Andrey Maslov: Agreement With the Central African Republic to Expand Digital Skills Training and Research
HSE University (Russia) is expanding its cooperation with the Central African Republic (CAR) through a knowledge-sharing program on digital transformation and public administration for African countries. An agreement to this effect was signed at the 2nd Global Digital Forum in Moscow.
Andrey Maslov, Director of the HSE Centre for African Studies and coordinator of the program, discussed the significance of the agreement, plans for specialist training, and research aimed at identifying opportunities to implement projects in the CAR.
– The agreement was signed as part of a knowledge-sharing program on digital transformation and public administration for African countries, supported by the Russian government and coordinated by HSE University. We have been working with the Central African Republic through this program for some time. Last week, we visited Bangui, where we finalized arrangements for our future work. We see strong interest in the program from the CAR.
The agreement will allow us to expand our cooperation and play a greater role in developing strategic digital transformation initiatives for the country, drawing on Russian experts from a range of organizations. HSE University serves as the program coordinator, but the work extends well beyond the capabilities of a single university: we have a broad network of specialists from different organizations.
Our primary focus is on workforce training and joint research, the two areas covered by our program’s mandate. We will jointly assess the feasibility of various projects in the CAR, including investment projects, and examine the conditions under which investments could generate returns. Decisions on specific projects are made by the implementing organizations, which determine whether to participate and carry out the relevant programs. Our task is to lay the groundwork for those decisions.
We are already seeing initial results. We generally sign agreements after work with a partner is already underway. Mid-level managers and department heads have completed training at HSE University and received diplomas in professional retraining. We have also prepared a digital profile of the Central African Republic. This analytical study is currently under review by the minister and his team, and we expect to hear their feedback soon. I think we will return to discussions of specific projects at the summit in late October.
