Society

On Wednesday, 14 October, the Conference Hall of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University hosted the closing session of the Second Russian–African Raw Materials Dialogue, with a ceremony to adopt the declaration and sign the final documents.

At the beginning of April, the International Friendship Club “Gornyak” traditionally holds its interethnic festival at the Mining Multifunctional Complex. This year, the event brought together 800 participants from 15 countries around the world. It united representatives of the republics of the Russian Federation—Dagestan, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan—as well as participants from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Belarus, and the countries of Latin America.

Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University cooperates with colleagues from the Islamic Republic across a dozen areas. These include general academic internships for students, “summer schools” and programs devoted to the study of culture and history, joint cross-publication of scholarly articles, and regular seminars.

Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University and Taiyuan University of Technology (TYUT) have signed an agreement to establish a joint Russian–Chinese Mineral Resources Institute. This is one of the most significant examples of educational cooperation between the two countries, demonstrating a long-awaited shift from the large number of joint university projects being implemented towards a focus on quality. The document sets out the organisation’s aims and objectives, organisational structure and operating arrangements.

35 countries, 100 universities and 465 projects on smart energy, geology, climate engineering, ecology and biodiversity, chemistry of the future, mechanical engineering and other promising fields of engineering. The African Forum-Competition of Young Scientists, “Future Engineers of the World — the Foundation of Sustainable Development”, has concluded at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University.

What kinds of engineers does the world need today, who will train them and how, and what are young researchers focusing on? These and many other questions were discussed at a round table at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University. Held as part of the Russian–African Forum of Young Scientists, it brought together more than 500 participants: students, postgraduate researchers, and representatives of universities, scientific communities and public organisations from Russia and African states.

An agreement to establish a representative office of the Association of African Universities (AAU) at the National Center for Personnel and Scientific Support of the Mineral Resources Complex “Corps of Mining Engineers” was signed during the Second Russian–African Raw Materials Dialogue. This is an important step towards exchanging experience and knowledge between African and Russian universities, aligning educational standards and developing projects with a practical focus.

The Ministerial Session was the key event of the Second Russian–African Raw Materials Dialogue, held at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University. It brought together more than 70 senior representatives of relevant government bodies and the scientific and mining communities of Russia and countries across the African continent.

This year, the now-established forum on partnership with African countries in subsoil use, hosted by Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, takes place ahead of the Third Russia–Africa Summit. The Summit will be held in Moscow on 28–29 October. It covers the broadest possible cooperation agenda, and last year the mineral resources sector was addressed only in passing. In 2026, according to Tatiana Dovgalenko, Director of the Department of Partnership with Africa at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it will be one of the central topics.

The Second Russian–African Raw Materials Dialogue, “Path of Development: Raw Materials and Personnel as the Foundation of Economic Sovereignty”, has opened at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University.