Tanzanian political elites in a changing world. About the books of abstracts “Leadership and power in Africa in the past and present. Research by scientists from Russia, Tanzania and beyond” (ed. by D. Bondarenko; Moscow: Institut Afriki, 2022. 189 p.; “The place of Africa in the world. The past and present” (ed. by D. Bondarenko; Moscow: Institut Afriki, 2024. 200 p.)

The article deals with the issues which were raised at international scientific conferences with the participation of experts from Tanzania, Russia and other countries, organized in Dar es Salaam in March 2022 and 2024 by  the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation, the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Dar es Salaam together with the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy and the University of Dar es Salaam. The first, “Leadership and Power in Africa in the past and present. Research by scientists from Russia, Tanzania and other countries”, commemorated the 100th anniversary of the founding father of Tanzania, Julius Kambarage Nyerere. The second – “Africa’s Place in the World. The past and present” – took place in 2024, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the formation of the United Republic of Tanzania, celebrated on April 26. The collections of abstracts of reports published by the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences following those conferences cover an extremely wide thematic spectrum – from the place of African countries in the modern world to the transformation of their power institutions, political elites, state languages and culture, their influence and interrelation with global processes. The authors using unique archival and periodical material, focus on global civilizational aspects, give a comprehensive analysis of the role of Africa in today’s world, drawing attention to the issues of power and society relations, the specifics in the formation and functioning of elites in the modern political and economic situation in different countries of Africa and the continent as a whole. The conducted research makes a significant contribution to a broader and more panoramic understanding of the issues raised in the context of strengthening the African theme in modern discourses.

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