for me. In August of 1985 I met thenstudent of the fourth year of PFU Faculty of Law Helina Mamo,
volunteer of the Union of Soviet Friendship Societies, who introduced me to Sergey Muravyov, senior teacher of PFU. It happened so that on the day of my departure for Voronezh he came
to the hotel to fetch PFU students. He took me with them to the
PFU dormitory on Miklukho-Maklaya Street and I spent there
two weeks in quarantine.
I entered the Preparatory Faculty majoring in Philology and
simultaneously studied a course in Law.
There were six girls in my group and I was the only young
man. We had a wonderful Russian language teacher – Nelly Sheglova. She didn’t only teach Russian, but also tried to familiarize
us with the Russian culture, explained to us the peculiarities of
life in Moscow, took us to excursions, museums and theatres.
Thanks to Mrs. Sheglova, I love Russian art and often visit exhibitions and theatres in my spare time.
After leaving the Preparatory Faculty I didn’t know which
course to choose – I was interested in various. That’s why during
112
the first year I majored in law, journalism and philology, but finally chose history as I was convinced that history was the most
fundamental science and other humanities were just part of it.
Later I heard the saying: «History is the mother of all sciences».
Our group was very friendly and tight-knit. I was the head
boy of my group. I remember how during the first year the
teacher of History of the Primitive Society gave us an assignment
to compose and draw the table of human evolution and we spent a
whole week in the library. Believe me, our tables were not just
assignments, they were works of art.
In summer of 1986 I went to the Black Sea, to Makops. One
morning I went for a walk and found myself in some village with
small neat houses and fruit gardens. The villagers turned out to be
very open-hearted and curious. When I told them I was from Africa they remembered that Pushkn’s ancestors were also from Africa so they gave me a whole basket of fruit.
While at the university, I participated in various events. In
the summer of 1987 I went to Siberia as a member of international construction brigade. We came to Ust-Kut and were astonished by the beauty of those places: 1000-year old forest,
berries, clean air and water. Upon arrival they gave us all we
needed, including the clothes. We – the foreigners – were most
perplexed when we saw tarpaulin boots and foot wraps and it
took us some time to learn to put them on. We had to repair the
railway station and shovels were our key instrument. I had never
held a shovel in my hands before that and at first it seemed to
me very heavy, unhandy and blunt and at first I was afraid that
no good would come of it. Then the chief of our brigade told me
that I should feel the shovel, that it should be like an «extension
of my arm». And in a few days I threw chad the farthest. During
that trip I also visited Lake Baikal and I will never forget the
beautiful, primeval nature of that places. In 1989 I traveled with
the construction brigade to Tselinograd (now – Astana), we repaired a school and built some houses. We had wonderful relations with the local residents and organized feasts and discos
together. I befriended one family, and they gave me a rabbit. By
the end of summer I had eight rabbits.
113
In summer of 1989 I as a member of PFU delegation traveled to Pyongyang to the XIII World Festival of Youth and Students. Our delegation was one of the most active and participated
in almost all events. I made a presentation of the economic problems of Africa.
In the winter of 1990 I went to Vladivostok. There I met the
world famous Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov. On behalf of
PFU students I gave him the emblem of our University so that
he would take it to the North Pole. When I came back I felt like
a real «star» of the University. My comeback was broadcast on
TV.
In 1991 I got Master’s degree and my supervisor, professor
Lyudmila Ponomarenko advised me to apply to the postgraduate
school. However, she knew one of my flaws. I am a very compulsive person and I am interested in various problems. During my
studies I attended not only the lectures on History but also the
lectures for journalists and lawyers. I was interested in many subjects, in religion and international relations. But Mrs. Ponomarenko taught me to set the task and solve it step by step. It was
she who gave me the Polish book about the life of the Emperor of
Ethiopia. As a result I wrote and defended a PhD thesis on «Emperor Haile Selassie I and the Foreign Policy of Ethiopia».
It is just a brief outline of my biography. But when I wrote
that I looked back once again and understood that thanks to being
the student of PFU I traveled across all the USSR and abroad and
found many friends. I know for sure that I have enough impressions to write a book and maybe someday I will.
Rafael Arslanov (Russia) –
Graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology in 1975.
PhD in History, professor of the History of Russia Department.
In 1984–1987 worked in Mali
My working trip to Mali lasted from September 1, 1984 till
June 30, 1987.
I worked in the Ecole Normale Superieure of Bamako, in
other words in the institution training instructors for Malian
114
higher and secondary education system and for the state administration. I gave lectures on Ancient History, Medieval History for
the first-year students and the History of Eastern Europe for the
second-year students with the emphasis on the history of Russia.
