On 24 April, invited by a deputy of the Voronezh Regional Duma Marina Andreichuk, international students from the International Education Institute of VSU took part in the project “A cultural issue – getting to know Africa”. The event was organised by the community support office of the United Russia party and was dedicated to the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. Together with other cities, Voronezh joined the video conference of the project.
“We have a lot in common and we are eager to develop mutually beneficial partnership in various areas, including trade, economy, education, and culture. We are interested in specialised education, cultural exchange, and tourism”, said Gabriel Anicet Kochofa, President of the Association of Foreign Alumni Living and Working in Russia in his welcoming speech.
The international students taking part in the project represented 10 African countries: Benin, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, and Equatorial Guinea.
They talked about their life and studying in Russia. A master’s degree student Sidibe Youssouf Dit Vieux from Mali talked about the daily routine and the festivities held by African students studying at VSU. A pre-university student David Kone Sese from Guinea performed a national dance and then sang a well-known Russian song demonstrating a good level in Russian. The national folk dance ensemble “Nadezhda”, in turn, performed Russian national dances.
The event completed with a Russian khorovod (a traditional ring dance) – a symbol of kindness, peace, unity, and friendship.
