Russia is not hard in teaching – Newspaper Kommersant No. 153 (7354) of 08/23/2022

The conflict in Ukraine had practically no effect on the desire of foreigners to enter Russian universities. This was announced to Kommersant in Rossotrudnichestvo. Universities record a decrease in the number of applicants from EU countries, but European students have not shown a strong interest in studying in Russia before.

The admission campaign for foreign students continues in Russian universities. Applicants from this category enter universities on a general basis or apply for free education under the government quota. The Ministry of Education and Science told Kommersant that this year 83,000 foreign citizens participated in the selection events for studying at Russian universities within the framework of the government quota. That’s about the same in 2021. The educational department notes that the largest number of applications came from the DPR, LPR and Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, and Vietnam.

“The statistics of the results of the admission campaign show that there is still a high interest in training in the Russian Federation, which indicates that the special military operation does not influence the selection results,” they say in Rossotrudnichestvo. that refusals for political reasons are less than 3%. At the same time, they admit that there is a decrease in the number of applicants from Europe, but it is “insignificant”. However, Rossotrudnichestvo did not name specific figures. Interest in entering Russian universities has increased from applicants from Hungary, Germany and Austria, the agency noted.

The universities confirm the conclusions of representatives of Rossotrudnichestvo. This year, more than 3,000 people from 50 countries of the world have already applied for admission to the main educational programs of Moscow State University. More than 80% of applicants at Moscow State University this year come from East, Central and Western Asia – the largest number of applications were submitted by applicants from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, the university said. The composition of the countries as a whole has not changed, assures the Moscow State University. However, they record a decline in the number of applicants from EU countries. “This year we did not see applicants from France and Germany, but the admission campaign is still ongoing, the situation may change,” Kommersant was told at NRU MGSU. At the same time, the total number of applications submitted by foreign citizens increased compared to last year – then the coronavirus pandemic made adjustments. Thus, the demand from applicants from Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Turkmenistan has increased. “This year we are noticing an increase in those wishing to enter our university from China, Ukraine and Latin American countries,” says Yulia Davydova, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of the Moscow Poly. Among the applicants are residents of Latvia, Estonia, Israel, France, Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica. The largest number of applications comes to RUDN University from China, Vietnam, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey, Oleg Yastrebov, rector of the university, told Kommersant.

In MSPU, the leading countries in terms of the number of applicants remained the same: China, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine. Here they say that among those who first showed interest in the university, representatives of Mexico, Mali, Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Syria, Colombia and Slovakia. The MAI received the most applications from China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Egypt. Citizens of 29 countries, including the CIS states, as well as applicants from Iran, Yemen, Israel, Vietnam, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Equatorial Guinea, Turkmenistan and Turkey applied to RANEPA. First of all, citizens of Turkmenistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Egypt, Turkey and Latin America come to Kazan Federal University.

Irina Abankina, director of the Institute for Education Development at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, confirms that students from European countries were not very interested in education in Russia before, it was more about “episodic” situations. Russia does not give special grants and scholarships to foreign students, but it still ranks seventh in terms of the number of students from abroad, she points out. “Basically, students who leave for their homeland after graduation enter medical and construction fields,” says Ms. Abankina. “We have a rather short and cheap medical education, but of good quality, so that later in their country they can pass a qualifying exam and obtain a private practice license. The second part of foreign students are guys from our former republics who plan to stay here and earn extra money, but not lose touch with their homeland.” At the same time, the expert notes, a massive transition to a specialty after the rejection of the Bologna system may scare off foreign applicants.

Anna Vasilyeva