I gave lectures in French so the first year turned out to be extremely difficult since I had to prepare the lectures in French
without having enough literature on the subject. Besides I had to
get acquainted with the unfamiliar for me French-like system of
higher education (trimester system with written assignments for
examinations etc.). At the end of each trimester I had to grade
over 250 papers using a 20-point scale.
Malian students entered the Institute after getting a Bachelor’s degree without any examination. But during the first year
roughly half of them were expelled for academic failure. It created additional psychological problems for the instructors but on
the other hand improved out colloquial French.
I am very grateful for the support I got from the Malian instructors – graduates from Soviet HEIs (PFU and Moscow Sate
University). Besides they helped me to adapt to hard climate and
living conditions in Mali. As a rule, Malian students and instructors loved Russia. Recently, when I traveled to Grenoble I met
the professor of Pierre Mendes France University who said it was
a shame that Russia «had left» Africa. He said that Russia had
forgotten the HR and intellectual potential and the specialists we
trained in Soviet era, although it could be a real support for Russia in Africa.
In the 1980s there was a big Soviet community un Bamako,
in which PFU graduates played a special role. They were professors (V. Fyodorov, V. Yarkin, A. Belousov) and diplomats (the
Union of Soviet Friendship Societies representative G. Afonitch).
All PFU graduates had mutual respect and supported each other,
and remembered with warmth their Alma Mater. Up to now when
we meet we remember that hard but unforgettable time we had in
Mali.
115
Juldas Okie Etoumbi (Gabon) –
Graduated from the Department of the History and Theory
of International Relations in 2005, PhD in History.
In 2006–2007 president of the PFUR African Students Association
During the first meeting of PFUR administration with the
executives of the African Students Association it was noted that
«PFUR is your home and we care for you».
It is our deep conviction and the history shows that a nation
that gives high quality education today lays the foundation for the
stable tomorrow.
Today, when our University has a strong position in the
world it is necessary to conduct comprehensive work with African students who could eventually become the «ambassadors of
PFUR and Russia» to their home states.
The quality of education and the prestige of PFUR is known
all over the world. That is why every year thousands of young
Africans want to enter the University, to get good education, and
we are grateful for this opportunity.
What will a young man bring back home apart from PFUR
diploma? First of all, the knowledge of language, culture and life
of Russia and the warm memories of his friends and the desire to
pay back his debt by creating a positive image of the University.
The University graduates must not only be high qualified specialists, but should also be «friends of PFUR» and have respect and
understanding for the values of different peoples, religions and
ethnic groups.
For almost 50 years PFUR has been training specialists for
different countries. In this years it educated several thousand of
specialists for African countries. Being good professionals and
leaders – for which we should thank the University – many of us
became prominent figures in politics, economy, education and
culture of our countries.
The African Students Association that I had the honor to preside, was established in April 4, 1996 at the initiative of PFUR
African communities and with the support of PFUR administra116
tion and African embassies in compliance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation and the charter of the Peoples’
Friendship University of Russia.
The Association organizes its work on the principles of
openness and the respect for human rights and represents the interests of thousand African students, postgraduate students and
trainees, provides informational, adaptive and social support to its
members.
Many foreign students leave their homes, their families and
come to study to Russia, a country that differs greatly from African countries in terms of politics, social life, economic, cultural
and weather conditions. That is why for many African students it
is quite difficult to adapt here and the volunteers of the Association explain to the newcomers where they can get legal, social
and medical aid, tell them about the legislation of Russia, about
their rights and responsibilities.
Besides, African Association conducts various out-of-class
activities – the Week of Africa, various contests, exhibitions,
Russian language and literature contests, meetings of straight-A
students, sporting events, excursions etc.
One of the most important missions of the African Students
Association is the propagation of the information on the educational services provided by PFUR. We also contribute to the students enrollment both on gratuitous and contractual basis and
provide the information on where one can study one or another
course, how much it costs, the terms of contract etc.
We believe that in any country the training of foreign students is an important part of its Foreign Policy and Foreign Economic Policy determined by its geopolitical and state interests.
Foreign graduates of the PFUR have great potential. They
work in all spheres of industry and administration of their home
countries and can contribute to the students enrollment and – in a
more comprehensive sense – to the orientation of their countries
on Russia.
117
Pyotr Gretchko (Russia) –
PhD in Philosophy, professor, head of Social Philosophy Department
of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of PFUR.
