Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has approved the decision to create a branch of the Russia's Kazan Federal University (KFU) in the North African country's capital Cairo, the press service of the university has announced.
Kazan Federal University (KFU) is located in the Russian region of Tatarstan.
Deputy head for international affairs of the university Timirkhan Alichev confirmed that the KFU branch in Cairo should be opened before the end of the year.
"The first group of students will be accepted in the following areas of training: medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. Lecturers from [Russian city of] Kazan will take part in the teaching. The eaching is in English, but Russian will also be widely learned. Graduates will receive diplomas from the Kazan University, and the quality and content of the programs will meet official requirements," Alitchev added.
According to the university, the opening of the branch aims to encourage the development of higher education and scientific research systems in Egypt. In addition, it will improve the knowledge of the Russian language and strengthen educational relations between the African country and Russia.
Although admission to the programs is subject to a fee, gifted students can apply for grants to cover all or part of the costs, KFU said.
The opening of the KFU branch in Egypt was discussed last July during the meeting between Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of Tatarstan, and the president of the Egypt's Modern Group University Foundation Waleed Deabes.
As for other recent initiatives in terms Russian-African cooperation in education, in late September, Russia's Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission to enhance partnership in the field of nuclear education and the development of the Nigerian nuclear industry.