Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
A strategic session of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education dedicated to strengthening Russia’s position in the international educational space was held in Moscow. The event was attended by rectors of major universities, vice-rectors responsible for international cooperation, representatives of a number of ministries that founded universities, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rossotrudnichestvo, Rosobrnadzor, other government bodies, and companies with interests abroad. The Polytechnic University was represented by Rector and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy and Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev.
Minister of Education and Science Valery Falkov focused on Russia’s strategic priorities in international education. He stressed the need to increase the number of foreign students to 500,000 by 2030 while simultaneously improving the quality of their training. Today, about 395,000 foreigners are studying in Russia. However, it is important not only to increase the number, but also to form a motivated contingent. It is better not to meet the indicators, but to take those who are truly striving for knowledge, the minister said. Valery Nikolaevich noted that some students from the CIS countries use educational visas to solve personal problems, which requires increased control.
The Minister also touched upon the issue of creating a barrier-free system for foreign students, including simplifying migration procedures and developing employment programs. According to him, up to 10% of foreign graduates remain in Russia, and given the shortage of personnel, this potential must be used. Particular attention was paid to expanding cooperation with new markets – the BRICS countries, Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Valery Falkov noted the importance of synchronizing educational programs with industry demands, citing as an example projects with Rosatom and Rusal corporations, which train foreign specialists for their enterprises.
Speaking about foreign branches, the minister highlighted three conditions for their success: political support from the state, a clear definition of a niche for graduates, and partnership with large companies. Valery Falkov separately mentioned the project of Advanced Engineering Schools, which are already being replicated abroad. For example, two such schools have been opened in Uzbekistan at the request of local authorities.
The minister announced the creation of a single digital profile for foreign students, a platform that will support students from enrollment to employment. In addition, by 2028, it is planned to increase the number of grants for talented foreign students from 2,000 to 5,000.
Andrey Rudskoy, participating in the work of the group on new formats for promoting Russian universities, shared the experience of SPbPU. He noted that network structures such as the Slavic Universities in Armenia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, as well as the Russian-African Network University (RAFU), have become drivers of education export. Over three years, RAFU has trained 535 students from 33 African countries. Andrey Ivanovich also spoke about projects with China, including joint institutes with Jiangsu Normal University and Xi’an University of Technology, where specialists are trained in the areas of automation of technological machines and equipment, materials science and materials technology, electric power engineering and electrical engineering.
The rector of SPbPU spoke in favor of legislative changes, including the allocation of target quotas for network programs and the simplification of financial mechanisms for international cooperation.
The 2023 methodological recommendations do not take into account work with foreign universities. This requires adjustments, he emphasized.
Andrey Rudskoy also suggested focusing on representative offices and joint institutes instead of branches, citing the SPbPU Representative Office in Shanghai as an example. Its work has expanded partnerships and enabled communication with industry and government agencies using the “long arm” principle. Thanks to the work of the representative offices, the number of students from China at the Polytechnic has increased many times over, and the number of internships and short-term programs has increased.
Speaking about the adaptation of foreign students, Andrei Ivanovich supported the idea of a single digital profile and the need to develop pre-university training centers abroad.
The participants of the strategy session discussed issues related to strengthening effective international cooperation. The result of the two-day work of the expert university community was the presentation of proposals to strengthen Russia’s position in the international educational space.
Photo: website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
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