http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cih...36/text011.htm

International Higher Education, Summer 2004

International Students in Russia

Anna Smolentseva
Anna Smolentseva is a research fellow at the Center for Sociological Studies at the Moscow State University. Address: 11 Mokhovaya Ul, Moscow 103009 Russia. E-mail: anna@opinio.msu.ru.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presently, about 100,000 international students are enrolled at Russian higher education institutions. Their expanding numbers are considered one of the most important trends in Russian tertiary education. Policymakers emphasize that higher education, along with oil, has the potential to become a key export industry in the Russian economy that will earn billions of dollars, as is the case in the United States, Australia, and other countries. However, currently the presence of international students in Russia yields only about U.S.$150 million annually.

Overview
The Soviet system of international education had virtually broken down by the early 1990s, and only in recent years has the number of international students in post–Soviet Russia begun to increase. Over the last decade their number has more than doubled, and qualitative change has taken place as well. In Soviet times, most foreign students studied tuition free under intergovernmental agreements. Today, international education is not oriented toward Soviet propaganda, but rather toward economic benefit, which means that the majority of international students pay tuition. Foreign students represent an important source of nonstate financing, which enables many Russian higher education institutions to survive under conditions of financial constraint.

The countries of origin of international students have also changed over the last years. Whereas in the early 1990s, citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)--the countries that were at one time part of the Soviet Union--comprised the majority of international students, at present they make up about one-third of the total number of foreigners studying in Russia. Approximately the same number of students are from Asian countries, mostly China. Other places of origin include the Near East and North Africa (12.8 percent), Europe (7.5 percent), Africa (5 percent), and Latin America (3 percent). But the situation may differ among universities. For example, at Moscow State University, an institution with a strong international reputation, the share of foreigners is about 10 percent of the total student body, almost half of them from the CIS and Baltic countries (45 percent), and another half from Asia (49 percent).

The most popular fields of education for international students have not significantly changed; these remain engineering, medicine, economics, business administration, and the humanities.

Great Expectations
A federal policy in support of educating foreign nationals in Russian educational institutions was approved in October 2002 by the president of the Russian Federation and launched by the Ministry of Education. The policy is based on the conviction that Russian institutions of higher learning have traditionally provided higher education for foreign students and still have the potential to achieve a significant place in international higher education. In Russia, it is believed that the attraction of Russian higher education lies in its high quality, qualified faculty, and comparatively low tuition fees and cost of living. Surveys on international students in Russia have shown that the quality of Russian higher education is one of the most important reasons that foreign students choose to study in Russia.

Russia’s active participation in international education and attracting foreign students would support the long-term economic and political interests of Russia in the world and especially in those developing regions that have had strong ties with the USSR, Russia, and Russian education. In addition to the economic benefits, the hope is that Russia will also gain the opportunity to exert political influence in those regions. Thus, the plan is to continue with the system of Russian federal fellowships for foreign students studying in the country. A related effort will be the attempt to expand the influence of the Russian language and Russian culture by establishing a network of Russian centers abroad and through export of education. At the institutional level, foreign students would represent, above all, a stable source of income. However, all those goals will be very hard to achieve for many reasons.

Challenges
The most important challenge involves quality assurance and degree recognition. In fact, Russian degrees are not recognized in the developed world or in a number of developing countries--such as India, which refused to acknowledge Russian diplomas in 2002. That is why studying in Russia does not make sense for many potential students. Nevertheless, joining the Bologna process, which occurred in 2003, should foster the convertibility of Russian degrees and strengthen the position of Russia in the international educational market.

Another barrier to increasing the number of foreign students in Russia is language. The Russian language lost the status won for it by the Soviet Union, making education in Russia inaccessible for foreigners. But even after learning Russian in their home countries or in preliminary language courses in Russia, many foreign students enrolled in Russian higher education institutions lack the necessary proficiency in the language to take full advantage of their studies. To resolve the language problem, some universities are starting pilot programs that offer courses in certain foreign languages--English, French, and German.

Other issues include the absence of information on education in Russia for perspective students, the inability of most Russian universities to compete on the international market, and the lack of marketing skills. Surveys have shown that most foreign students come to Russia on the recommendation of family members or friends, or are sent by their governments.

One of the perils facing international education is the avid desire of some institutions to earn money by enrolling tuition-paying students (most Russians are able to study for free). International students have thus become one of the vital sources of revenue. Some universities are ready to overlook everything in order to get a student who pays money. They wink at a student's educational qualifications, achievements, and progress while studying. This approach influences the general level of the student body of an institution and the quality of education.

In addition, conditions on campus--housing and the overall level of services--particularly in some regions, cannot be seen as an asset of Russian higher education. Furthermore, the personal safety of international students, especially those from Africa and Asia, is a serious issue in many Russian cities.

These problems raise concerns about the policy of attracting international students to Russian universities. Undoubtedly, the major famous institutions are able to compete and attract good students who are eager to study and complete their degrees. But there are students who enroll at other Russian universities and do anything but study. A number of reports have appeared in the press about international students, mostly from developing countries, who are involved in illegal business activities or narcotics distribution. In the absence of work permits or adequate support from their governments, families, or sponsors, international students have to earn a living by all means possible.

In conclusion, today Russia is outdone by many countries in the number of international students in its higher education system. Also lacking in Russia is the understanding that a policy of attracting foreigners will require much effort, financial resources, and time. In Russia, the current situation with regard to international students and future prospects has not been examined well enough and will require serious research.

__________________
Moderator - State Licensing Forum

Still skeptical after all these years.
This is it. There are no hidden meanings.WYSIWYG

http://www.internetmedicalschool.homestead.com

http://www.chiropractormds.homestead.com/index.html