At the end of October, the oldest technical university in Russia will host the international forum "Mineral Resources as the Basis of National Sovereignty – Workforce and Innovation Environment."
It will serve as a natural continuation of the agenda of the Russia-Africa summits held in 2019 and 2023, and a key milestone event in the work of the university consortium "Africa's Subsoil," created at the initiative of Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University and the Competence Center for Mining Education under the auspices of UNESCO.
The upcoming event is a part of the International Forum-Competition of Young Researchers from BRICS Countries, "Current Problems in Subsoil Use." This year, the traditional program will be expanded. Not only will young scientists gather in St. Petersburg, but also rectors from leading universities of BRICS countries and potential candidate states, representatives of relevant ministries, international organizations, and public associations.
In the run-up to the forum, representatives of Africa's academic community shared with "Forpost" their views on the workforce challenges in their countries' mining sectors and the prospects of collaborating with Russian colleagues to enhance the intellectual and workforce potential of the continent.
According to economic development forecasts over a 5-6 year horizon (particularly from Global Business Network), disruptions in global trade infrastructure and the breaking of production chains could create opportunities in Africa for the implementation of its own technological solutions, similar to what has happened in Russia or Iran due to economic sanctions. Strengthening human resource capacity in such a situation becomes a top priority.
According to Professor Mababa Diagne, Director of the University of Dakar (Senegal), national sovereignty for any country begins, first and foremost, with possession of its natural resources.
«For Africa, the time has come to take advantage of the enormous potential of its mineral resources, which have often been exploited without considering the interests of society. It is also important that control over the primary sector of the economy, particularly mineral extraction and agriculture, be supported by the effective development of the processing industry» – said the professor.
Housséni Ben Bamba, Director General of the University of Management and Tropical Technologies of the Republic of Mali, believes that the role of the mining sector is further strengthened by today's trends toward digitalization and environmental sustainability:
«Natural resources and the development of digital services are directly linked. For example, rare earth metals are critically important for electronics manufacturing. Huge volumes of mineral resources are required for producing batteries and other mass-scale environmentally friendly technologies of recent times».
The interviewees from "Forpost" assessed the potential for filling the mining sector with highly qualified local engineers as very high. This applies not only to extraction units but also to geological exploration and management structures within the industry.
In Ghana, for example, the mining and mineral processing sector almost entirely determines the state of the economy and the national budget. One type of mineral resource alone—gold—accounts for 40% of the country's national exports. However, as Nii Ofori-Kweiyu Hans Bernard, a representative of the Korle Klottey district municipality, told "Forpost," the level of local citizens' participation in this crucial mining subsector remains very low.
Governments are demanding that universities increase the number of mining engineering graduates. However, one of the obstacles in this endeavor has been the participation of African countries in the Bologna Process.
Today, Australia has the lowest brain drain rate globally. Experts from the World Population Review, an international demographic research project, estimate this rate at 0.4 points on a ten-point scale. The United States scores 1.7, Italy 2.5, and Russia 3.9. In Central African countries, the coefficient is typically 6 or higher. A significant portion of Africa's intellectual potential is lost when bachelor’s degree holders from African universities transition to master's programs in European universities.
The higher education system in Africa is developing quite actively. There are already around 2,500 universities on the continent. Africa is not only the hottest but also the youngest continent, with half of the population under 25 years old. The number of Africans of university age is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.
"Aging" Europe is actively attracting labor migrants, primarily "white-collar" workers. In Africa, the undergraduate level is often used as a stepping stone. Students complete their first stage of higher education in their home countries, often funded by the state. Then, European universities lure them into master's programs through scholarship offers. Participation in the Bologna Process makes educational programs comparable.
An example from the Netherlands: Wageningen University, a state university, invites top students with a bachelor's GPA of 80% or higher. These students can receive scholarships covering tuition, transportation, and even visa expenses. Additionally, during their two years of master's studies, they receive living cost stipends and have free health insurance.
The Netherlands is one of the recognized leaders in the export of higher education. About 40% of students in the country are international. In 2023, the Ministry of Education introduced a program to teach the Dutch language to foreign students.
«Learning Dutch by foreign students will strengthen their ties with the host community and the Dutch labor market» – states the annotation to the law.
The results of such efforts by European countries are evident in the proportion of engineers in the overall population. In Africa, only one in 7,000 people has a technical higher education, whereas in the UK, for example, the figure is one in 350.
«The Bologna system is focused on international academic mobility. However, this often does not align with the labor market needs of African countries» – says Dr. Francis Davis, a representative of the International Center for Innovation, Production, Technology Transfer, and Entrepreneurship (TCC-CIMET) under the auspices of UNESCO (Ghana).
According to Dr. Davis, the Bologna system undoubtedly contributes to the brain drain, but its problems go beyond that:
«It lacks, in particular, a technical component in areas that require deep specialized knowledge. This shortcoming is especially noticeable in the training of students in engineering programs.».
Africa's educational elite generally views Russia's exit from the Bologna Process and its university reform positively.
«I am impressed by the modernization of the higher education system in the Russian Federation, particularly the decision by technical universities to withdraw from the Bologna Process and switch to six-year full engineering programs. This opens up immensely diverse opportunities for better-aligning education with national needs and industrial demands.
By extending engineering programs to six years, Russian universities enhance the depth and rigor of technical training, with a greater focus on practical experience and research. Such specialists gain the knowledge and skills necessary to work in a rapidly changing technological landscape
» – said Professor Desmond Manatsa, Director General of the Center for Education, Innovation, Research, and Development (CEIRD) at the Ministry of Science and Technology of Zimbabwe.
Dr. Umar Soumar, Dean of the Faculty of Geology at the National School of Engineers Abdoulaye Baba Toure, holds a similar view. He believes that "Russia's university reform can serve as a model and source of inspiration for the development and modernization of the higher education system in Mali.
The upcoming forum in St. Petersburg may help colleagues from Russia and African countries develop effective joint solutions in the areas of educational and economic sovereignty. Its intensive four-day program includes panel discussions, and roundtables on a wide range of topics related to the development of the mineral and fuel-energy sectors, as well as related issues in higher education systems and the training of highly qualified specialists. Discussions will address state policy priorities, ways to improve the educational process, and balancing interests in resource extraction.
