Abstract:

The issue of internationalization of Russian education has deep historical roots, but at the present stage this process is bound up with globalization. Due to the fact that Russian universities actively engage to the global education market by implementing short-term and long-term programs in English , by collaborative network projects and by aiming to expand the geography of foreign student body, the problems of the link between internationalization and the quality of education as well as the competitiveness of their graduates do not lose their relevance.

Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin (hereinafter - UrFU) as an active 5-100-2020 program participant pays specific attention to internationalization and to increasing number of foreign professors and students. The list of UrFU partners today includes about 500 foreign universities from 62 countries of the world. There are 3260 foreign students from 81 countries of the world, including 134 foreign students studying at doctoral programs in 2019.

The 2018-2019 sociological research was conducted on the basis of the university in order to identify the specific conditions of student mobility at UrFU. The main goal of the research was to reveal the main reasons for choosing the UrFU as a place of education, as well as to identify the main barriers that foreign students face with (these are mainly Chinese students as the largest group of foreign students from BRICS countries at UrFU) implementing educational strategies. The polymethodic research consisted of semi-formalized interviews with students from China (n = 18) and two focus groups with foreign students from different countries (n = 32).

According to the research, the choice of UrFU is largely predetermined by several factors. Firstly, it is the desire of the applicant to live in a not densely populated area, on the one hand, but with a transport hub consisted of an airport and a railway station on the other. Secondly, there is a significant presence of foreign students from the country of origin (China, Kazakhstan, etc.) at UrFU. Foreign students emphasize some mutual interest and support (there are some initiatives implemented at UrFU specially for foreign students). Thirdly, the location of city itself plays a significant role. It is close both to the country of origin and to some European countries. However, there are some problem issues indicated by foreign students. They experience communication problems both in English and in Russian. Due to the communication barriers, foreign students prefer to interact with their compatriots using their native language, which significantly slows down the process of creating new social ties. Of particular difficulty are cultural differences that appear when interacting with local teachers and students or with students from other countries. In many ways, foreign students are not ready to get acquainted with everyday cultural practices, they experience difficulties in organizing leisure activities, and as a result choose to communicate within their ethnic group.

Keywords:

Student mobility, BRICS countries, education market, foreign students, Russian higher education.