Successful completion of the visit of the Tanzanian delegation within the framework of the project «Russian-Tanzanian Scientific and Educational Expedition».

On May 26 the return visit of the Tanzanian delegation represented by the staff of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Forestry Research Institute of Tanzania, Forestry Services Agency of Tanzania and Sokoine University of Agriculture was completed. This visit laid the foundation for a new promising direction of international cooperation of the Kirov St. Petersburg State Forestry University.

The events were also attended by the project partners from the Russian side - representatives of leading specialized institutions, including Petrozavodsk State University, Voronezh State Forestry University, “Russian-African Network University” (RAFU), and St. Petersburg Charitable Public Foundation for the Development of Peter the Great Botanical Garden, acting as the project operator.

The program included a series of important and significant business events and activities:

On May 19, during the study visit to St. Petersburg State Forestry Technical University named after S.M. Kirov (SPbGLTU), the Tanzanian colleagues got acquainted with the forestry education system and forest resources of Russia. The Tanzanian colleagues familiarized themselves with the system of forestry education and forest resources of Russia. They also visited the A.A. Silantiev Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Hunting Science and the M.N. Rimsky-Korsakov Museum of Forest Entomology.

On May 20 the delegation visited the branch of SPbGLTU - Lisinsky educational and experimental forestry and the Lisinsky ecological trail.

On May 21, Jared Otieno Ellie, Head of the Forest Resources Monitoring and Assessment Department of the Forest Services Agency of Tanzania, made a presentation “Conservation and Management of Forest Resources in Tanzania: Challenges and Opportunities,” at the annual conference “Forests of Russia” held at St. Petersburg State Forestry University.

The day continued with the ceremonial signing of an agreement on the establishment of Russian-Tanzanian centers of competence in forest education and forest science between the St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S.M. Kirov and the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI)..

In honor of the signing of the agreement, a commemorative noon shot was fired at the Naryshkin Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress. A tour of the Peter and Paul Fortress was conducted for the project participants.

May 22 - working meeting and business lunch with Nizami Adilkhanovich Mamishev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, in Smolny. On the same day an expert dialog took place in the Committee for Natural Resources of the Leningrad Region with the participation of the Directorate of Protected Areas of the Leningrad Region, which identified points of mutual interest and prospects for the future.

On May 23, the delegation visited the V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and took part in the conference “Africa Day” at St. Petersburg State University.

On the last day, the Tanzanian guests had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the culture and beauty of St. Petersburg and visited the Peterhof State Museum of Fine Arts. The colleagues were amazed by the luxurious interiors of the palace and the majestic fountains of Peterhof Park. The story about the restoration of the park and its old trees made an unforgettable impression.

We hope that this visit has laid a good foundation for further development of mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening of relations between Russia and Tanzania. And the established bilateral competence centers will contribute to the development of forest science and forestry education in the friendly countries.