One of the surprising facts after the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the presence of large numbers of international students trapped there by the war who had difficulties escaping. These students occasionally faced discrimination by the Ukrainian border and transport police.

In studies about international student recruitment and mobility, the emphasis is primarily on South-North mobility to the Anglophone world: the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada and to a few other non-Anglophone countries, such as France and Germany.

But the reality is more diverse, with increasing student mobility to non-Anglophone countries, as the substantive presence of international students in Ukraine as well as in Russia makes clear.

International students in Ukraine

In 2019, Ukraine received over 80,000 international students (a 50% increase since 2011). Twenty-three per cent of the international students come from India (18,429), followed by 10% from Morocco (8,233 students). Around 21.5% of international students are from post-Soviet countries, mostly from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, and around 1,200 are from the Russian Federation.

Fifty-one per cent are on masters programmes and 36% on bachelor degree programmes. Others are in preparatory (8.5%) and postgraduate programmes (3.5%).

Medicine is the most popular field of study (32%), followed by medical practice, dentistry, management and pharmacy. This explains why Kharkiv National Medical University is the institution with the most international students and why the Kharkiv region is the most international in the country.

International students in Russia

The international student population in Ukraine is more diverse and globally spread than in Russia. In 2019 Russia had approximately 310,000 international students – almost four times as many as Ukraine – but around 70% are from neighbouring and predominantly Russian-speaking post-Soviet countries.

Kazakhstan is the main sender and China, the only major sending non-post-Soviet country, is the second highest sender. Asia, with 15% of the international students, is the second sending region after the former Soviet Union nations. Ukraine, with 22,000 students in Russia, is an important sending country as well, which is not surprising given the large Russian-speaking population in the country.

By far, most international students in Russia study at the bachelor degree level. Only 10% study at the masters level, which is the opposite of what happens in Ukraine. Healthcare (20%), economics and management (13.5%) and humanities (11.5%) are the three most popular fields of study in Russia, which is a more diverse mix than in Ukraine.

More than 40% of Russia’s international students study in Moscow and St Petersburg. Also in Russia there have been cases of discrimination and xenophobia against international students over the years, in particular those from Africa, as has been and continues unfortunately to be the case elsewhere in Anglophone and non-Anglophone countries.

In their recent journal article, Ekaterina Minaeva and Ivan Prostakov observe in their study on international student recruitment in Russia that “while in terms of enrolment numbers Russia is the sixth largest recipient of international students, the majority come from post-Soviet countries, which can be explained by the absence of language barriers, a common cultural legacy, family ties in Russia and better perspectives on the Russian job market compared to other CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries”.

They observe that this over-reliance on post-Soviet countries presents several strategic threats. They note that the Russian-speaking population is decreasing, which creates a risk of significantly reduced international enrolments from CIS countries.

Second, students from these countries may not see studying in Russia as giving them a competitive advantage. Students may prefer a more challenging but more promising study environment, as it could create more opportunities for their future employment in the global job market. And attracting international Russian-speaking students is not exactly considered to be internationalisation, as these students belong to the same language group and similar cultures.

Non-Anglophone countries

The cases of Ukraine and Russia shed light on the challenges and opportunities of international student recruitment and mobility in non-Anglophone countries.

In a recent book on international student recruitment and mobility in non-Anglophone countries (which includes the case of Russia but not Ukraine), experts from these countries looked at this rising phenomenon in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.

In order to carve out a place in the market for themselves, these non-Anglophone countries must devise mechanisms to overcome multiple challenges, including language barriers, lack of internationalisation in the study environment, less competitive job markets, etc. International student recruitment models in high-income Anglophone as well as high-income non-Anglophone countries are only partially applicable to other players.

Governments and institutions should look at the potential of niche markets, such as prospective immigrants, refugees, specific (ethnic) groups with whom they relate or the diaspora. And governments and institutions must complement their traditional student mobility activities with innovations in programme offerings and delivery methods, including transnational education, institutional partnerships and online learning.

The focus of Ukraine on the medical field, similar to, for instance, Romania, is a good example of a niche market. The dependence of Russia on post-Soviet countries is an example of a risk, while its focus over the past decades on developing international branch campuses is an example of a soft power rationale.

Ethical consequences

An international student recruitment policy needs to address its severe ethical and social consequences. Such ethical considerations are even more relevant in the current context of Russia and Ukraine. The book project referred to above, embarked upon before and during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, could not consider the implications of the invasion into Ukraine.

But in light of the current geopolitical developments and tensions, non-Anglophone countries are likely to encounter new challenges – some generic but others specific to their contexts. As for Russian higher education, the prospect of expanding and diversifying its international student presence is very bleak as a consequence of the war and the isolation policy of the regime.

Sadly, military invasion, life-threatening bombings, massive brain drain of talented refugees and higher education sector destruction have become major problems for Ukraine and the country will need a lot of support to rebuild its higher education and its international presence.

Source: University World News