Sputnik international news agency and radio held its first online SputnikPro session for the School of Journalism and Communication at Addis Ababa University, the oldest institution of higher education in Ethiopia.

During the event Vasily Pushkov, Director of International Cooperation at Sputnik, delivered a lecture on the current state of global communications and the key principles of work of an international multimedia outlet. Victoria Budanova, Head of Sputnik Africa, showcased the agency’s cutting-edge AI initiatives, including its multilingual virtual news anchors.

Dr. Elias Worku Wordofa, Assistant Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, remarked: “It was an eye opening and insightful lecture from both presenters. Such interventions have the opportunity to balance the dominant narratives in place for so long. We believe that media and information literacy are critical to all community including students and academic community.”

The event was held as part of a lecture series for Russian and international universities titled “The Global Majority and the Challenges of Neocolonialism”, supported by the Gorchakov Fund for Public Diplomacy and the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “Center for Humanitarian and Educational Initiatives.”