In mid-1980s worked at the university of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Ethiopia in the educational prospective
In the mid-1980s I worked or I would rather say had the
pleasure of working in Addis Ababa University, in its agricultural
college. I gave lectures on Marxist-Leninist philosophy specially
elaborated for the third world countries. How did they react to it
then? Well, differently, but mostly with great hope that this doctrine will liberate their countries from hunger, bring them justice
and freedom. It had much to do with the historical peculiarities of
Ethiopia; over 2000 years of sovereignty, Christian values, the act
that Ethiopia had never been a colony etc.
Ethiopia gave me much. I was a professor but I also learned.
Thus in Addis Ababa University I for the first time in my life had
to use testing as examination method. Today we only start using
this method of examination in Russia but in Ethiopia it has been
used for years both in schools and universities. Nobody had
doubts whether it was appropriate to conduct testing on philosophy, quality was the only issue.
As a professor I was familiar not only with Marxism and internationalism but also with then-popular negritude. I was expecting to see special ontology, specific forms of cognition, peculiar
values and other exotic things. And so what? I met absolutely
normal students who needed rational course structure and lectures, i.e. notions and not emotions. Even if we admit that the
Ethiopians are a special African people, they have nothing to do
with the negritude.
As a professor of philosophy I should touch upon the issue
of Ethiopian philosophy. Life of any people has its ultimate fundamentals, its metaphysics. Ethiopians also have such metaphysics and philosophy. Still it’s very difficult to build a theory for
this philosophy, it is very difficult to verbalize it in the form of
philosophic texts. It requires time and great talent. Ethiopia has
118
always had both. Of course, the West also contributed to the development of Ethiopian philosophy; Claude Sumner, of Canadian
origin, who was the head of Philosophy Department in Addis
Ababa University, wrote and published the three-volume «History of Ethiopian Philosophy». The acquaintance with the Ethiopian philosophy makes the specialists think on general issues of
the national philosophic discourse formation.
The Perestroika negatively affected Soviet-Ethiopian relations. But now it’s history. We are back to Africa, and back in
Ethiopia, where we still have many friends and supporters who
are interested in Russia and Russian culture.
Yevgeny Kalashnikov (Russia) –
PFUR graduate, PhD in Philosophy, head of Center of Russian Culture
and Science in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
I entered the University in 1994 and graduated from PFUR
in 2004 after defending the thesis on history of philosophy. In
2004 I started to work in Russian Center for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation and for two years I supervised the
work of centers in Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, SAR and Ethiopia.
In the Autumn of 2006 I was dispatched to Tanzania as deputyrepresentative and since August of 2007 I have been the official
representative of Russian Center for International Scientific and
Cultural Cooperation in Tanzania.
As part of my work I often have to cooperate with the Association of Russian/Soviet Graduates of Tanzania. Tanzanian
Graduates of Soviet/Russian HEIs graduates is one of the oldest
and the most active partners of our center. One of the most interesting projects of 2008 was a series of radio broadcast devoted to
the Year of Family.
It is very pleasant that PFU graduates are among the most
active. The president of the Association Evarist Temou and the
vice-president Peter Mziray are PFUR graduates.
Mister Temou works in one of Dar es Salaam leading hospitals (the graduates call him respectfully «Doctor Temou»). De119
spite being extremely busy he always finds time for public work.
He often visits the «Russian Club» and presides at the workshops
of the Association. Doctor Temou is among many others who
have a «dynastic» approach to the education. His daughter studies
in Russia. «Russian education is the best!», he says. «I know it
first-hand», he adds, smiling.
Peter Mziray also has great authority among the graduates.
I admire his optimism and energy: leader of the Progressive Party
of Tanzania, company executive, volunteer of the Association.
Peter Mziray, I guess, is the only member of the Association who
has participated in all international meetings of the graduates. In
2008 he attended the VI All-Arabic Meeting of the Graduates of
Soviet and Russian HEIs in Damascus.
The center has wonderful and friendly relations with the
member of Tanzanian parliament, Makete district delegate Binilif
Mahenge. Mr. Mahenge says that PFUR gave him an excellent
education; being an engineer he cam easily cope with humanitarian problems. His voters also consider him an excellent specialist
and professional. Recently the Center conducted a series of Gala
Nights in the schools of Makete to present the pupils with the
school uniform made on the money from benefit concerts of the
«Crown of Russian Ballet» and the guitar-player Pavel Khlopovskiy. 11 educational institutions for orphans got school uniform, Mr. Mahenge being one of the masterminds of this campaign.
It is hard to name all PFUR graduates. But I must say that
almost all PFUR graduates have found «their place» in the country and contribute to its development. I am convinced that precisely the level of education helped some of them to get important posts in the president’s administration, ministries and state
agencies, mass media and HEIs of Tanzania. I must specially
mention the doctors since nobody is appreciated in Tanzania like
the «doctors who studied in Russia». And the majority of doctors
are PFUR graduates.
