The agreement, signed between Sechenov University and the University of Cape Town for collaboration in biomedical science and education, is fundamental in providing Russian and South African institutions with an opportunity to collaborate and initiate not only this project but also other potentially interesting projects, Peter Timashev, the Director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine of Sechenov University, told Sputnik Africa.
The agreement focuses on developing bioprinting and biphotonic technologies. Sechenov University will handle the fundamental research, while South Africa will focus on engineering solutions for clinical use.
"We are already discussing the translation of technologies to clinical practice. That's the most difficult step in all fundamental research: to bring your research directly to the patient, to the clinic," Timashev stated.
In addition to this, Timashev said that the agreement would enhance Russian capabilities and provide an opportunity to transfer some of Russia's technologies to South Africa while also acquiring technologies from the South African team at the University of Cape Town and bringing them back to Russia.
Russia and South Africa are also planning to start student exchange programs and post-graduate student exchange programs, the researcher also stated.
He said that such opportunities are currently available to the countries, and that their primary goal is to "become united in the field of life science research" to ultimately benefit the patient.
Timashev also talked about the importance of BRICS, saying that the organization gives an opportunity to exchange knowledge.
The Global South countries are progressing due to the BRICS formation, which provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge, he said.
"Only in collaboration with teams from Iran, from China, from South America, we can bring a new value of health for every person of the world," the chemist said.
He recalled that the language of science is international.