Cosmonaut arrives in Tanzania to introduce kids to Russian robots

More than 800 Tanzanian high school and college students explored robotics this week at a Russian-sponsored forum

The robotics forum, which took place on October 23-25 at Russky Dom (Russian House) in Dar es Salaam, was open to Tanzanian students.

The forum was organized by the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Tanzania, Russian House. Russia’s Southwestern State University, Tambov State Technical University and Belgorod National Research University teamed up with Russia’s Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics to tell young Tanzanians about modern robots, and how to enter this field of study, Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov said on Saturday.

Shkaplerov, who has performed four space flights and has been awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation, was on hand to help tell the Tanzanians about robots. He had made a personal visit to Tanzania to attend the forum.

More than 800 Tanzanian students came to see the advanced Russian robots during the first two days of the forum.

“The forum will bring on board lecturers, seminars and workshops, for students to also see examples of educational, industrial and aerospace robots as well as a movie, ‘The Challenge’, which was filmed on the International Space Station,” Shkaplerov said ahead of the event. 

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He pointed out that the forum will help young people admire and learn more about the world of robotics for the benefit of the country. “Russia is ready to support them in this field,” he added.