Agro-Innovation Festival Kicks Off in the Republic of Ethiopia Today, November 10, the Agro-Innovation Festival—organized by Rossotrudnichestvo and Astrakhan Tatishchev State University —held its grand opening in Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The three-day festival is designed for high school students and undergraduates from Addis Ababa and other Ethiopian cities. The program is highly practical in nature, featuring intensive educational sessions across three key areas: the fundamentals of agricultural robotics, bioinformatics, and crop yield forecasting based on weather data analysis. High school students will take part in a business simulation game titled “Agro-Startup: Saving Ethiopia’s Harvest,” while undergraduates will participate in a large-scale hackathon, where they will develop prototypes for agricultural technology devices. The festival will also include presentations by Russian companies showcasing their latest developments in the agricultural sector. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from Rossotrudnichestvo, the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, and several leading Ethiopian universities. In his welcoming remarks, Vladimir Golovachev, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, highlighted the importance of fostering humanitarian and educational partnerships between Russia and Ethiopia: “Educational and outreach initiatives focused on technical and creative skills open up new opportunities for the youth of Ethiopia.” “I am confident that the participants will find the sessions both engaging and informative, and that the knowledge they gain will serve as a catalyst for their future professional growth, while also strengthening the friendly ties between Russia and Ethiopia.” Alexey Chesnokov, Senior Counselor at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,remarked: “The Agro-Innovation Festival serves as a unique platform where Ethiopian school and university students can explore cutting-edge Russian agricultural technologies, test their skills by addressing real-world practical challenges, and learn about opportunities for pursuing an education in Russia. We are delighted to see such keen interest from the participants, and we are confident that this event will help strengthen scientific and educational ties between our two nations.” One of the festival participants, Abafita Farid Abazinab—a student at Adama Science and Technology University (based in the city of Jimma)—shared that he had been eagerly awaiting the start of the Agro-Innovation Festival. He expects to acquire a wealth of new knowledge in fields such as agricultural robotics and bioinformatics, which he believes will prove highly valuable in his future professional career; he also expressed his gratitude to the organizers for the invitation. Ketema Ashenafi Faye, from the same university, noted his keen interest in the development of agriculture in Russia and in the modern agricultural technologies that could potentially be adapted for use in his own country. The events will take place at the Best Western Plus Pearl Addis Hotel in Addis Ababa over three days – 10, 11, and 12 November 2026. Further information about the event is available on the official website: https://agrofest.asu-edu.ru.