St Petersburg University strengthens cooperation with Tanzania

Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at St Petersburg University, addressed the guests with a welcoming speech. St Petersburg University is one of the world’s leading centres that place special emphasis on the study of the African continent, its countries and national languages, he said. "St Petersburg University has been studying African issues for decades. Our specialists and scholars are recognised experts in this field. It is therefore vital to develop contacts with your educational organisations and research centres, to support and effectively use the potential of St Petersburg University," said Sergey Andryushin. 

The University is interested in developing educational and cultural cooperation, which will help strengthen friendly and partnership relations between the student and scientific communities of Russia and Tanzania, said Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at St Petersburg University. "I hope that we will be able to establish promising partnerships with universities in Tanzania and continue to develop the Centre for Open Education in order to further create a branch of St Petersburg University in Tanzania to prepare highly qualified personnel both in the interests of the economy of your country and in the interests of Russian-Tanzanian cooperation", said Sergey Andryushin.

Since 2021, St Petersburg University, as part of the activities of the Language Testing Centre at St Petersburg University, has been actively disseminating the Russian language in Africa. The University offers free distance Russian language courses in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria, Niger, and Tanzania. With the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Tanzanian non-profit organisation "Tanzania Save the Community Initiatives" (TASACI), together with St Petersburg University, organised the Centre for Open Education and Russian Language Studies, designed to improve relations and communication between the peoples of friendly countries.

In turn, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Fredrick Ibrahim Kibuta spoke about the need to popularise the state language of Tanzania in Russia in order not only to promote better mutual understanding between the two peoples, but also to open up new opportunities for cooperation in the field of economics, tourism and culture. The diplomat shared statistical data according to which Swahili is taught in only five Russian universities, and St Petersburg University is recognised as the centre of African studies among them. "We are grateful to St Petersburg University for teaching students our language. Swahili has been taught here since 1934, from the time when Tanzania was still a colonial, dependent territory," emphasised Fredrick Ibrahim Kibuta. The Ambassador added that Swahili is not only a language, but also a symbol of the rich and diverse culture of East Africa.

Language is a cultural phenomenon, it is the calling card of a nation, so it is important for us to strengthen cultural and educational ties between countries and disseminate national knowledge through language.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Russian Federation Fredrick Ibrahim Kibuta

The meeting also focused on the issue of preparing qualified personnel with knowledge of the language who will develop the field of trade in Tanzania. The ambassador expressed his interest in attracting Russian students and graduates studying Swahili to the development of the business sector of the African state and said that this would bring both the specialist and the country to a new economic level. "I would like to say that a person who knows the language gains many opportunities to apply it in different industries: to speak, live and work in Tanzania," said Fredrick Ibrahim Kibuta. 

Although the meeting was of general nature, foreign colleagues presented books about the national language to the Department of African Studies at St Petersburg University. Among them are a dictionary, a reference book for lecturers, a guide to teaching Swahili, and textbooks for self-study of the language. The gift would be an incentive to develop relationships, said the participants. 

In conclusion, both parties agreed on the importance of continuing to establish scientific and educational contacts. The representatives of the Tanzanian embassy expressed their readiness to provide all possible support to St Petersburg University. In turn, Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at St Petersburg University, expressed confidence that the current meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tanzania will not be the only one, and the partners will also meet with students who not only study Swahili, but are also interested in Africa, the continent, and the culture.