I. Nurgaliev
Moscow

GLOBAL EDUCATION FOR NEW ECONOMY

    While Russia is currently committed to solving the problems of the transition and self identification, more prosperous countries are focusing on securing the prerequisites for global leadership in the 21st century on the basis of their own national interests. Previous attributes of nations' leadership, such as industrial and military might, access to mineral resources, and integrity in geopolitical alliances, are being squeezed in favor of the new attributes of the information age: optimization of decision making mechanisms, access to information resources, telecommunications and other key technologies, global competency of job force, and modern education. All nations - big and small, developed and developing - need to adjust their plans and vision for the future under the pressure of globalization. One of their main responses has been a global competence mission through international education, and especially study abroad programs.
    The governments of the U.S., Great Britain, Australia and Canada are increasing their efforts in international education, generating many changes to its form and content in the process, and adjusting it to meet new trends. A memorandum on international education policy released by President Bill Clinton on April 19, 2000 to the heads of executive departments and agencies stated that: "To continue to compete successfully in the global economy and to maintain our role as a world leader, the United States needs to ensure that its citizens develop a broad understanding of the world, proficiency in other languages, and knowledge of other cultures." The United States' leadership, as it is understood by the U.S. government, also depends on building ties with those who will guide the political, cultural, and economic development of their countries in the future. Those Russian politicians minded confrontationally might refer to these individuals as "the fifth column." President Clinton declared that a coherent, coordinated, and sustainable international education strategy would need to meet the double challenges, prioritized since Senator Fulbright's initiative, of preparing American citizens for a changing global environment while continuing to attract and educate future leaders of other nations.
    Roughly 500,000 international students are currently studying in the United States at the postsecondary level. They not only contribute over $9 billion annually to the American economy, but also enrich university student bodies and communities. They are developing a lifelong appreciation of American achievements, methods, and attitudes. The U.S. Government considers the goodwill and understanding of American values that these students receive (if not necessarily adopt) one of its greatest foreign policy assets. That is why the policy of the U.S. Government's support for international education has been solid and sustained.
    Although American universities still face little trouble in attracting international students (see table 1), competition in the international education market is growing. In 1997-98, for example, the number of international students in the U.S. rose by just 2 percent after having grown by nearly 5 percent of the previous year.
    As President Clinton pointed out, "Other nations are working very hard to make their exchange opportunities more attractive, more accessible and less costly. We should not be resting on our laurels." He may have had the United Kingdom in mind when he spoke these words. On June 18, 1999 Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the start of a worldwide campaign to promote British universities and colleges overseas, and to attract more international students to the U.K. Speaking at the London School of Economics, Mr. Blair said, "Our universities and colleges are second to none. Their world-class reputation means that they are among the most popular for international students. I am determined to build on this great strength with a long term strategy to attract many more. The institutions, their students and our economy will reap considerable rewards."
    The Russian share of the international education market does not position it as a heavyweight, even though Russians enjoy a well established education system with long-lasting traditions. As Alexander Kondakov, Vice Minister of Education of the Russian Federation reported, some 60,000 students from countries other than the former Soviet Union are studying at Russian universities and contributing $100 million dollars annually to the Russian economy.
    The new Russian presidential administration agrees it is important to focus on breakthrough technologies and adopt a long term perspective, but the role of educators is to incorporate the re-design of international education programs into the current agenda so that the Russian education system meets emerging challenges. The graduates of U.S. Government sponsored programs are an underestimated asset to the government in consulting and to schools in promoting study abroad programs. In light of all this, I would like to propose the following topic for a future Muskie/FSA alumni event: What can American university alumni recommend to Russia regarding education reform and study abroad programs?
    As far as to the priorities in the governmental international education policy I would recommend the following:

• To expand traditional markets in Africa, Asia, Latin America on the mainly market based principles, offering high quality/price ratio education;
• To build new brands of study abroad and academically exchange programs in Russia in the fields in which Russian schools have traditionally strong positions to penetrate into developed countries exchanges;
• To establish Public Board of experts including the graduates of the foreign universities to analyze modern tendencies in the education systems and to work out independent recommendations for Ministry of Education and the Government;
• To offer tax holidays for Russian funds invested into international education;
• To use public funds and philanthropic resources for triggering private funding international education in the mutual sponsorship.

Reference:

1. Nurgaliev I.S. Russians coloring US campuses red. The Northeastern News. November 11, 1996. P.6.
2. Nurgaliev I.S.. The Quite Russian. Invasion. International Educator. Spring 1997, pp. 42-44
3. мСПЦЮКХЕБ х.я. юЛЕПХЙЮМЯЙНЕ ЯПЕДМЕЕ Х БШЯЬЕЕ НАПЮГНБЮМХЕ ДКЪ ПНЯЯХЪМ. хГДЮРЕКЭЯЙХИ дНЛ лмелн, лНЯЙБЮ, 1999, ВЮЯРХВМН ОПЕДЯРЮБКЕМН Б хМРЕПМЕР: www.harmony-group.org.

Table 1.

EUROPEAN STUDENTS IN THE U.S. IN ACAD. YEAR 1998/99 and 1999/00 (IIE data)