The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) will soon open a Russian language learning center, Amon Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, said in an interview with Sputnik.
"The University of Zimbabwe will now launch a center for studying the Russian language," the minister said, noting that Zimbabweans used to learn Russian in courses at the embassy.
Murwira added that the capital Harare is proud of progress made in educational and scientific cooperation with Moscow. According to him, over the past five years, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian and the Zimbabwean Ministry of Higher Education have signed several key memorandums of understanding in the field of higher education, science and technical cooperation, as well as in the mutual recognition of diplomas.
"There are agreements between Zimbabwe and Rosatom on training personnel in the field of nuclear technologies, an agreement between the Zimbabwean Space Agency and Roscosmos, as well as bilateral agreements between Russian and Zimbabwean universities within the framework of the Russian-African Network University," the minister said.
Recalling the history of relations between the two nations, Murwira noted that many professors in the Southern African country studied in Russia, and speak Russian, which is an important factor in scientific discussions. He added that an important aspect in relations between Russia and Zimbabwe is the struggle for independence: most of Zimbabwe's fighters received training in the USSR.
"We believe that all these facts need to be documented. Russia is helping us in this important matter – the founding of the African Liberation Museum. We believe that the creation of the museum will mark a certain stage in our relations," Murwira emphasized.
Given the fact that Zimbabwe is considered one of the oldest civilizations in the world, the minister noted that his country wants to cooperate with Russian archaeologists in examining archaeological sites in Zimbabwe. He believes that since the Russians have well-developed technologies for mineral exploration, it is considered to have developed similarly advanced architectural technologies as well.
"We had developed a lot of engineering technologies, such as construction and metalworking. But then the era of colonialism began, and we were going through terrible times until we achieved independence," Murwira said.
In modern Zimbabwe, near Lake Mutirikwi and the town of Masvingo, there is a site made of stone called 'Great Zimbabwe' - an ancient city that dates back to between the 12th and 15th centuries AD.
7 November 2022, 13:49 GMT
Zimbabwe has been making concerted efforts to strengthen ties with Russia in recent years. This cooperation has led to several agreements to be signed in various fields, including, mining, defense, and energy. The two nations have also exchanged high-level visits, indicating a growing partnership between them.
Ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) party member Christopher Mutsvangwa recently took part in talks with a delegation from Russia's Sverdlovsk region headed by the regional Minister of International and Foreign Economic Relations Vyacheslav Yarin. The parties discussed areas in which the two countries could cooperate, including steel and lithium production.
In an interview with Sputnik earlier this week, Mutsvangwa outlined his country's eagerness to join the BRICS bloc, as well as to enhance cooperation with Russia. The politician noted that BRICS is a desirable platform to join because of its transparency and lack of ideology that could affect the countries' cooperation, as he expressed hope for BRICS' further growth.