#International activity #Education #Cooperation

PetrSU Launches Large-Scale Russian-Tanzanian Project in Forestry Education and Science

10 February 2025

In early February, PetrSU took part in the first kick-off meeting of the Russian-Tanzanian project aimed at strengthening cooperation in forestry education and science. The project received funding and became an important step in developing public diplomacy and strengthening the ties between Russia and the United Republic of Tanzania.

At the meeting, PetrSU was represented by the Head of the Department of International Projects and Programs Alexey Rogozin and the Head of the Department of Forestry Technology and Landscape Architecture, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Oleg Galaktionov. The main goal of the project is to create bilateral competence centers that will become a platform for cooperation in forestry education and science between organizations of the two countries.

Two large-scale scientific and educational expeditions are planned within the framework of the project. The first of them will be held in Tanzania in March 2025. The Russian delegation will present six educational programs for international students and three key areas of scientific research. Particular attention will be paid to the possibilities of receiving scholarships from the Government of the Russian Federation.

The second expedition will take place in May 2025 in Russia. The Tanzanian delegation will visit scientific and educational institutions, as well as specially protected natural areas of the Leningrad Region and Karelia. The purpose of the visit is to exchange experience in the field of protection and sustainable use of forest resources, as well as to demonstrate Russian developments in the restoration of forest ecosystems after fires and industrial logging.

The project will be completed by the opening of joint Russian-Tanzanian competence centers based at PetrSU, St. Petersburg State Forest Technical University and Sokoine University. Within the framework of the centers, the main areas of cooperation will be defined, and a work plan for 2026-2027 will be developed.

The plan includes the creation of three joint online student exchange programs, the organization of two online summer schools and the conduct of three scientific studies based on forest research stations in both countries. Particular attention will be paid to the prospect of creating offline international exchange programs.

The project provides teachers and students of PetrSU with a unique opportunity to exchange experience with foreign colleagues from Tanzania, contributing to the improvement of the quality of education and scientific research in the field of forestry and ecology. In addition, it strengthens the university's international reputation and expands its partnerships.

Department of International Projects and Programs