Roundtable on international students in Russia held by Kazan Federal University
Rector Lenar Safin contributed to the event on 11 September.
Among the participants were Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova, Tatarstan’s Human Rights Commissioner Sariya Saburskaya, Minister of Education and Science of Tatarstan Ilsur Khadiullin, Minister of Youth Affairs of Tatarstan Rinat Sadykov, President of the Association of International Students of Russia Shaabo Issa, representatives of consular bodies of Iran, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, China, and other countries.
In his word, Rector Safin noted that KFU has one of the most sizable representations of overseas students in Russia, and this fact necessitates much organizational work. He added that the existing system is clearly up to the task in providing high-quality education. Last year, KFU strengthened its partnership ties with Uzbekistan by opening its Jizzakh Branch. This year, Cairo Branch should open doors in the Egyptian capital, signifying the University’s reach beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union.
“In this regard, I am very glad that such an important topic as the issues of the legal status of foreign students and their support are being considered today by the expert community here at Kazan Federal University, as we care about the problems of our students,” concluded the Rector.
Tatyana Moskalkova praised KFU for showing an attractive image of Russian culture and education, “Today it is very important that the doors of our universities are open to young people from other countries. Russia ranks 6th in the world in terms of the number of foreign students – that is more than 350 thousand people. This is followed by a completely different quality of diplomatic, economic and other relations, when a person has let our culture, worldview and traditions pass through them, so the rights of foreign students must be respected.”
The federal commissioner noted KFU’s experience in adapting foreign students to Russian realities and new support measured implemented during the pandemic and the sanctions regime, “KFU has been able to build a unique system of support for its students. This includes accommodation, training, and various cultural programs. The practice of organizing hotlines, when all students receive feedback in case of any problems, is very effective. The university can scale this experience to universities in other regions.”
KFU is currently a home for over 11,000 overseas students, the majority of which represent the former Soviet Union, Middle East and Africa. Among the biggest representations are Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Iraq.
The integral system of creating and supporting a favorable environment for international students at KFU includes a multifunctional center for international students with a wide range of services, a network of coordinators in institutes responsible for the whole range of issues related to the educational process, and an adaptation service for foreign citizens aimed at solving the tasks of socialization and improving the legal awareness of students.