RUSSIA NAMED THE MOST ATTRACTIVE COUNTRY FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS: THE PAYBACK PERIOD AND THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IMPRESSED INDUSTRY EXPERTS

[SHAMIL NUTSALOV]

According to a recent study conducted by professional experts in international education, Russia has taken a leading position as the most convenient and beneficial country for foreign students, outdoing all key players in the field of higher education and training for the labor market of foreign countries (USA, UK, Germany, France, Canada). The key factors influencing the choice of the country of study by applicants were studied, namely: 

1.             Tuition fee per academic year;
2.             The cost of accommodation in a student dormitory or rented housing for a year;
3.             The cost of medical insurance and general medical services for one year;
4.             The cost of a market basket for a year;
5.             Public transport fares;
6.             The total unemployment rate of people with higher education (as career prospects warranty);
7.             The payback period of education, as well as state privileges for the students as a category of citizens.

 

The quality of education in the countries listed below is certainly very high, and Russia, as well as the UK and the USA, are leaders in this matter.

 

Expenses are calculated FOR ONE YEAR IN US DOLLARS (AVERAGE VALUE)

 

Ranking	Country	Tuition fee	Basic cost of a market basket	Medical insurance	Public transport fare	Cost of accommodation	Unemployment rate among people with higher education	Payback period for education costs for 4 years (number of years)
1	Russia	3 000	3000	190	110	250	1%	2
2	UK	35 000	12 000	3000	2000	12 000	18%	11
3	USA	40 000	15 000	3500	1800	15 000	14%	9
4	Canada	25 000	13 000	2800	1500	10 000	5%	8
5	Germany	2000	13 000	3000	1700	10 000	15%	9
6	France	20 000	12 500	3000	1750	10 000	18%	12

 

The increased interest of industry experts in Russian higher education stimulated the influx of foreign youth to study in Russia. This is primarily due to unjustified hopes and high costs of studying at the universities of Europe and the USA, the graduates of which were not demanded in the labor market, while the costs have become unreasonably high and their payback period, unpredictable, whereas the unemployment rate among specialists with higher education is high.

 

In 2022, the number of foreign students in Russia increased by 8.4%. The total number of foreign students receiving higher education in Russia has grown by more than 80,000 people over the past 3 years, and the total number has exceeded 400,000 people, with which Russia has reached third place in the world in terms of the number of foreign students. 

 

In 2022 Russia decided to create a new model system of higher education corresponding to modern times and successfully launched the implementation of this major and progressive project. The new advanced Russian system of higher education, which will come into force from the 2023/2024 academic year, will make it possible to quickly change the specialty taking into account the needs of the labor market without wasting a year. Such flexibility in the education system will permit employers to quickly receive specialists who can adjust to today's ever-changing and developing technological market and humanity's progress. No other country in the world has shown such adaptability to the challenges of a civilized society.

The transformation of the system of international relations and the reorientation of scientific and educational flows in 2022 have expanded the scale of cooperation in the field of Russian higher education with many countries of the world. Experts noted the end of the dominance of Western countries and the beginning of the dominance of the BRICS+ members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, as well as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt and Iran, who entered the group in August 2023), which significantly affected the growth of student flow from these regions to Russian universities. The BRICS+ countries are united not only by the development of a modern financial structure, but also by the desire of all members to strengthen their foreign economic positions on friendly and equal terms for all participants, which is fundamentally different from the positions of the European Union and the United States aimed at hegemony, rude and boorish domination.

Thus, one of the goals of BRICS+ is to provide conditions for obtaining modern, high-quality and continuous education, sustainable development of the common education space within the framework of the interstate association, as well as to strengthen cooperation in higher education.