Specialists from the mineral resources sector in seven African countries, including Burundi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, completed a week-long internship in Almetyevsk, the “oil capital of Tatarstan”, witnessing firsthand how Russia trains personnel for the extractive industry. This was reported by the university’s press service on its website.
The African miners participated in the international educational programme “Management of Subsoil Use Facilities” at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University. The annual course is divided into modules and includes internships and practical training in resource companies.
The participants completed drilling and geophysical practices in the Leningrad Region, visited specialised institutions in Moscow, and then travelled to Almetyevsk, near one of the world’s largest oil fields, Romashkinskoye Oil Field.
“I was incredibly inspired by what I saw in Saint Petersburg and Almetyevsk. […] Graduates of the Higher School of Oil in Almetyevsk, as well as of Saint Petersburg Mining University, leave their universities fully prepared for real work. I hope we can implement this experience in our home countries,” shared Mandisa Gaba from South Africa.
During a campus tour of the Higher School of Oil, delegates were shown its educational and laboratory facilities and geological museum. The internship included three full-scale lectures in English. The visitors were particularly interested in new technologies under development at the university, their environmental impact, and their potential application on other continents.
In addition, the African specialists visited Nizhnekamsk, where a refinery demonstrated how education and science are integrated into production.
The participants also visited the urban-type settlement of Aktyubinsky, 40 km from Almetyevsk. This advanced eco-settlement serves as a testing ground for biotechnologies and scientific and technical initiatives in green energy. Some apartment buildings are equipped with solar panels. The settlement’s heating is fully provided by a solid-fuel boiler operating on wood chips. A biogas installation operates on the local farm, and there is a house entirely constructed from 3D-printed components.
The African specialists were particularly interested in an experiment at the local kindergarten: children grow seedlings hydroponically, without soil, and then plant them in the ground, observing the results of their work.
The internship concluded with a ceremonial presentation of certificates for completing the educational module at the university.
African Times published this article in partnership with International Media Network TV BRICS
