On July 28, journalism fellows from African countries took part in the Editorial Lab Russia-Africa, an interactive workshop hosted by the IMA-press Communication Agency.
The event brought together experts in international cooperation, public communications, and media relations. Fellows heard presentations by:
— Anton Slinchenko, Director of the International Cooperation Department at Business Russia;
— Nairui Grigoryan, Deputy Head of External Communications at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Director of the Information Policy Department at the Russian Foreign Trade Academy;
— Yaroslav Yakubov, Senior International Development Manager at the Russian Export Center;
— Daria Strelavina, Project Manager at IMA-press.
During the workshop, experts explored key aspects of Russia-Africa cooperation, strategic communication, government media relations, and effective engagement with the Russian media landscape. The workshop combined expert presentations with interactive discussions and group brainstorming. Fellows introduced themselves, spoke about their professional backgrounds, and engaged with the speakers through an open Q&A session.
The second part of the event focused on knowledge exchange: participants presented how media ecosystems operate in their home countries and discussed with IMA-press experts the similarities and differences between African and Russian approaches to news coverage.
The session became a valuable platform for sharing professional experience, strengthening cross-cultural dialogue, and exploring new opportunities for media cooperation between Russia and Africa.
The programme is implemented by Mezhdunarodniki Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation together with the Gorchakov Fund and the International Information Agency and Radio Sputnik as part of the SputnikPro programme. The fellowship is held within Rossotrudnichestvo's flagship New Generation programme with grant support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.