Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the difficult 1990s, the Russian economy has been developing steadily, with the annual GDP rising as high as 8.1 per cent in 2007 (2008 showed a slightly smaller figure of 5.6 per cent).
The economic rise has produced favourable effect on all sectors, continuing today, although due to global economic reasons, the consumer boom is no more at its peak. Education, transport and communications, leisure, healthcare and housing are the areas that have had major increases in their shares of consumer spending.
Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than an eighth of the Earth’s land area. With 142 million people, it is the ninth largest by population, which is spread unevenly across the vast territory: out of 141 million people living in Russia, about ten million reside in Moscow, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world (London has about seven million people, and NYC 8.2 million). The concentration of Russia’s population in Moscow maintains its status of the political, cultural and financial capital of the country.
Russia is rich in natural resources such as gas, coal and oil, which, along with metals and timber, account for more than 80 per cent of Russian exports abroad. However, Russia is also considered well ahead of most other resource-rich countries in its economic development, with a long tradition of science and industry.
Russia is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a member of the G8, the Council of Europe, OSCE and APEC, and is a leading member of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Education has always been treated as an important part of domestic policy, with close attention to both secondary and higher education. The quality of school-leavers and graduates from prestigious institutions is a major attraction for international student recruiters and head-hunters. Today, education in Russia is going through a reform process, with the introduction of a standardised 'unified examination' for school leavers and the transition to a two-tier higher education system.
Education in Russia is provided predominantly by the state, although the number of private institutions has recently been growing.
The compulsory education standard is 11 years (upgraded recently from nine years). Children start school at the age of seven and leave school at 18. This comprises primary education (four years) and secondary education (seven years).
The pursuit of higher education has always been considered very prestigious. According to sociological surveys, up to 90 per cent of the population realizes the importance of a higher education, and more and more people nowadays consider getting two or even three degrees in various areas. The number of HE institutions has doubled over the last fifteen years.
Russia co-signed the Bologna Declaration in 2003 and is now in the process of migrating from its traditional tertiary education model, incompatible with existing Western academic degrees, to a modernized degree structure in line with the Bologna Process model. In October 2007, Russia enacted a law that replaces the traditional five-year model of education with a four-year Bachelor's degree followed by a two-year Master's degree.
Russia's top universities have always had very competitive entry requirements. It is expected that the recent introduction of the State Unified Examination for school leavers will make those requirements more transparent and consistent all over the country.
Due to the aforementioned traditional education model, student mobility had been at its lowest until recently. However, with the Bologna Process on the one hand and the increase in people’s interest towards international education as well as the general well being on the other, students and parents are quite enthusiastic about getting higher education (or taking their Master’s degree) in another country. This is a two-way process, with more and more students from abroad coming to Russia for a term or two.
Russia’s interest in international education is not limited to higher education: English language schools, independent schools and further education institutions are also in demand. The most popular Education UK product is English language courses and there has been a recent increase in the number of Russians travelling to the UK to study English.
The UK is also the preferred option for independent schools. Apart from being highly acclaimed for the educational opportunities it provides, the United Kingdom also possesses an advantageous geographical proximity to Russia, which is important for young travellers and their parents.
Further education in the form of foundation, A-level and International Baccalaureate programmes is growing in popularity. British Council Russia has noted a sharp increase in enquiries for these courses as well as short programmes offered by FE institutions.
In undergraduate education, the UK is the preferred destination, but at postgraduate level, particularly in business subjects, the USA leads. Germany, France and Canada are also very popular among Russian students, as they also offer courses in English.
Demand for distance learning has been also growing, generating interest from students and institutions.
The UK's biggest market is ELT, especially short courses for students aged 11 to 15, with an increasing interest from young professionals, prospective boarding school pupils and the general public. There are opportunities to recruit from Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as from other regions.
Typically, Russians planning to educate their children at UK universities send them to boarding school or sixth form college, mainly for A-levels, although the International Baccalaureate is becoming a popular alternative. This is an established market and it is not yet certain to what extent it will be affected by the newly emerging market for foundation courses offered by the further and higher education sectors.
In higher education, the most popular subject areas are: business and administration, social studies, creative arts and design and languages. At graduate level, interest in the MBA is still strong, as are other, more specialist Master's programmes. There is growing interest in distance learning MBAs. Other popular subjects include economics, law, creative arts and design, European languages and literature, politics, history and philosophy, sociology, linguistics, mass communications and education.
An estimated 20 per cent of the non-ELT market is accounted for by professional courses, especially art and design, followed by management, finance and teaching. There is a strong demand for UK professional examinations in marketing and accountancy.
Education promotion is part of British Council Russia's broader education programme, which supports the Russian education reform process by introducing UK experience, expertise and resources and facilitates links between UK and Russian institutions.
British Council Russia has been engaged in education promotion work since 1999. Currently, there is one office in Russia, located in Moscow, with no public access. We provide basic information on education in the UK through our website, www.educationuk.ru, e-mail and telephone. The British Council is involved in cultural and educational initiatives, implementing projects in partnership with Russian and international organizations and running Education UK exhibitions in Moscow. Our strategy is to grow existing markets for independent schools, higher education and ELT and develop newer markets for foundation and professional courses as well as trans-national education.
We aim to raise awareness of UK education programmes among Russians. We will work to improve the quality of services agents provide to their customers. We will focus our provision of services to UK exporters on access to quality marketing information.
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