Russian higher education as a key to Eurasian integration

The article analyzes the attractiveness of higher education and the necessity of using education as a source of integration. The goal of the research is to evaluate the activity of Russia directed to attracting to Russian universities the international students from the Eurasian countries significant for the national foreign policy. On the basis of the connection between the G20 countries, the research finds out the correlation between higher education, the economic component of soft power and the countries’ integration ties. Thus, the author looks at the importance of the national higher education from a different point of view. Since the international students’ streams form the connections between the countries, a network analysis is considered to be the best method of measuring the bonds’ intensity. The Eurasian governments’ integration potential is measured by the cluster analysis of the K-cores method. These types of analyses are convenient and proficient, because they are schematic and have a high degree of visuality. Comparing the ties’ intensity between China and the Western countries with an excellent higher education system, on the one hand, and between Russia, the Eurasian Economic Union and the Cooperation Organization countries, on the other, the research leads to the final conclusions. Set in 2008, the goal of engaging more international students in Russian universities has been achieved. Nevertheless, the potential for the integration has not been fully realized. To sum up, the author gives recommendations for developing the Russian higher education system and presents proposals to enhance cooperation in the sphere of education between Russia and its close partners.

higher education, soft power, integration potentia, network analysis, cluster analysis, Russia, Eurasian area

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