Studying for the sake of “greatness”: for foreigners – everything, for russians – nothing
To expand its geopolitical influence, russia is actively recruiting foreign students to its universities by offering free education. Over the next three years, the country plans to educate 9,000 foreigners at its own expense and aims to increase their number in russian universities by more than 20% by 2030, reaching 500,000.
▫️At the same time, while spending resources on image-building projects to attract foreigners, kremlin is restricting access to higher education for its own citizens. In the current wartime conditions, the regime needs not students, but soldiers and workers for the defense industry. Furthermore, restrictions in education are part of a broader policy of suppressing dissent: a less mobile and less educated population is more susceptible to propaganda.
Earlier, the Center reported on how russia uses education to influence Africa and how it spends billions of dollars on foreign delegations attending the May 9th parade.
