Russian Universities in turbulent times: What we can learn from the history of their internationalization?

Internationalization of Russian universities during almost two-century history of Russian higher education system to a large extent was and still is the matter of government priorities and policies. Given the varying relationship of Russia with the rest of the world, and fluctuating national openness/isolation, at different times internationalization was considered by the state as a powerful tool for exercising political power, as a quality assurance mechanism, as a mean to gain competitive position in the global market for research, and as an instrument for improving the financial sustainability of universities. International cooperation was variously viewed as a sin and as a must. These views were reflected in state policies and regulations which were subject to change (sometimes abrupt and shocking) with changes of political regimes and in state foreign policies. The presentation will discuss how these changes were implemented in different historical periods and their impact on the universities and the national academic system in general. This logic will be used also to look at ongoing changes in Russian universities under the war.

The presentation will be largely based on the 2022 book Higher Education in Russia (co-authored with Yaroslav Kuzminov, Johns Hopkins University Press). It will include a brief overview of this book which provides a comprehensive analysis of pre-war state of Russian higher education in historical and comparative perspectives.