The Prospects for the Development of Russian Higher Education’s Export to Vietnam: The Case of Northern (Arctic) Federal University

Abstract

This article discusses the prospects for the development of Russian higher education’s export to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Based on the analysis of the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation, the Decree of the RF President “On the national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation till 2024”, the materials of the federal project “Export of Education”, and the national project “Science and Universities”, the authors have ascertained that at the level of strategic documents, the export of educational services in Russia is considered as a tool of “soft power” — a source of state income and a way to attract highly-qualified specialists to the labor market. The authors have conducted a study of the potential of the educational market in Vietnam based on the analysis of the previous researches on educational migration, statistical information of education export to Vietnam, the state of Russian-Vietnamese relations, the position of the Russian language in the country, and key statistical indicators, as well as participant observation within the framework of the author’s professional activities. The role of Rossotrudnichestvo Office in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in expertise, consultations, and organizational support to Russian educational organizations is considered. This paper analyzes the experience of the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov as it entered the educational market of Vietnam and established contacts with Vietnamese universities: the Hanoi University of Business and Technology (HUBT) and the Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF). Conclusions are drawn about the potential for strengthening the positions of the Russian higher educational institutions in the educational market of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the near future, as well as the importance of developing scientific and educational cooperation with Vietnamese universities as an effective tool for developing academic mobility, promoting the Russian language, implementing joint educational programs, research projects and developing export of education in general.