As Kirill Kisel, Director of Internationalization, noted, this festival is a unique event for the university. “The idea, proposed and implemented by students from the African Association, is fully in line with our principles of supporting international students,” Kirill Kisel emphasized. “Today, many students from various African countries are studying at HSE, and it is important for us to understand one another and take an interest in each other’s traditions and languages. Such celebrations create a space for genuine mutual cultural exchange. I am confident that the first Afrofest will become a cherished tradition. Such initiatives make an important contribution to the development of friendly relations between Russia and African countries.”
The day’s program included various activities: themed quizzes, traditional games, master classes on African languages, and a history corner—all of which allowed guests to experience the diversity and vibrancy of African culture.
“What makes this festival unique is that young people from Africa are showcasing their own culture for the first time, rather than simply joining large-scale events like we’ve had in the past,” says Elsa Auman, manager of the Support and Career Center for International Students and Alumni at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. “The leader of the African club performed on stage today, and now an Afro-DJ is playing, one who specializes exclusively in African artists and African music genres.”
The festival also featured a master class in African dance and a performance by a drummer.
The organization, which brings together more than 10,000 students from 70 countries, opened its branch on the FEFU campus in the spring of 2026. The branch includes more than 200 international students.
The International Youth Festival was the main topic of discussion during a meeting on April 21 between Ilya Obabkov, Rector of Ural Federal University, and Eduardo Villegas Megías, Mexico’s Ambassador, who visited UrFU.
In 2026, the project’s stated goal is to provide informational and methodological support for Russian language courses, which entails deepening ties with the University of South Africa and expanding the number of participants involved in the project’s activities.
MISIS University has signed a cooperation agreement with the Indian Institute of Information Technology Dharwad (IIIT Dharwad). The primary focus of the partnership will be the development of student exchange programs in UX/UI design, based at the Department of Computer-Aided Design and Engineering at MISIS and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIIT Dharwad.
On April 13, 2026, at the SFU Institute of Gastronomy, Maxim Rumyantsev, Acting Rector of SFU, and Lan Minglu, Professor and Dean of the Sichuan Cuisine Craft Production Academy, symbolically exchanged Memoranda of Understanding. The document formalizes a partnership in the field of hospitality and opens up new educational opportunities.
