OREANDA-NEWS. October 26, 2011. UC RUSAL, (SEHK: 486, Euronext: RUSAL/RUAL, MICEX: RUALR, RTS: RUAL), world's largest aluminium producer, announces the start of the joint France-Russsian educational programme in Groupe des Ecoles des Mines (GEM, France) and Siberian Federal University (SFU, Russia) supported by French Embassy in Russia to train non-ferrous metallurgy specialists for the Company. 10 students from Krasnoyarsk will be the first participants of the programme, the education costs to amount RUR 9 million.

The signing of the documents on quadruple cooperation took place in French Embassy today. The programme is scheduled for two years, one year in SFU and the second year in GEM. During the first year the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs will arrange the French language studies for the students in SFU at its own expense. As a result of the programme RUSAL will get high-qualified engineers specialized in production of aluminium and aluminium-based alloys. Students will also undertake an internship at RUSAL's Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter — one of the largest in the world.

"This programme takes us to the next level of professional and cultural education. These students are not just RUSAL's future employees but the future engineering elite of Russia. We start it with only 10 people but it is just a beginning — our needs in qualified specialists are much higher. World-first aluminium company should have world-class engineers", said UC RUSAL First Deputy CEO Vladislav Soloviev during the signing ceremony.