Education opportunities in Russia
Published 27 October 2014
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1. Market potential
The Russian education and training market is a priority market for UKTI Education owing to:
- Significant potential for future business
- Potential opportunities that may exist across a range of sub-sectors – including higher education (HE), vocational education and training as well as English language training (ELT)
- UK education and training expertise being highly valued in Russia
2. Potential contract opportunities
Potential opportunities in Russia include:
- Opportunities for higher education partnerships in the drive towards the internationalisation of higher education through the planned reform of Russian universities
- Lecturer training opportunities linked to the ongoing reform of higher education institutes across Russia
- Vocational training in support of the World Cup 2018, particularly in relation to hospitality and tourism
- ELT to support a new law passed by the Education and Science Ministry to make the study of a foreign language (largely English) mandatory for passing the national school leaving exam
View all education opportunities in Russia
3. Additional market information
3.1 Geographical considerations
Russia is the largest country in the world, covering nine time zones and more than 17 million square kilometres of landmass, with vast natural and mineral resources, especially in oil and gas. Situated in both Europe and Asia, Russia shares borders with 16 other countries. The country is made up of 83 federal entities. Some are called republics, others are regions and there are also autonomies. They all have equal representation in the Russian parliament but differ in the degree of autonomy they enjoy. Russian economic growth has slowed since 2010. The economy grew by 1.3% in 2013. The economic slowdown is partly due to developments in the global economy and structural constraints.
3.2 Education sector overview
Education spending accounts for approximately 5.5% of Russian GDP. The education system has undergone radical change over the past 20 years in trying to meet the demands of a rapidly changing society. Russia is currently in the middle of the biggest reform of higher education in decades. The reform aims to enhance the international reputation of Russian universities and ensure universities enter the international top 100 ranking. The high educational attainment level of the Russian population continues to increase, with 88% of the adult population having attained at least an upper secondary education and 54% having a tertiary qualification. Only three countries have a higher tertiary attainment rate amongst 25 to 34 year-olds than the Russian Federation.