Alexey Maslov: “Interest in Oriental studies and African studies has grown sharply”

Asia and Africa are central to Russia’s foreign policy and economic interests. At the same time, companies and the education system face important questions: who will work in these macro-regions, where to find the necessary personnel and how to train them. It is possible to grow new strong specialists only on a solid academic basis. In this sense, Oriental studies and African studies remain the main areas in universities that can provide training that meets the state interests of Russia in the partner regions. But a strong school in the training of Africanists and Orientalists is half the battle. A significant part of training is practice in countries of specialization and with specific employers. In an interview with Vedomosti, the director of the Institute of Asian and African Countries (ISAA) of Moscow State University Alexey Maslov told what skills the future specialist cannot get in the audience, how it is necessary to rebuild the personnel training system and how much time it will take.