ETU "LETI" Graduate Mwenge Mulenga, "It is my sincere hope that, thanks to Days of Robotics, more pupils will choose to go to Russia, just like I went"

From October 29 to 31, 2024, the "Robotics and Innovative Educational Technologies Days" were held in the capital of Zambia, Lusaka, at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA). They were organized by ETU "LETI" together with Rossotrudnichestvo and the Russian Science and Technology Center in Lusaka. During the event, took place a visiting session, where ETU "LETI" graduate and employee of the Department of Information and Communication Technologies of the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) Mwenge Mulenga shared his experience of studying in Russia. Mwenge also spoke about how the knowledge he has received at ETU “LETI” helps him train some of the best software engineers in Zambia.

My name is Mwenge Mulenga. I stay in Lusaka, Zambia. I work for the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA). I am the manager of IT security and compliance in the Department of ICT. My history is that I did my studies in Russia, I was a student at LETI. In 2003-2007, I got my Bachelor's degree; from 2007 to 2009, I got my Master's degree.

I was studying at the Department of Software Engineering and Computer Applications, so some of my lecturers were Sergey Ivanovsky and Kirill Krinkin; K. Krinkin was my supervisor. I also had very good friends in Russia, in the same stream. One of them is Yevgeny Kalchenko, a very good friend of mine. He visited me here in Zambia as well.

After getting my Master's in Russia, St. Petersburg, LETI, I returned to Zambia. I joined the University of Zambia as a lecturer. I worked there for one year, then, I moved to Mulungushu University in Kabwe, Central Province, in 2010, up to 2021.

I have been working as a lecturer in the area of software engineering. The knowledge I got from Russia helped me very much. It is useful, up to now I am still teaching in the area of software engineering.

However, after teaching, I would also want to mention that in 2018 my university, Mulungushi University, sent me to Malaysia to go and do artificial intelligence. Now I have a PhD in artificial intelligence. Generally speaking, what I got from Russia has really helped not only me, but it has also helped those that I have taught. I have influenced my students. My students are some of the best software engineers in Zambia.

I am very inspired that my alma mater, ETU “LETI," is actively contributing to the future of robotics in my country. In an era where technology plays a key role, robotics is becoming the foundation of tomorrow. 

Introducing robotics to pupils in Zambia will give them opportunities to venture into the new era. It will give them opportunities to find good jobs, but not only that, it will give those opportunities to contribute to the development of Zambia as a nation.

So, with this program, with students getting introduced to robotics, it is my sincere hope that more pupils will choose to go to Russia, just like I went, so that they can go and learn from our Russian friends about robotics, so that they can have an opportunity, just like I have, to contribute to the development of Zambia.