How Russian Education Can Work in Kenya: A Talk with Project Lead V. Zyubanov

This project is one of three supported by the Russian Ministry of Education in 2025. As project lead V. Zyubanov notes, it builds upon scientific research conducted in 2023-2024 focused on promoting Russian language and culture abroad. We asked him to share the key features of this year's initiative.

What makes this project relevant today?

V. Zyubanov: In short, it's about making Russian education «connect» to the realities of Kenya.

Today's world is deeply interconnected. Students take online courses at global universities, businesses expand across borders, and cultures mix more than ever. Kenya itself is a vibrant, multilingual country where people navigate multiple languages every day. You can't just drop Russian textbooks into that environment and expect them to work. They need to be adapted to local language, culture, and social realities.

That's our goal. We're making high-quality Russian educational materials accessible and relevant for Kenyan students, opening new opportunities for them. At the same time, it allows Russia to expand the reach of its educational programs abroad and strengthen its humanitarian and cultural ties with Kenya.

We're not just building a language course. We're building a shared space where Russian and Kenyan educational systems meet and enrich one another.

What did the research involve?

V. Zyubanov: From the start, we knew that before proposing anything, we had to gain a deep understanding of Kenya's educational and cultural landscape. That's why the project was designed as applied research.

We took several key steps: we studied Kenyan linguaculture, analyzing the language situation (official, national, and local languages); conducted an online survey to determine the demand for Russian language learning, preferred learning formats (in-person, online, blended), and the most relevant topics—from academic Russian to business and tourism language. We also defined the specific requirements for teaching methods and materials in a multilingual environment, which demands a tailored approach to lesson structure, grammar instruction, and work with texts and audio.

Importantly, we built upon the results of the 2023 project, utilizing the developed model for Russian-language educational activities within Kenya's system and the «Map of Intercultural Communication: Kenya».

What are the key outcomes so far?

V. Zyubanov: It was crucial for us to go beyond theory. We have developed a cross-cultural adaptation strategy that accounts for the specifics of Kenya's educational system and its regulatory framework, the actual needs of Kenyan learners, and the accumulated experience of Russian teachers and methodologies that work with African audiences.

A strategy must work «in the field». We implemented it directly into educational practice through the Center for Open Education in Russian and Russian Language in Kenya. This allowed us not only to launch instruction but also to immediately test what worked and what needed improvement. What did we see in practice? First, it became clear that adapted Russian materials are better received when they incorporate local realities: examples, scenarios, and topics relevant to Kenyan students. Second, we collected detailed feedback from learners and instructors. This helped identify the strategy's strengths (such as interest in cultural parallels) and its weak points (where explanations needed simplification, exercise formats required changes, or more visual aids were necessary). Third, this feedback allowed us to refine the strategy, revise part of the methodological guidelines, and supplement it with additional adapted Russian educational resources.

The project's key outcome: we have confirmed that with proper cross-cultural adaptation, Russian educational materials can work effectively in Kenya's multilingual environment, making Russian language learning more motivating and successful.

Do you plan to apply this strategy in the future, and what results do you expect?

V. Zyubanov:  Absolutely. We designed this as a blueprint for expansion, not just a single pilot. In Kenya, the next steps include deploying it at the University of Nairobi alongside our existing Center. Subsequently, we will extend it to other African countries with similar conditions: diverse linguistic landscapes, the active role of English, and a strong interest in international education. In the long term, this will enable us to develop new ethnically-oriented learning modules and online Russian courses specifically for African audiences. We will also offer the analytical and strategic materials to organizations involved in promoting Russian language and education abroad.

We expect that the phased expansion and implementation of this strategy will make Russian educational programs more in demand both in Kenya and across the African continent.

Project Team

Vadim Yu. Zyubanov
Head, International Cooperation Office, Institute of Foreign Languages and International Communications; Director, Center for Open Education in Kenya; Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences.

Anna V. Kuryanovich
Head, Department of Language Theory and Russian Language Teaching Methodology, Faculty of History and Philology; Doctor of Philological Sciences; Associate Professor.

Anna V. Ageyeva
Expert, International Cooperation Office, Institute of Foreign Languages and International Communications.

Anna G. Bogdanova
Director, Institute of Foreign Languages and International Communications; Candidate of Philological Sciences; Associate Professor.

Valeria M. Lemskaya
Deputy Director, Institute of Foreign Languages and International Communications; Candidate of Philological Sciences.

Dina F. Mymrina
Head, Department of English Philology and Intercultural Communications, Institute of Foreign Languages and International Communications; Candidate of Philological Sciences; Associate Professor.

Alexandra A. Kim
Professor, Department of English Philology and Intercultural Communication, Institute of Foreign Languages and International Communications; Doctor of Philological Sciences.