This article originally appeared at Russia Beyond the Headlines
Foreign students, regardless of their citizenship, are now able to apply for transfer to one of the leading universities of Russia – the Higher School of Economics (HSE), whose campuses are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Perm.
The HSE, which introduced the new rules on Feb. 9, is encouraging foreign students to apply by email. Applications for enrollment will be approved after an academic expert evaluation.
“We welcome everyone, but all universities are different, sometimes people may not have sufficient background to study here,” says Sergei Roshchin, vice-rector of HSE. According to him, the expert evaluation does not focus on the names of the courses on a foreign student’s transcript, but on the degree to which previously studied material corresponds to the content of the degree program the student wants to pursue at HSE.
By the summer of 2015, the HSE promises to open a “single window” for receiving transfer student applications.
The HSE offers official administrative support to foreign students and teachers, as well as volunteer assistance services for foreigners.
HSE campuses offer more than 60 bachelor and over 100 master’s educational programs, with instruction in both Russian and English.
“The educational programs offered by Russian universities, in terms of quality and content, are comparable with the best on the global education market,” says Roshchin, who noted that the current financial situation makes an education at a Russian university more attractive.
“For many students who began their studies abroad, the financial circumstances have changed in the current economic climate – the cost of education having increased significantly. They will now have an interest in transferring to a Russian higher educational institution offering a strong program,” Roschin said.
HSE has received about 10 requests for transfer from students at foreign universities in the past two months.