Russia Lures Central Asia’s Brightest

   

04-Jul-07

New admission rules for Russian schools and universities that make it easier for people from other former Soviet states to study there could lead to a brain drain in Central Asia, NBCentralAsia experts warn.

On June 26, the Russian government’s education and science supervisory agency published a new set of admission rules for students from other parts of the former Soviet Union who want to study in Russia.

By way of exception, citizens from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and a few other countries will be admitted on the basis of their own national education certificates, and the Russian authorities will issue special documents to confirm these papers are of equivalent status.

School-leaving certificates issued in Turkmenistan for the period 2001-07 when the authorities reduced mandatory schooling from the former Soviet standard of ten years to just nine will also be regarded as compatible. This will allow young people from Turkmenistan to complete their secondary school education in Russia.

Diplomas and school-leaving certificates issued in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are automatically accepted as valid in the Russian system.

Observers polled by NBCentralAsia have welcomed Moscow’s move, noting that many young Central Asians are keen to continue their studies in Russia since the education systems in their own countries are still some way behind.

At the same time, some political scientists worry that Russia may be trying to restore its influence in its former Soviet neighbours by making it easier for their young people to attend its schools and universities.

Sergei Yezhkov, an observer based in Tashkent, says Russia wants to poach the brightest people from the rest of the former Soviet Union in order to safeguard its own economic and social future.

“People [educated in Russia] will most probably stay in Russia, and only a few will go back to their undeveloped countries,” he said.

Gaisha Ibragimova, a Bishkek-based education expert agrees, saying that many young people in Kyrgyzstan already go to Russia to find work, so the prospect of migration will be even more attractive now that it is easier for them to get an education there.

Ibragimova said the Kremlin’s initiative was well received in Central Asia given their historical ties with Russia, not to mention that the widespread knowledge of Russian makes education in that country very accessible.

By contrast, Ilana Tupailo, deputy principal of the Russian-Tajik Slavonic university in Dushanbe, is not worried that the change of rules in Russia will lead to more emigration.

She argues that Central Asian states should not be adopting a defensive attitude towards national education at a time when their governments are trying to lead them into the international educational community.

One option she proposes is to make more use of academic exchanges; another is to require students educated in Russia to return home afterwards and put their skills to work helping the country develop.

(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)