How Russia attracts African students

This year, Russia has earmarked 5,000 places for African students at the expense of the state budget. 40.000 candidates applied, twice as many as the year before. Most of them are from Sudan, Guinea, Ghana and Chad. Russian institutions also report increased interest in language courses.

Experts are not surprised. Under President Vladimir Putin, they say, Moscow is trying to revive Soviet-era ties and is turning to Africa in search of global influence in a confrontation with the West.

Since the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been directed towards the so-called global South. Connections are being built through education, energy, and military cooperation.

"Offering scholarships is the cheapest possible way to win allies. And Russia needs allies now," says Russian historian Irina Filatova, professor emeritus at the University of KwaZulu in South Africa.

"Russia wants to build an image in which it acts anti-colonial, and Africans accept that," she adds to DW.

Admittedly, the number of African students in Russia is still negligible compared to those in the West. A study ten years ago estimated that close to one hundred thousand Africans were studying in France alone.

Spreading the cultural footprint

Russia has announced the expansion of a network of cultural and educational centers across Africa – the so-called Russian Houses. This should expand Russia's cultural footprint on the continent.

Yevgeny Primakov, head of the Federal Agency for International Cultural Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced new such centers in Egypt, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Ethiopia.

"Russian language courses are now offered in many African countries. Attending them opens doors to Russian scholarships, universities, careers and a new way of life," he added.

The growing number of Russian houses, along with language programs and study places, explains the large increase in applications from African students.

In the Central African Republic, Russian language courses are even mandatory for students. Russian military advisers and private armies have a strong presence in the country. President Faustin-Archange Touadera relies on Russian military aid.

Concerns about recruitment

Critics accuse Russia Houses of serving Kremlin propaganda abroad. Human rights activists point to reports that some foreign students have been invited to join the Russian army in order to have their visas extended or their stay in the country legalized.

Several students who were captured by Ukraine claimed to have joined the Russian army under threat of deportation or imprisonment. Others are said to be working in the Russian war industry.

That, some experts say, could undermine Russia's soft power. "It's very bad for Russia's image to invite people to study for free and end up doing something else," says Filatova. "Russia needs African countries as allies, not enemies."

Accessible education

Apart from geopolitics, Russia's trump card in attracting students could be lower tuition and living costs.

“Russian universities are far cheaper than studying in Europe or some African countries,” confirms Keith Baptist, a Zimbabwean father of three whose children are studying in Russia. “Accommodation and food are also far cheaper in Russia than for a student studying here in Zimbabwe.”

Annual tuition fees for medicine or other demanding fields in Russia cost between two and ten thousand US dollars per year. In the US or Europe, it is often between twenty and forty thousand, although there are countries, such as Germany, where studying is free or for a small fee.

Jeffrey Makumbe from Zimbabwe completed his undergraduate studies in radio and television in Voronezh, Russia, back in 2008. He also says he was able to afford to study there.

"The big factors are affordability and the good ties Russia has with African countries," Makumbe told DW.

Is the West forcing students out?

Analysts also point to a number of Western countries where restrictive immigration policies are also affecting potential students. And this plays into Russia's hands.

In June, the United States froze the issuance of visas, including student visas, to several African countries. Washington also canceled about 6,000 visas for alleged violations of the law - overstaying and "supporting terrorism."

"Western countries make it difficult to get scholarships or even a simple student visa," says Baptist. "In our case, America was always the number one option. But then we found out that visas were not being issued."