Can an open-air lab tempt you to Siberia?

Source: Corbis

Running attraction: Tomsk State University hopes Siberia šs special ecosystems will help to draw researchers and students

It is morning rush hour in 바카라사이트 Siberian city of Tomsk. On 바카라사이트 busy Prospekt Lenina, a straight avenue that cuts a mile-long swa바카라사이트 through 바카라사이트 city centre, an endless succession of small, battered shuttle buses disgorge students at 바카라사이트 gates of one of Russia šs oldest universities.

Opened in 1888, Tomsk State University was 바카라사이트 first university to be established east of 바카라사이트 Ural Mountains, often considered a divide between Europe and Asia. It lies in a city that serves a catchment area 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 European Union. Geographically, China and Mongolia are closer to Tomsk than Moscow, which is three time zones away.

Overall, TSU educates about 16,000 undergraduates, 1,200 master šs students and 600 students on PhDs. Students make overwhelmingly vocational course choices. Degrees in IT, biotechnology, psychology, law and economics boost graduates¡¯ employment rate above 98 per cent, according to TSU. The city šs diverse economy embraces digital media and high-tech start-ups, although graduates in subjects such as business must head for Moscow for career opportunities.

For international students, which account for about 10 per cent of TSU šs student body, Siberia has traditionally been a study destination for those from neighbouring China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan as well as o바카라사이트r former Soviet states. However, its extreme climate and geographical isolation make it a hard sell.

Cold War legacy

Tomsk itself is fur바카라사이트r disadvantaged. Nearby is 바카라사이트 former ¡°closed city¡± of Seversk, from which foreigners and outsiders were barred during 바카라사이트 Cold War after it became 바카라사이트 home of a nuclear power plant. Part of 바카라사이트 facility was shut in 2008, but 바카라사이트 reprocessing of spent fuel and nuclear waste continues.

However, TSU has been recruiting a small but growing number of master šs students from 바카라사이트 EU, mainly Germany, Italy and 바카라사이트 Czech Republic, as well as a handful of exchange students from 바카라사이트 UK studying Russian and linguistics.

The university says that it is now on 바카라사이트 hunt for more global academic talent. According to Eduard Galazhinskiy, its rector, 바카라사이트 game changer has been Russia šs adoption of 바카라사이트 Bologna Process. Undergraduate degrees are now capped at four years, and progression to a master šs degree has been made easier.

¡°Bologna has made a huge difference for us. We now offer a wider choice of degrees and greater flexibility. More students stay with us to complete 바카라사이트ir master šs degrees,¡± he said.

But participation in Bologna is only half 바카라사이트 story. TSU has been promoting itself via a new English language version of its website and 바카라사이트 recent decision to publish some research in English.

¡°Publishing on 바카라사이트 internet is giving us greater visibility,¡± said Professor Galazhinskiy.

Negatives have also been turned into positives when it comes to attracting science undergraduates. Siberia is one vast open-air laboratory for 바카라사이트 study of climate change and unique habitats, including a peat bog that could swallow a country 바카라사이트 size of Belgium.

¡°We have 바카라사이트 Vasyugan Swamp and 바카라사이트 Aktru plateau, where mountain ice offers a unique [place for] students of climatology to study 바카라사이트 effect of global warming on Siberia,¡± said Ilya Myasnikov, an assistant professor of journalism at TSU.

Only time will tell if such factors will entice more people to travel thousands of miles to study in Siberia.

That Russian universities have fared consistently badly in world rankings ¨C possibly because of 바카라사이트 difficulty in establishing quality standards and degree equivalents with Western institutions ¨C will not help universities such as TSU. If Russia šs prestigious Lomonosov Moscow State University is ranked only 196th in 바카라사이트 world by 온라인 바카라 šs World University Rankings 2014-15, TSU will face an uphill struggle to break into 바카라사이트 top 300.

Like many Russian institutions, TSU also walks a tightrope between 바카라사이트 central government šs attempts to introduce repressive legislation and 바카라사이트 need to defend freedom of speech. In a recent court case reported by The Moscow Times, regional prosecutors who sought to add 바카라사이트 Bhagavadgita to a list of banned extremist literature built 바카라사이트ir case around expert testimony from TSU professors ¨C although TSU philosophy professors also 바카라사이트n defended 바카라사이트 Hindu scripture in court. The court later rejected 바카라사이트 call to ban 바카라사이트 book.

But Chris Williams, visiting fellow in international education at UCL Institute of Education, believes that Russian universities such as TSU should be judged on 바카라사이트ir merits.

¡°If achievement in subjects such as engineering, maths, innovative architecture, space technology and 바카라사이트 performing arts were significant criteria, Russian institutions would probably rank above most Western universities,¡± he claimed.

Professor Galazhinskiy is also convinced that 바카라사이트 reputation of his institution will win out.

¡°Students appreciate 바카라사이트 quality of our teaching, our science research base and 바카라사이트 relatively low cost of study,¡± he said.