Education in Russia for Tanzanian Citizens

Cooperation between Russia and the United Republic of Tanzania in education has huge potential. In particular, Russia is very interesting and attractive to Tanzanian applicants as a higher education destination for a host of reasons. Alexey Bondaruk, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in the United Republic of Tanzania, talks about the development of Russia- Tanzania cooperation in education.

Quality mark

Today, education in Russia carries on a tradition of the Soviet education system that has raised the leaders of many countries on the African continent. For example, Tanzanian graduates of Russian universities include the 7th President of Zanzibar Island, the members of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Presidential Offices, and ministries, a great number of successful business people, entrepreneurs, and educational professionals, including heads of some universities in Tanzania. Specialists who have earned a degree in Russia in all areas, from the mining industry to law and from healthcare to meteorology, are in high demand.

For many Tanzanian students, their studies in Russia and homecoming are a powerful incentive in their future career. The reputation of higher education in Russia is so good that graduates are considered not only educated people but also people with an education meeting the highest international standards.

It should be noted that the Russian Federation does the honorable thing in this regard for the countries it interacts with on the education track. The aim of Tanzania -Russia cooperation in education is to train top-notch specialists for the economy of Tanzania who will serve as an example for their fellow citizens and a sort of Russian goodwill ambassadors in their home countries. Many graduates build a successful career and start teaching at the same time, sharing their experience with their compatriots and helping to improve the quality of education in their country.

For the second year in a row, the Russian Government allocates 90 quota places for applicants from Tanzania, which is twice as much as in previous years. The number of applicants per place is high. The Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in Dar es Salaam very actively informs the public about the opportunity to get tuition-free education in Russia through mass media and available channels. Over the last years, more than 400 applicants have been sent to study in  Russia at the expense of the Russian Government. And that’s just the young people who have passed through our specialists’ hands and have been approved by the Russian Federation. Some Tanzanian citizens are sent to Russian universities through security, defense and law enforcement agencies, and these numbers are rather huge, too.

Not only doctors

Many government officials we are in contact with are interested in sending talented Tanzanian young people to study in Russia. We get requests for training specialists even in sector-specific areas such as the food industry and fire safety.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that most Tanzanian young people go to study in Russia at their own option rather than being sent by government agencies. They assume that a sought-after job and high-quality education will let them stand on their own two feet immediately on returning to Tanzania. That is why they choose the majors that are traditionally well-paid all over the world. Medicine, law, and oil and gas engineering are the highest paying occupations.

However, we have begun to realize that we cannot fill the economy of each particular country or its workforce capacity with medical professionals only. We regularly bring up this subject at meetings with our colleagues from the relevant government agencies. For its high-quality development, the national economy of Tanzania needs top-notch specialists in a wide variety of industries and areas. It is not only about higher education programs, but also about retraining and advanced training programs as well as scientific personnel training.

Russian House in Tanzania, Telegram