Cairo hosts major Russian language forum with educators from Africa

The international Russian Language Conference kicked off in Cairo with the participation of 87 educators from 16 African countries, marking one of the region’s largest gatherings dedicated to advancing Russian language education across the continent.

The conference was inaugurated by Russia’s Ambassador to Egypt, Georgy Borisenko, and Pavel Shevtsov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for International Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), in the presence of Dr. Vadim Zaitchikov, Director of Russian Cultural Centers in Egypt.

The week-long event is organized by Rossotrudnichestvo in cooperation with Moscow State Linguistic University.

In his address, Ambassador Borisenko welcomed the participants, emphasizing the significance of their engagement at a time of global challenges.

“In the current difficult geopolitical situation, we appreciate the commitment of African countries to developing Russian studies and maintaining interest in the Russian language. It is not only a means of communication, but also a gateway to our culture, sciences, and longstanding traditions of cooperation between our nations,” he said.

Shevtsov highlighted the conference as part of a broader international effort to promote the Russian language.

“This year, with the support of Rossotrudnichestvo, ‘Russian Language Weeks’ were organized in Turkey and Vietnam, bringing together more than 180 Russian-language teachers from Europe and Asia. Today, 87 educators from 16 African countries are meeting in Cairo to discuss national approaches to teaching Russian as a foreign language, with the aim of strengthening educational cooperation and preserving the presence of the Russian language in African states,” he noted.

Joining the discussion on the role of the Russian language in African academic spaces, Prof. Saleh Hashem, Advisor to Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, stressed the unifying power of language.

“The Russian language has become a bridge uniting millions around the world. It creates a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and cultural cooperation, and we are pleased to see rising interest in it across African countries,” he said.

Following the opening ceremony, Prof. Irina Shchukina, Head of the International Cooperation Department at Moscow State Linguistic University, and Prof. Mohamed Nasr El-Gebaly, Head of Russian Language Departments at MUST University and the Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, led a session on the history and future of Russian language dissemination in Egypt.

As part of the advanced professional development program, participants attended an interactive lecture on the Russian language and literature in the modern media space, as well as on linguistic dynamics and current language processes.

The first day concluded with a roundtable discussion on contemporary challenges in teaching Russian to non-native speakers, with contributions from experts representing Algeria, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.