Russia–Africa Youth Forum

30 October 2026

On 28–29 October, MGIMO hosted the Russia–Africa Youth Forum. The event was held on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa Summit in partnership with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Roscongress Foundation, with financial support from the Priority 2030 programme and MGIMO Endowment.

The Forum’s opening ceremony took place on 28 October. It was attended by MGIMO Rector and Academician Anatoly Torkunov; President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani; Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda Justin Nsengiyumva; First Gentleman of the Republic of Namibia Ephraim Ndaitwah; Head of the LDPR faction in the State Duma Leonid Slutsky; Deputy Chair of the State Duma M.A. Voropaeva; and Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo K.O. Kolpakov. The distinguished guests highlighted the importance of youth diplomacy and the development of Russian-African cooperation.

Following the opening ceremony, the founding meeting of the Russian-African Youth Union (RAYU) was held. The organisation aims to bring together youth organisations from Russia and African countries to implement joint initiatives.

The first day of the Forum focused on entrepreneurship, economics, education and cultural cooperation. As part of the 5th Russia–Africa Forum: What’s Next?, a workshop entitled “A New Generation of Partnership: Russia–Africa Entrepreneurial Initiatives” was held, bringing together participants to discuss prospects for joint business projects.

At the expert discussion “Africa’s Human Capital”, the book Top 100 African Leaders and Influencers According to MGIMO was presented. This was followed by a discussion on the development of international logistics, a World Café session and a business simulation.

The evening programme focused on cultural exchange. Guests took part in a music workshop entitled “Harmony of Rhythms”, visited the photo exhibition “Africa’s Nature in Motion: An Inside Perspective” and attended a Russian-African concert featuring artistic groups from Russia and African countries.

On 29 October, the Forum continued with expert discussions on international security, politics and humanitarian cooperation. Participants addressed efforts to combat the financing of terrorism, the role of women’s leadership in the Russian-African partnership and prospects for Russia’s cooperation with countries of the Global South.

Special attention was given to educational and youth initiatives. At the round table “Regional Universities and the Global South”, experts explored opportunities for scientific and cultural diplomacy. The discussion “Youth of Russia and Africa” reviewed the outcomes of the 2026 World Youth Festival and considered prospects for further humanitarian cooperation. During the open-mic session “Life of African Students in Russia”, participants shared their experiences of studying and adapting to life at Russian universities.

The Forum concluded with a guided tour of the exhibition “The Stroganov Cultural Code in Preserving Russia’s Heritage: Design and Traditional Folk Arts and Crafts”, dedicated to traditional and contemporary decorative and applied arts.