More Indian students are traveling to Russia for a degree. This month, major Indian cities like New Delhi, Chennai and Ahmedabad hosted Russian higher education exposition-fair where students could decide what course suits them best. The fair is due to be held in Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and several other cities.
Exhibiting at the fair are famous Russian education brands: Moscow Institute of Aviation, Moscow Institute of Economics, Tver State Medical Academy, the Volgograd, Rostov and Bashkiria medical universities, St. Petersburg Medical Academy and People's Friendship University in Moscow.
The expo-fair was organised by the agency Rossotrudnichestva, the Russian Center of International Education and the Association of Russian Institutions of Higher Learning Working in India — with the support of the Russian Embassy in New Delhi.
“The aim of this fair is to present the entire spectrum of possibilities offered by our education market,” says Mikhail Kalinkin, rector of the Tver State Medical Academy. “Every year, some 200 to 300 students from India come to Russia and this figure will increase in proportion to the development of Russian-Indian multilateral collaboration," says Kamruzzaman Saied, Director of the International Center of Russian Education.
This year, Russia awarded more full-tuition scholarships for which Indian students are also eligible. Last year there were only seven such scholarships; this year there are 42.
Exhibiting at the fair are famous Russian education brands: Moscow Institute of Aviation, Moscow Institute of Economics, Tver State Medical Academy, the Volgograd, Rostov and Bashkiria medical universities, St. Petersburg Medical Academy and People's Friendship University in Moscow.
The expo-fair was organised by the agency Rossotrudnichestva, the Russian Center of International Education and the Association of Russian Institutions of Higher Learning Working in India — with the support of the Russian Embassy in New Delhi.
“The aim of this fair is to present the entire spectrum of possibilities offered by our education market,” says Mikhail Kalinkin, rector of the Tver State Medical Academy. “Every year, some 200 to 300 students from India come to Russia and this figure will increase in proportion to the development of Russian-Indian multilateral collaboration," says Kamruzzaman Saied, Director of the International Center of Russian Education.
This year, Russia awarded more full-tuition scholarships for which Indian students are also eligible. Last year there were only seven such scholarships; this year there are 42.
| Advantage Russia: Pay less for the same degree Tuition fees at the University of Cambridge in England range from £9,000 per annum for a theory course to £22,000 per annum for a clinical practice course. At Oxford Brookes University, one would pay £10,500 for a bachelor’s degree course and £10,500-£12,000 per annum for a master’s degree course. The average cost of studying at Long Island University in New York is $36,000 per annum. Russian universities, in comparison, is easy on the pocket. For instance, a foundation course at The Peoples' Friendship University in Moscow (PFUR) in Moscow costs $4,000. The standard annual tuition is $5,950 for a course in general medicine, $6,150 for a dental course and $4,500 for a course in pharmaceutical medicine. Standard course fees at the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University range from $3,250 to $5,500 per annum. The least expensive course is in pharmaceuticals, followed by general medicine and dentistry, the last of which is traditionally the most expensive degree. You can get by on $400-500 per month even in Moscow. This includes food, mobile phone bills, transport and daily expenses. Food at student canteens is not cheap but it is certainly much less expensive than at city cafes. |
However, the head of the culture section at RCSC Elena Shtapkina noticed, that there are certain problems. For example, there is a single standard form that must be filled out by all foreign students who would like to study in Russia. But different colleges in India have different grading systems. In one college the highest grade is, say, 9, while in another, it’s 10. Therefore the very best students (that is, those students preferred for full scholarships) may have different grade point averages on their transcripts, thus making for confusion.
Moreover, the accepted system of enrolling students does not take into account certain aspects of life in India: the absence of a universal passport system — this year young Indians will have only three weeks in which to gather the necessary documents. And not all of them will manage to apply for and receive a passport and a birth certificate in that time. Some Indian students may simply not have these documents.
Another problem is the language barrier. Students applying to study in Russia are required to fill out the application in Russian, which, of course, many Indians do not speak. Russian institutions of higher learning that would like to receive foreign students ought to open English-language web sites, RIR’s sources said. And this should not be dry information. These sites should be lively, with forums, discussions and the possibility of asking questions. For instance, Indian students who are considering going to Russia to study want to have the chance to talk to other Indians who are already studying there or have even finished their studies. They want to know what Russia is like and what sort of a career they can aim for after graduation. Russia’s Western competitors in the area of higher education created these Internet resources long ago.
In order to help in filling this gap the Russian Center for Science and Culture in New Delhi organizes meetings between Indian students of Russian universities and institutes and Indian students who have just enrolled to study in Russia.
Moreover, the accepted system of enrolling students does not take into account certain aspects of life in India: the absence of a universal passport system — this year young Indians will have only three weeks in which to gather the necessary documents. And not all of them will manage to apply for and receive a passport and a birth certificate in that time. Some Indian students may simply not have these documents.
Another problem is the language barrier. Students applying to study in Russia are required to fill out the application in Russian, which, of course, many Indians do not speak. Russian institutions of higher learning that would like to receive foreign students ought to open English-language web sites, RIR’s sources said. And this should not be dry information. These sites should be lively, with forums, discussions and the possibility of asking questions. For instance, Indian students who are considering going to Russia to study want to have the chance to talk to other Indians who are already studying there or have even finished their studies. They want to know what Russia is like and what sort of a career they can aim for after graduation. Russia’s Western competitors in the area of higher education created these Internet resources long ago.
In order to help in filling this gap the Russian Center for Science and Culture in New Delhi organizes meetings between Indian students of Russian universities and institutes and Indian students who have just enrolled to study in Russia.
The next such meeting is scheduled for June 30.
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