Foreign students attracted, foreign scientists restricted

Russia’s parliament is considering designing a number of bills that could make higher education more accessible for domestic and foreign students, and could help prevent the mass exodus of talented young people from provinces to cities. But in a strange parallel move, regulations have been issued that make collaboration more difficult between Russian and foreign scientists.

News of moves to make higher education more accessible came from recent statements by some members of parliament – the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, called the State Duma – and higher education analysts.

As part of the initiative, the State Duma together with the federal government are planning to make studying in some regional universities free of charge, with the aim of attracting more students to them.

Such a project was recently proposed by Boris Chernyshov, deputy chair of the parliamentary Committee on Education and Science, who believes the move may have a positive impact across the higher education system.

Chernyshov commented: “Making these universities free of charge may raise their attractiveness among local young people and prevent their exodus to Moscow and St Petersburg in search of ‘strong universities’. According to our plans, graduates of these universities will be able to work in the same regions – where their universities are located – after their graduation.”

In the initial stage the initiative will be applied to universities located in border regions of Russia, and later probably to other regions of the country.

Growing foreign student numbers

Also part of the State Duma’s plans is attracting Russian-speaking foreigners to universities by providing additional quotas for them. It is believed that such a move will positively affect the image of Russia and its higher education system in the international arena and will contribute to the popularisation of Russian universities abroad.

In general, the Russian authorities are interested in attracting more foreign students to study at domestic universities on both commercial and non-commercial bases.

In May, President Vladimir Putin gave an order to consider a significant increase in quotas for foreign students wishing to study at Russian universities.

According to Ministry of Education and Science statistics, there are currently more than 220,000 foreign students in Russia, of whom about 15,000 have state-funded places.

The federal government and State Duma are planning to nearly treble these figures by 2025. Achieving this goal could be supported by a separate bill, which is reportedly to be adopted shortly.

There are however some Russian senior officials and higher education analysts who believe there is no reason for such a dramatic increase in quotas for foreign students at Russian universities.

Politician and diplomat Eleonora Mitrofanova, who is ambassador-at-large for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation – a government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid – the increase in foreign student quotas should take place gradually and in phases.

Restrictions on scientists

But in mid-August the publication Meduza reported that the Education and Science Ministry had made it more difficult for Russian scientists to have contact with foreigners. Other publications cited the reason as being the need for Russia to be vigilant in protecting industrial secrets.

Quoting reports by Moskovsky Komsomolets and Troitsky Variant, Meduza wrote: “The new regulations apply to all institutions under the ministry’s control, most but not all of which are dedicated to the natural sciences.”

Meduza added that the new regulations require all scientific organisations to notify the ministry about planned meetings with colleagues from abroad and provide the names of all participants.

“At least two Russian scientists must be present at any meeting with foreigners, and contact with colleagues from abroad outside work hours is only allowed with a supervisor’s permission. After one of these meetings, Russian scientists must now file a formal report that summarises the conversation and includes copies of all participants’ passports.

“Additionally, foreign scientists who visit Russian scientific organisations are now forbidden from using any recording or copying devices, except ‘in cases stipulated by Russia’s international treaties’,” Meduza continued.

In an open letter to the Education and Science Ministry on Wednesday, Alexander Fradkov – a senior official at the Russian Academy of Sciences – slammed the guidelines and called on the ministry to revise or abandon them, Reuters reported, quoting Fradkov as saying: “Such ridiculous and impossible orders will not improve the security of our country, but will only lead to an increase in its isolation from developed countries and discredit the government.”

According to Reuters: “Asked about the directive, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had not seen it but that, though it sounded excessive, it was nonetheless important for Russia to be wary of foreign espionage.”