The attack occurred near the dormitories of the Patrice Lumumba People's Friendship University and was witnessed by several passersby. The student was hospitalized and his life is not believed to be in danger.
Police are conducting a search for the attacker based on eyewitness descriptions.
The Patrice Lumumba University, named after a Congolese revolutionary leader, was established in 1961 at the height of the Cold War to train Third World students in Marxist ideology. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the university changed its curriculum to teach market economics.
Attacks on foreigners in Russia, including against African and Asian students at the university, have become increasingly common in recent years, as xenophobia and nationalism have made significant headway among many of the country's disaffected youths.