Russia - Africa

Participants in the international program Management of Subsoil Use Facilities at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University completed an interactive course under the guidance of former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl. This experience enabled them to receive an impartial assessment of the development prospects of the African continent from a well-known diplomat, expert in international relations and the global economy, and head of the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues (G.O.R.K.I.) at Saint Petersburg State University.

Participants in the international educational program “Management of Subsoil Use Facilities” at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University completed a one-week off-site internship in the city of Almetyevsk (Republic of Tatarstan).

Leading specialists from government authorities and companies of Africa’s mineral resource complex who are participating in the one-year educational program “Management of Subsoil Use Facilities” at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, were given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with key specialized institutions in Moscow.

During the period from 19 to 20 December 2025, a delegation from Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University took part in the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, held in the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Cairo, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov.

From 19 to 20 December, the foreign ministers of African countries and Sergey Lavrov will convene in Cairo. A delegation from Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University has also been invited to the meeting. The University plays a flagship role in educational cooperation with Africa, through the “Nedra Africa” consortium and the International Competence Centre for Mining Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO.

Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University continues to accelerate its scientific and educational cooperation with Africa. Alongside holding large-scale forums and summits, the creation of specialized consortia, and the signing of memoranda on cooperation, targeted promotion of Russian technical universities plays an important role in building a strong engineering corps for the continent.

A delegation from Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University participated in the 32nd International Congress of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), which was held under the theme ”Engineering the Future”.

The International Competence Center for Mining Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO, in partnership with the National Association of Mining Engineers and Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, has developed the International Standard for the Training of Mining Industry Engineers (ISREE).

Russia has initiated a raw materials dialogue with the poorest continent. Recently, at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University in St. Petersburg, the Russia–Africa Raw Materials Dialogue took place, bringing together over 500 representatives from more than 40 African countries and 130 organizations. The focus was on the question crucial for the continent of how to make the long-proclaimed sovereignty of African countries over their natural resources a reality, and to put these resources at the service of their own development.

Educational and scientific ties of the oldest technical university in Russia with universities, government authorities, and industrial circles of the African continent, as a rule, lead to joint projects in business. An example of this is the agreement to create a joint venture for the extraction of mineral resources, IMMA (Infinity Morion Mountainous Area), between the Morion Group of Companies and the Egyptian company Infinity Magic Group Integrated Solutions.