Work on the creation of a Russia-Africa university association is underway and will be completed in the near future, Victor Sadovnichy, the rector of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.
"We agreed to create [an association], work is underway, it will be created in the near future. This association will consist mainly of directors or employees of our education system. The task is the exchange of teachers, professional development, student training, and, of course, a very important task is the language. It is necessary to expand the range of African languages, we proposed to study African languages in some Moscow schools, they accepted the proposal. We must strengthen our positions and friendship with African countries on all fronts," Sadovnichy said.
The rector also noted that there are plans to open branches of Moscow State University in Arab and African countries.
However, it is necessary to think about proper preparation, so that the education quality in these branches is on par with the education quality in the main campus in Moscow, he said.
The second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum is taking place in the Russian city of St. Petersburg from July 27-28. Summit participants are expected to sign a number of international and bilateral documents. Sputnik is an official media partner of the event.