The Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia will start teaching Swahili language after signing an agreement with a Tanzanian university.
The language studies will be facilitated by the University of Dar es Salaam.
The move comes days after the African Union adopted Swahili as an official working language.
Swahili is spoken in several African countries.
Unesco last year declared 7 July as the world's official day to celebrate the Swahili language.