Export of Education: Why Foreigners Prefer to Study in Russian Regions

Introduction. The national education system is supposed to develop mobility and increase exports of Russian education. In the mean time, the government strives to redirect flows of educational migrants from megalopolises and cities — towards regions. Educational services to foreign citizens entail a variety of social, political and economic benefits. Recent years witness increased numbers of students from abroad that choose to attend university-level programs or preliminary ones at Russia’s regional institutions, while the former are distributed not that evenly between the latter. This might arise from economic and geographic factors, academic reputations of universities, educational infrastructures, existing informal or cultural contacts. Goals. The article examines the Republic of Kalmykia and neighboring federal subjects to articulate some aspects of educational migration to Russia’s regions essential for foreign students. Materials and methods. The paper analyzes statistical data on foreign students and their distribution across some South Russian regions, such as Rostov, Volgograd and Astrakhan oblasts, Stavropol Region, Kalmykia and Dagestan. The study involves a sociological survey of foreign students at the Gorodovikov Kalmyk State University, a key research method being the comparative analysis one. Results. . Our insight into foreign student data for universities of the specified regions (academic year 2018–2019) shows Rostov Oblast hosted the largest number of foreigners, while the latter’s share proved utmost in Astrakhan Oblast, with Kalmykia ranked next, and Volgograd Oblast in the third place. In virtually all the regions, the bulk of foreigners take medical and technical university programs. The survey indicates the essential factors in choosing Russia include — quality and accessibility of education, good living conditions, further training and employment prospects, citizenship opportunities. The choice of Kalmykia is usually prompted by the advice from friends and relatives who have already studied in the region, by relatively low tuition fees and dormitory accommodation costs. Another mentioned advantage of Elista (Kalmykia’s administrative center) proves its small size and, consequently, reduced home-to-university travel times. Conclusions. Our distribution analysis for the examined South Russian regions shows larger territories — such as Rostov and Volgograd oblasts, Stavropol Krai, and the Republic of Dagestan — somewhat fail to use the full potential of attracting foreign students.