On 29 October 2026, on the sidelines of the Third Russia–Africa Summit, Russia and Madagascar took an important step towards further strengthening cooperation in higher education. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, K. Mogilevsky, and the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Madagascar, Ndaohialy Manda-Vy Ravonimanantsoa, signed a memorandum on cooperation in higher education and science and agreed to begin preparations for a new intergovernmental agreement on the mutual recognition of education.
The legal framework governing cooperation between the two countries in this area has existed for more than half a century. On 27 August 1973, the USSR and the Malagasy Republic signed a Protocol on the Equivalence of Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. Over the past 53 years, the higher education systems of Russia and Madagascar have undergone significant changes, with new levels of education, academic programmes, qualifications and modern professional training requirements emerging in both countries.
For this reason, the two sides intend to update the existing legal framework and prepare a modern agreement reflecting the current structure of the education systems of both countries. Diplomas issued by Russian higher education institutions are recognized worldwide either under agreements on the mutual recognition of diplomas or, in countries where no such agreements are in force, through equivalency procedures carried out by the relevant authorities of the respective ministries. Such procedures may take up to six months.
Updating the mechanism for the mutual recognition of education has considerable practical importance for students and graduates. A modern and transparent regulatory framework should further promote academic mobility, opportunities for continuing education, and the professional development of graduates of Russian and Malagasy universities.
For citizens of Madagascar considering higher education in Russia, this is an especially significant development. Educational cooperation between the two countries is entering a new stage, while the recognition of qualifications is being brought into line with the realities of modern education.
After 53 years, Russia and Madagascar are not starting cooperation in the recognition of education from scratch. They are bringing it to a new level that reflects the realities of modern higher education and the growing educational ties between Russia and Africa.
