kremlin is trying to “buy” Africa’s loyalty through education
russia has allocated over five thousand free spots in its universities for students from African countries. The head of “rossotrudnichestvo” — a state agency responsible for spreading russian propaganda worldwide through so-called cultural centers — yevgeny primakov assured that interest in russian education in Africa is “growing exponentially.”
▫️ In reality, such “generosity” has a simple explanation: educational programs for foreigners are one of the key tools through which moscow promotes its influence globally. Students studying at russia’s expense receive not only academic training but also systematic ideological “upbringing”: anti-western narratives, propaganda of the “great russia,” and the cult of putin.
▫️ For the kremlin, this is an investment in future loyal politicians, officials, and experts who will later form elites in Africa oriented towards cooperation with moscow.
It is telling that against the backdrop of “educational diplomacy” with Africa, within russia itself access to higher education is being restricted. russia finances the education of foreigners while turning its own youth either into labor to serve the needs of the war or into cannon fodder.
