Moscow, Russia – Moscow’s Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University – better known as RUDN – offers a view of a relationship often discussed in the language of diplomacy, trade and security.

On the eve of the Russia-Africa Summit, due to begin on Wednesday in the capital Moscow, RUDN’s corridors are crowded with students speaking Russian, English, Arabic and dozens of African languages.

There are national celebrations, cultural showcases, food from across the continent and student clubs that turn the campus into what one graduate calls a “mini-city”.

For Africans who have come to study, work and build careers in Russia, the relationship is not an abstract geopolitical project.…