Shortage of professionals in various spheres of science and
industry makes it necessary to invite Russian specialists. That is
why the Graduates Association showed great interest in the pro120
posal of PFUR delegation headed by E. Schesnyak in 2007. It
was proposed that advanced training courses should be organized
in Tanzania. Unfortunately, the project is still pending. PFUR
graduates are especially interested in this project because they
want their University not only to enroll students (under the
agreement with the Ministry of Education) but also conduct scientific and practical work here. I share their conviction that the
implementation of this project will contribute to the popularization of PFUR in East Africa and raise the prestige of Russian
education in Tanzania.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. 10th Anniversary of the Peoples’ Friendship University. – Moscow,
PFU press, 1970.
2. «Druzhba» newspaper-issues of different years.
3. 2001/2002 Yearbook. – М.: PFUR Publishing house, 2002.
4. 2002/2003 Yearbook. – М.: PFUR Publishing house, 2003.
5. 2003/2004 Yearbook. – М.: PFUR Publishing house, 2004.
6. 2004/2005 Yearbook. – М.: PFUR Publishing house, 2005.
7. 2005/2006 Yearbook. – М.: PFUR Publishing house, 2006.
8. 2006/2007 Yearbook. – М.: PFUR Publishing house, 2007.
9. «Izvestiya» daily, 09.01.1961.
10. «White and black swans can make friends!» // Poems of young African. Poets studying in Moscow, translated by A. Kosheida. «Ogonyok» library № 14. – М.: Pravda, 1965.
11. National associations of foreign graduates of Russian (Soviet) educational establishments: Reference book. – М.: The RF Ministry of
education, 2007.
12. «Pravda» daily, 18.11.1960.
13. Ponomarenko L. Patrice Lumumba: Life for the sake of Africa’s
Freedom. – Moscow, PFUR Press, 1989.
14. Peoples Friendship University of Russia – 40th anniversary: history
and modern times. Materials of the V International scientific and practical conference. – М.: PFUR Publishing house, 2000.
15. Russia and Africa. Documents and materials: In 2 volumes – V. 2:
1918–1960. – М.: RAS, 1999.
16. PFU reference book. – М.: PFU Publishing house, 1964.
17. USSR and African countries (friendship, cooperation, support of
fight against imperialism). – М.: Mysl, 1977.
122
18. Stanis V. University in the name of peace and friendship. – М.:
PFU Publishing house, 1985.
19. African countries 2002. – М.: RAS Institute of Africa, 2002.
20. 30 years of Patrice Lumumba PFU (1960–1990): Chronicles. – М.:
PFU Publishing house, 1990.
21. Patrice Lumumba PFU. Booklet. – М.: PFU Publishing house,
1975.
22. Congo. – Vol. 2. – Kinshasa. – 1960.
23. La pensée politique de Patrice Lumumba. – P., 1965.
24. African students’ questionnaires.
25. PFUR archives materials (including photos) (V. Savin).
26. Materials of the Department for work with PFUR students, African
countries sector (V. Prokopiev).
27. Materials of PFUR International department (V. Kalygin).
28. Materials of PFUR African students association.
29. Materials of PFUR Department of admission and information (G. Sokolov, V. Konnik).
Web-sites
1. http//www.africana.ru.
2. http//www.dipkurier.narod.ru.
3. http//www.historia.ru.
4. http//www.rudn.info.ru.
5. http//www.polpred.com.
CONTENTS
USSR/Russia and African countries (brief outline of relations) ………………………………………………………...
3
Training specialists for African countries at PFU/PFUR …...
17
International cooperation …………………………………...
47
PFUR alumni from African countries ………………………
63
Social, cultural and sport life of African students in Moscow
81
PFUR seen through the eyes of its professors and alumni ….
105
Bibliography …………………………………………………
122
Lyudmila Vasilievna PONOMARENKO,
Elena Gennadievna ZUEVA
PFUR AND AFRICA
Editor T. Anisimova
Technical editor L. Gorovenko
Computer design N. Malakhovskaya
Cover design M. Shatikhina
Подписано в печать 28.00.2009 г.
Формат 60×90/16. Бумага офсетная.
Печать офсетная. Гарнитура Таймс.
Усл. печ. л. 8,0.
Тираж 500 экз. Заказ 887
Российский университет дружбы народов
117923, ГСП-1, Москва, ул. Орджоникидзе, 3
Типография РУДН
117923, ГСП-1, Москва, ул. Орджоникидзе, 3
Тел.: 952-04-41