HSE Days in Ghana: How the University Attracts Talents and Expands Cooperation with Africa

In March 2025, HSE Days took place in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, the cultural hub of Kumasi, and the Bono East region. Representatives of the university awarded participants of the HSE International Olympiad (HSE INTO 2025) and spoke to local school pupils and university students about educational opportunities, scholarship programmes, and application pathways to HSE University.

HSE Days were held for students from Ghana’s leading universities: Valley View University, the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Sunyani Technical University, and Nkoranza Technical Institute.

Presentations at universities and schools attracted hundreds of interested students and pupils. They took part in interactive quizzes, with memorable prizes from HSE awarded to the winners. One of the largest events was held at Prempeh College, attracting over 800 attendees. The ceremony honoured the winners and runners-up of the HSE International Olympiad (HSE INTO 2025) in Mathematics, held in person for the first time in Ghana in autumn 2024.

Alexander Deev, Director of International Talent Development

We see significant interest in Russian education among young people in Ghana. This inspires us to continue fostering sustainable academic partnerships, student and faculty exchanges, and joint educational initiatives. We are committed to making HSE increasingly recognised internationally by talented applicants—not only in Europe and Asia, but also in promising regions such as Africa.

A special focus during the visit was placed on expanding the geography of the International Olympiad to northern regions of the country. Members of Parliament and the Ministry of Education of Ghana expressed their willingness to support similar events organised by HSE University in the future.

Victoria Panova, HSE Vice Rector

At HSE University, we are actively engaged with African countries in the fields of education and science. In April 2024, HSE hosted the international conference ‘Export of Russian Education to Africa: Challenges and Opportunities,’ which brought together the rectors of universities from Mali, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Niger, and Guinea. We discussed ways to develop humanitarian ties and further cooperation in the context of the changing world order, as Russia and Africa share a long-standing history of friendly relations. Moreover, Russian education enjoys a strong reputation across African nations, which provides a solid foundation for deepening collaboration in this area and for fostering broader multilateral relations with African states.

Today, around 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25, and this young generation is in need of high-quality education. The number of African students at HSE University is growing, and events such as HSE Days offer talented prospective students the opportunity to learn about admission to our university. Russia, with its vast potential, has much to offer not only to applicants but also to its African academic partners. For example, in 2022, the e-Governance Knowledge Sharing Programme for Africa was launched at HSE’s Centre for African Studies with the support of the Russian Government; the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Innopraktika company. This programme aims to improve public administration in African countries, and the exchange of knowledge and experience enables both us and our partners to look confidently toward long-term cooperation. I would also like to highlight that the promotion of the Russian language remains one of our strategic priorities in our partnerships with African nations.

HSE Days in Ghana marked an important milestone in Russian–African educational cooperation and opened up new opportunities for talented students in the region.