The Soviet Union trained many specialists from the African continent, Irina Abramova, Chairman of the Expert Council on the Development and Support of Comprehensive Partnership with African Countries, said in her speech at the Round Table "Human development and cooperation in the field of personnel training with African countries."
"Today, approximately 34,000 Africans study at Russian universities, which is even more than in Soviet times. In the entire history of the Soviet Union's work with Africa, more than 700,000 African specialists have been trained," she noted.
However, according to the expert, there is a great lack of coordination in Russian departments and organizations dealing with issues of cooperation with African countries.
"It requires a clear alignment of work in Russian government agencies and at the same time a clearer selection of applicants from Africa. We must create Russian schools, and award quotas to the best students from these schools. Then it will be a well–established line of mutual cooperation," the expert concluded.