The Russian Minister of Education, Sergey Kravtsov, held a meeting with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Benin, Eleonore Yayi Ladekan, during which they discussed opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the areas of general and secondary professional education, as well as the training of teaching staff.
"Today, the Russian education system is considered one of the best in the world [...]. It is especially valuable that foreign colleagues, including those from Benin, show interest in [learning about] it. We are ready to share our experiences and best practices and look forward to your [Benin's] proposals for the implementation of joint educational programs," said Kravtsov.
In turn, his Beninese counterpart thanked the Russian Ministry of Education for their collaborative work and noted the significance of implementing international exchange programs for students and teachers.
"We expect that young specialists from Benin who are currently studying in Russia will make significant contributions to the development of our educational system," emphasized Ladekan.
She also mentioned Benin's interest in training specialists in the field of information technology.
Reacting to this, Kravtsov invited his foreign colleagues to visit Innopolis University in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, where developers and high-tech managers are trained and scientific research is conducted in information technology and robotics.
The head of the Russian Ministry of Education also said that the All-Russian Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being held in the country with the support of the ministry. He explained that such competitions are aimed at identifying and developing students' intellectual and creative abilities, as well as increasing their interest in AI technologies.
Kravtsov also noted that supporting teachers and developing teacher education in Russia is a top priority for the ministry of education. He added that pedagogical universities actively collaborate with universities from friendly countries to promote the Russian language and Russian educational standards abroad.
The II International Forum of Ministers of Education was organized by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the My History Foundation, and the Republic of Tatarstan.