SOFT POWER STRATEGY AS A BASIS FOR RUSSIA-AFRICA COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH STUDENTS FROM MALI AND SENEGAL AT A TEACHERS’ TRAINING UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The article substantiates the techniques and methods of implementing “soft power” as a strategy for Russia’s cooperation with Africa in the context of teachers’ training. The “soft power” strategy is a combination of external, geopolitical and economic levers of influence based on the state’s international authority, as well as internal sociocultural factors, where education serves as an important resource for promoting Russian interests. Using the example of partnership between the South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University and universities and lyceums in Mali and Senegal, the authors identify the main factors that affect the export of Russian pedagogical education to African countries and stimulate or hinder the influx of students from these countries. The serious challenges to the soft power strategy are external and include high competition with Western countries in the educational services market. The study provides analysis of difficulties faced by African students in Russia, including language and sociocultural barriers, adaptation issues, and low motivation. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, documents, media resources, and the experience of cooperation between South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University and Mali and Senegal, the authors have identified a set of measures that can be fulfilled to successfully implement the soft power strategy in training African teachers by Russian lecturers. The authors conclude that the systematic and targeted implementation of these measures can strengthen Russia’s position in the African educational market and create a solid foundation for long-term cooperation in the field of teacher training.