There has been an "explosive" growth in the demand for learning Russian in African countries in recent years, Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Denis Gribov told TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"The trend is upward. We can clearly see the demand in our Russian education centers operating on the African continent. People are coming with great enthusiasm to learn Russian, from various categories: children, adults, and representatives of different economic sectors. The growth has been particularly explosive over the past 2–3 years," he said.
Gribov also highlighted the significant interest in Algeria, where approximately 4,000 applications for Russian language courses were received within 24 hours of opening a Russian language center.
According to the ministry, 37,000 students from African countries are studying at Russian universities, and 200 are enrolled in colleges. Currently, there are around 30 Russian language centers operating in African countries.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum took place from June 5 to 8, with this year's theme being “The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World”. The event was organized by the Roscongress Foundation.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on TASS materials