This is book uses higher education as a lens for examining the ways both nation states and individuals make choices and seek partners on the geopolitical stage. With a focus on Africa and Russia, this book traces the history of contact between the regions, from the era of the Tsars, through the reign of the USSR, to the current agenda of the Russian Federation. During each era—education, political science, and Black studies are woven together to create a patchwork of knowledge, each era with shifting values and purposes that influenced diplomatic relations. This is book delves into the ways both the State and the Student engage in critical geopolitics, with a focus on Egypt, Ethiopia, and Zambia.