International cooperation

FIVE REASONS WHY AFRICAN STUDENTS CHOOSE BSAA

We spoke to African students, sophomores of Amelioration and Construction Faculty, and Land Management Faculty Manuela Wakam Segning (Cameroon) and Best Chibuike Monday (Nigeria) and learned why they chose to study at BSAA.

The charming Manuela Wakam Segning first studied Russian at the preparatory department of the Mogilev Technological University of Chemical and Food Industry in Mogilev. A friend who studied at BSAA at the Faculty of Agrotechnology told her about the Academy. Having decided that one year is not enough for a good study of the Russian language, she spent her second year improving it at the preparatory faculty at our academy. Then she chose the Faculty of Amelioration and Construction for study.

Manuela justified her choice with a desire to learn how to design and build universal houses not only for hot climate conditions, as they are in her native Cameroon.

Another reason for coming to Belarus for education was the dream of mastering one more language perfectly, besides English and French. This is Russian, which she, by the way, spoke very well without the interpreter's help.

Manuela is a very diligent, responsible and hardworking student. At a difficult faculty for girls, she studies very well and is not inferior in knowledge to her Belarusian classmates. Her GPA ranges from 7 to 8. In her free time, she watches films and football matches. After receiving a diploma of higher education, she plans to continue her studies in the magistracy and is going to return to her homeland with two diplomas. Manuela says that she will find a job in Cameroon without problems.

Best Chibuike Monday learned about Belarus and our academy from his agent. The guy loves to travel. The interest in agriculture and the desire to study it as a future profession played a role in choosing a country for training. In Nigeria's agriculture, land management is a popular direction in the economy. Best dreams to open his own business in his homeland after receiving a diploma of higher education. In his free time, the guy reads many books on economics, and operations with bitcoins.

Africans adapted to the cold Belarusian climate rather quickly, but of course, there are not enough dishes of their native cuisine. Best spent his Christmas holidays in Nigeria, and brought a lot of food products from his homeland.

Manuela and Best watched the news on the Internet about the visit of the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Zimbabwe. They think that, thanks to this, new opportunities will open up for further cooperation of our states in the field of education, economy and culture.

African students listed the reasons why foreigners should come to Belarus for education at BSAA. According to Manuela and Best, Belarusian education is highly valued on the African continent primarily due to its practice-oriented direction. A lot of academic hours in the curriculum are given to practical classes with the use of modern equipment, and latest technologies. Lecturers of the Academy explains theoretical and practical material to students very clearly.

Belarus is a safe country where there is no sign of racism, you can go outside at any time of the day and not fear for your life. Teachers, students and residents of Gorki are very friendly to African students and never refuse to help. The guys are delighted with the academic campus in Gorki, where all the buildings are within walking distance. And in a comfortable student hostel, all conditions for studying and living have been created.

Elena AGEYCHIK.
Photo: Mikhail LEVTSOV.
Newspaper "Goratskі vesnіk," No. 9 of 04.02.2023

Dean of the Faculty of International Relations and Pre-University Education, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Alexander PASHKEVICH:

"Cooperation in the field of education with African countries is a promising direction for our academy"

- Taking into account the signed agreement on the supply of high-tech equipment from Belarus to the Republic of Zimbabwe and plans for the development of production cooperation, it is very relevant to train specialists for agro-industrial complex who will work with those who will serve this equipment and begin to implement our modern technologies. Food security issues also play a role for Africa. On this continent, they are actively striving to use modern production technologies in their countries to increase productivity.

Therefore, we expect an increase in the number of African students who will study at BSAA not only at their own expense, but also under grants within intergovernmental agreements between countries. We have such agreements with China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, etc.

Today, BSAA has 19 students from the African continent. Of course, it's not many. A year ago, they were 100. The coronavirus pandemic, an increase in the cost and restriction of air travel, as well as the incorrect operation of international payment systems played a negative role.

The capabilities of the BSAA, the educational and material base, the training staff, and the housing stock allow to enroll up to 1000 students from African countries.

Deputy Dean of the Faculty of International Relations and Pre-University Education Dmitry RACHIKOV:

"There will be no employment problems with the academy diploma"

- The signing of a memorandum on mutual recognition of documents on education between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Zimbabwe opens up good prospects for our cooperation in training specialists with higher education for the agro-industrial complex. African students who have completed their training at BSAA will have no employment problems at home. Our diplomas will operate in this territory without restrictions, and the graduates won't have to confirm them.

We hope that the number of African students will increase at BSAA. Today we train citizens from 7 countries of this continent: Liberia, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Gambia. Nigeria has the largest representation of 13 people. First, they study Russian here, then they get the opportunity to choose a specialty at one of the faculties of the academy. Among them, the most popular faculties to continue education are agrotechnological (specializing in agronomy), accounting, business and law, economics (specializing in world economy), land management, reclamation and construction.

Photo (from left to right): Deputy Dean Dmitry RACHIKOV, sophomores Manuela Wakam Segning, Best Chibuike Monday, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations and Pre-University Education Alexander PASHKEVICH are discussing the news of academic life.