Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – October 12, 2025: Tanzania’s Ministry of Education has formally introduced Russian language instruction into its secondary schools and universities and announced plans to strengthen academic cooperation with Russia.
Clement Sanga, Director of the Department of Higher Education, explained in an interview on the sidelines of the “Time to Study in Russia” educational exhibition that a recent policy document emphasizes multilingualism and authorizes Russian courses at both secondary and tertiary levels.
“In our new policy document, we have emphasized the importance of learning different languages. Now Tanzanians can study Russian in secondary schools and universities, while universities have also started to develop additional programmes for learning Russian,” Sanga stated. He confirmed that, alongside sending students to study in Russia under existing scholarship schemes, the Ministry will invite Russian lecturers to Tanzania and send local instructors to Russia to ensure quality teaching.
Sanga underscored that Tanzanian and Russian universities are already collaborating on double-degree bachelor’s and master’s programmes. “We are now promoting a system of international education. Therefore, we can invite lecturers from Russia to teach in Tanzania, send our teachers to Russia, and organise student exchanges,” he said.
Interest in Russian language studies is driven in part by career prospects in tourism and by cultural engagement. Earlier this month, Tanzania’s Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Pindi Hazara Chana, reported a rise in tourist arrivals from Russia and called for increased investment to support the sector.
Tanzania’s addition of Russian to its national curriculum reflects a broader push toward multilingual education and international partnerships. By integrating language study at home and expanding student and staff exchanges, the country aims to diversify its academic offerings and foster closer ties with Russia.
