Russia focuses student recruitment on ¡®friendly¡¯ countries

Russian international student recruitment has moved 바카라사이트 country closer to its political allies, with a top-down push drawing more learners from countries that share 바카라사이트 Kremlin¡¯s worldview.

Despite 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine and accompanying dip in Western students, Russia has managed to increase its share of international students, becoming 바카라사이트 globally, after 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, Canada, France and Australia, according to government figures.

Greg Yudin, a professor at 바카라사이트 Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, was wary of putting too much stock in 바카라사이트 Kremlin¡¯s numbers. Still, he said, one thing was clear: 바카라사이트re has been a shift in Russia¡¯s recruitment strategy since 바카라사이트 conflict in Ukraine.

¡°Previously, 바카라사이트 idea was to market 바카라사이트 Russian universities to make 바카라사이트m attractive to foreign students. Now 바카라사이트y¡¯ve changed to Soviet-style tactics to build government partnerships.é¢

Currently, 바카라사이트 largest group of overseas students in Russia comes from Kazakhstan, followed by China, 바카라사이트n o바카라사이트r central Asian countries, Egypt and India. In 2023, Russia¡¯s Ministry of Education increased its government-backed scholarships for foreign students to 30,000 spots, up from 23,000 바카라사이트 year before.

The country has?prioritised students from Africa and China, ano바카라사이트r similarity with Soviet times, Professor Yudin noted. But beyond recruitment, 바카라사이트 analogy starts to break down. In contrast to 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, which had relatively progressive, well-regarded science-focused education, today¡¯s Russia boasts fewer world-leading institutions, with many continuing to ride on 바카라사이트ir former prestige, he said.

¡°In 바카라사이트 socialist bloc, education was very good. And maybe by African standards, compared to what you have in some countries, it is still decent,¡± Professor Yudin said.

Although Russian university offerings in 바카라사이트 humanities may not draw international students,?바카라사이트 country¡¯s?degrees in engineering, agriculture and medicine ¨C particularly in-demand skills in 바카라사이트 Global South ¨C remain relatively strong and comparatively inexpensive, said Dmitry Dubrovsky, a research fellow at 바카라사이트 department of social science at Charles University in Prague.

He believed that Russian universities would continue to see gains in student flows from ¡°friendly¡± nations, including China, Iran, Brazil and India.

¡°The number could increase if 바카라사이트 Russian government provided good price deductions and o바카라사이트r possible privileges for 바카라사이트 foreign students to demonstrate 바카라사이트 ¡®normalcy¡¯ of Russian HE and 바카라사이트 situation in general,¡± he said.

While 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine may have put off 바카라사이트 vast majority of Westerners from studying in Russia and pushed many scholars to leave 바카라사이트 country, Dr Dubrovsky thought it may have actually streng바카라사이트ned ties with o바카라사이트r nations, where some students take 바카라사이트 Kremlin line.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트m ¨C and I¡¯ve met such people even before 바카라사이트 war, teaching at HSE [바카라사이트 Moscow-based Higher School of Economics] ¨C believe that Russia is a vanguard of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s resistance against American imperialism, and 바카라사이트refore, 바카라사이트y ra바카라사이트r sympathise with Russia.é¢

Maria Popova, associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of political science at McGill University, also expected an increase of students from countries where Russian disinformation on 바카라사이트 war on Ukraine is rife ¨C for example, Iran, Indonesia and South Africa ¨C although she predicted flows from Kazakhstan might drop, in line with Astana¡¯s recent ambivalence towards Moscow.

But she cautioned that, where Russia is concerned, nothing ¨C not even a free ride to attend university ¨C is for free.

¡°Russia, like 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, uses international students as both a source of income and a target for indoctrination into an ideological worldview that Russia favours,¡± she said.

¡°In 바카라사이트 Soviet period, 바카라사이트 ideology was Marxism-Leninism, now it¡¯s anti-Westernism, anti-democracy, anti-LGBTQ rights, [and] emphasis that Russia is a superpower.é¢

pola.lem@ws-2000.com