The Academic Competition "It is time to study in Russia!" in Angola

From the 15th of March to the 23rd of March in Luanda (the capital of Angola) a number of events within the Academic Competition "It is time to study in Russia!" was held aimed at the increase in interest of the Angola students in Russian education. The purpose of Academic Competition is to select the most talented school graduates who would like to study at Russian universities in the technical field within the quota determined by the Government of the Russian Federation on training of the foreign citizens and compatriots living abroad.

To perform the preliminary round of the Academic Competition the working group was created including:

Head:Kakh Masamba Omarovich - the adviser to RUDN Vice Rector on international activity.

Members of the commission:

Marishkina Yulia Stanislavovna is an expert of MPEI Department of the International Relations.

Ilyina Ekaterina Yurevna – the Second secretary of Embassy of the Russian Federation in Angola

Moizesh Kafala Netu, director of National institute of grants at the Ministry of the higher education of the Republic of Angola.

Events of the Academic Competition "It is time to study in Russia!" are annually held in various countries, including five countries of Africa: Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Ethiopia and Kenya. The total number of pupils who took part in testing on mathematics was more than 900 people.

This year requirements to the participation in events of the Academic Competition were toughened up, school students needed to undergo the preselection considering their academic progress. As a result of the Academic Competition popularity in the Republic of Angola and aspiration of the African school students and students to study in Russia, their level of competence in math test considerably increases every year.

On the 17th of March the meeting with students at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Angola took place and the representatives of the Russian universities addressed youth with the detailed presentations there. During the meeting all persons who were interested in training had obtained exhaustive information on the system of the Russian higher education, the realized academic programs, residence conditions, social and cultural life of students in Russia, and also about relevant paperwork. Students were interested in training, both with the grant, and on the contract base.

Supervising and information support of the events has been provided by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Angola. Messages about events of the project preliminary round were posted on the website of the Embassy and in the leading state newspapers of Angola. Information also was spread through channels of the National institute of grants at the Ministry of the higher education of the Republic of Angola.

On the 20th of March the meeting with the management of the main University of Angola - Agostinho Neto University was organized. The Angola party expressed its full support concerning the initiative of the Academic Competition preparation and their readiness to help with organization of such events in prospect. Participants discussed the opportunity for the academic and research cooperation where the staff of Agostinho Neto University has shown particular interest in collaboration in the field of power engineering.

Within the Academic Competition events representatives of the Russian Universities and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Angola held meetings with the state and public organizations dealing with issues of the higher education. On the 22nd of March the technical meeting of the working group with the management of National institute of grants (INAGBE) took place where INAGBE CEO M. Kafala Netu, the deputy CEO M. Pintu, and also Head of Department of bilateral cooperation of the Ministry of the higher education of Angola A. Rodrigesh also participated. After the detailed discussion of Academic Competition results it was offered to use the testing held within the Academic Competition on mathematics as selection criterion for the most of the Angola candidates to study in Russia. After consideration of the list of Academic Competition winners the senior staff of the Institute of grants underlined the need of proportional grants distribution on a nationwide scale. It was worthwhile noting that during the held meetings the importance of the Academic Competition holding was noted and also it was established that the Republic of Angola had serious potential to introduction of training in the Russian language as foreign that can lead to deep cultural contacts of the country youth with Russia.​​