The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Russian Federation, Mr. Frederick Ibrahim Kibuta, held a working meeting with the university’s rector, Vladimir Litvinenko.
The parties discussed issues related to personnel training and scientific collaboration. In particular, the rector proposed that the Tanzanian side participate in a program for the training and retraining of specialists in the field of subsoil use management. In turn, the guest expressed interest in the activities of the "Nedra Afriki" Consortium, an agreement on which was signed at the Mining University in July 2023 as part of the Russia-Africa Summit.
The ambassador familiarized himself with the university's infrastructure, including the laboratories of the Scientific Center for Mineral Resource Processing and the BELAZ Competence Center.
Tanzania is the largest country in Africa, rich in natural resources such as tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gold, precious stones, and nickel. A significant gas field has been discovered on the continental shelf of the Indian Ocean. In July 2023, a major joint project with Russia was launched for uranium extraction in the Ruvuma region, which is expected to position Tanzania among the top five uranium producers in Africa.
The operator and co-owner of the Mkuju River deposit, through its subsidiaries, is Rosatom. The "yellowcake" produced at the site is a concentrate containing approximately 80 percent uranium oxide. This stage of ore processing precedes uranium enrichment and the production of fuel elements.
Hundreds of Tanzanian citizens are currently studying at Russian universities, with medical and technical specializations being the most popular. Engineering professions are particularly in demand across various industries, including mining, energy, mechanics, and construction. Interest among Tanzanian youth is driven by Russia-Africa joint economic projects. Even if graduates do not end up working within one of these projects, holding a Russian diploma provides a competitive advantage in the local labor market.
«I started learning Russian back in school in Dar es Salaam. I had always wanted to become an architect—I am fascinated by the art of designing and constructing various buildings, how they come together to form a harmonious space that integrates aesthetics, technology, and geography. After finishing secondary school, I enrolled in the architecture college at Mbeya University of Science & Technology, which is somewhat equivalent to a technical school in Russia. Upon graduating and receiving strong recommendations from my professors, I secured a position at the country’s largest architectural bureau, Epitome Architects. However, to advance further, I needed a high-quality higher education.
Ultimately, I chose Saint Petersburg. What guided my decision? It is home to the Mining University—one of Russia’s leading universities, highly ranked internationally and offering an architecture program that aligned with my interests. Moreover, it was the alma mater of Nazir Karamagi, who later became Tanzania’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Marketing», - said Robert Magori, a Tanzanian student at the Department of Architecture of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University.
Additionally, the university’s Mining Museum houses a unique exhibit—the only one of its kind in Saint Petersburg—that no guided tour ever overlooks.
