Rector of SPbPU Andrei Rudskoi at the strategic session of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science

A strategic session of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation dedicated to strengthening Russia’s position in the international educational space was held in Moscow. Polytechnic University was presented by Rector, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrei Rudskoi and Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arseniev.

Valery Falkov, Head of the Ministry of Education and Science, emphasized Russia’s strategic priorities in international education. He emphasized the need to increase the number of foreign students to 500 thousand by 2030 while improving the quality of their training. Today there are about 395 thousand foreigners studying in Russia. However, it is important not just to increase the number, but also to form a motivated contingent. It is better not to fulfill the indicators, but to take those who really strive for knowledge, the Minister said. Falkov noted that some students from CIS countries use educational visas to solve personal problems, and increased control is needed.

The Minister also touched upon the creation of a barrier-free system for foreign students, including simplification of migration procedures and development of employment programs. According to him, up to 10% of foreign graduates stay in Russia, and with the shortage of personnel this potential should be used. Special attention was paid to expanding cooperation with new markets — BRICS+ countries, Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Valery Falkov noted the importance of synchronizing educational programs with industry demands, citing the example of projects with Rosatom and Rusal corporations, which train foreign specialists for their enterprises.

Speaking about foreign branches, the Minister emphasized three conditions for their success: political support of the state, clear definition of a niche for graduates and partnership with large companies. Separately, Valery Falkov mentioned the project of Advanced Engineering Schools, which are already being replicated abroad — for example, two such schools have been opened in Uzbekistan at the request of local authorities.

The Minister announced the creation of a unified digital profile of foreign students — a platform that will accompany students from enrollment to employment. In addition, it is planned to increase the number of grants for talented foreign students from 2,000 to 5,000 by 2028.

Andrei Rudskoi, participating in the group on new formats for promoting Russian universities, shared the experience of SPbPU. He noted that network structures, such as Slavic Universities in Armenia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, as well as the Russian-African Network University (RAFU), have become drivers of education exports. In three years, RAFU has trained 535 students from 33 African countries. Andrei Rudskoi also spoke about projects with China, including joint institutes with Jiangsu Normal University and Xi’an Technological University, where specialists are trained in the fields of automation of technological machines and equipment, materials science and technology of materials, electric power and electrical engineering.

The SPbPU rector advocated legislative changes, including the allocation of targeted quotas for network programs and simplification of financial mechanisms for international cooperation. The 2023 methodological recommendations do not take into account work with foreign universities. This requires adjustments, he emphasized. Andrei Rudskoi also suggested betting on representative offices and joint institutes instead of branches, citing as an example the Representative Office of SPbPU in Shanghai. Its work resulted in the expansion of partnership, communication with industry and government agencies on the principle of «long arm». Thanks to the activities of the representative offices, the number of students from China at Polytechnic University has multiplied, and the number of internships and short-term programs has increased.

The participants of the strategic session discussed issues related to strengthening effective international cooperation. The two-day work of the expert university community resulted in the presentation of proposals to strengthen Russia’s position in the international educational space.