Young people in the Central African Republic (CAR) should learn Russian, and free courses at the Russian House in the CAR capital Bangui have made learning the language accessible to everyone, said CAR Minister of Arts, Culture, and Tourism Ngola Marie-Françoise Ramadan Mamata.
"Many residents of the Central African Republic learned Russian many years ago, like our parents, some presidents, members of the National Assembly, prime ministers... The Russian language courses conducted at the Russian House site for free have made its study accessible to everyone," she told Sputnik. "And as the minister of arts, culture, and tourism, I also plan to start studying it soon."
According to Artem Davydov, a Russian language teacher at the Center for Open Education of St. Petersburg State University in Bangui, more than 300 people are currently studying at the center.
Education is provided through several programs: a program for schoolchildren, applicants to Russian universities, military personnel, beginners, and advanced learners. The language courses are designed for 72 academic hours. Additionally, there is a special program called "Understanding Russia," which allows CAR participants to get acquainted with the features of domestic and cultural realities in Russia.
In late August, Pavel Shevtsov, deputy head of the Russian humanitarian agency Rossotrudnichestvo, stated that the organization is developing scientific relations with Southeast Asia and Africa, highlighting that Russian has become a key language in science, similar to what German once was. He also mentioned that the Russian language includes modern terminology that many other languages lack, providing it with a significant advantage recognized by both India and China.