The Industrial Robotics Student Camp , a free two-week intensive course for students of Russian universities organized jointly with Yandex, started on July 13 at the new campus of Ural Federal University. This is the third educational camp that UrFU and the company are holding together.

From July 13 to 24, participants will work on the creation of autonomous robotic systems, combining modern technologies of artificial intelligence, computer vision and digital modeling.

Traditionally, Ilya Obabkov, UrFU Rector, opened the student camp. He gave a motivational lecture to the participants on engineering creativity, modern technologies and the opportunities that open up to young developers in the field of robotics.

"Here at the camp, you will test our hypothesis – education may be different. The onslaught of artificial intelligence gives you a chance to start studying in a different way, because education must change following shifts in the industry," Ilya Obabkov said.

This year, the camp brought together 89 students from 32 universities and 17 cities in Russia. Among the participants are representatives of MIPT, ITMO, NSU, MIREA, NCFU, VSU, TUSUR and other leading universities in the country.

The program is dedicated to full-cycle autonomous robotics based on the Sim2Real principle. Participants first train robots in the Unity virtual environment, and then transfer ready-made algorithms to real devices. In addition, students will get acquainted with modern VLA models (Vision-Language-Action), which allow robots to simultaneously analyze images and text commands, independently making decisions about further actions.

Especially for the camp, the staff of the UrFU Engineering School of Radio Electronics and Information Technology — RTF developed and assembled a new RT-800 robot.

MOSCOW: When Angelicha Malau was deciding where to pursue her university education, she had three options: Indonesia, China or Russia.

The Indonesian student eventually chose Moscow, moving thousands of kilometres from home to study psychology at RUDN University.

She said the opportunity to gain an international education while living and studying alongside people from around the world shaped her decision.

“It will give me a new experience, especially international experience, and I will know a lot of new cultures and (meet) a lot of new people," she told CNA.

Malau is among the international students Russia hopes to attract as its universities expand recruitment across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.

RECRUITING BEYOND THE WEST

The shift is already visible at RUDN University, where Asia has become the institution's largest recruitment market.

Around 4,500 students at the university are from Asia, with more than half from China alone.

For many, Russia's political tensions with the West are outweighed by what they see as the benefits of an international education – particularly in medicine, engineering and information technology – at comparatively affordable tuition fees.

Thai student Nop Laopanich said studying in Russia offered opportunities that would be difficult to find at home.

"I wanted to experience new things. That's why I decided to come to Russia. I learn something here that I may not learn in Thailand. Knowing Russian is very important to work with Russian companies."

Laopanich added many Thai students still know little about educational opportunities in Russia, something universities are working to change.

Officials say attracting international students is about more than boosting university enrolment.

"Internationalisation of education is also a way to enhance the country's image. And educating international students is an investment in long-term partnership-based relationships," said Marina Rekets, RUDN University’s vice-rector for international affairs.

Analysts say education has long been one of Russia's most effective soft power tools, creating networks of graduates who later become business leaders, professionals and government officials in their home countries.


Maria Prokofieva, political scientist and director of the Center for International Interaction and Cooperation, a Russian public diplomacy organisation, said the strategy serves both foreign policy and economic goals.

"There is interest in bringing highly qualified specialists to our labour market, but of course the goal of building bridges, of developing cooperation is here too,” she said.

“Education, cooperation with young people who will define the future of those countries is vital for us, when people come to Russia, when they study here, when they discover (the) Russian soul, when they discover our culture, what our country really is."

The Russian government offers about 30,000 state-funded scholarships each year to international students and has simplified enrolment procedures to make the country more attractive as a study destination.

But competition for international students is intense.

Western sanctions, along with weakened academic partnerships with universities in Europe and North America since the start of the Ukraine conflict, have cast doubt over the value of Russian degrees.

Whether Russia can meet its international student target remains unclear, but its efforts underscore how education has become an increasingly important diplomatic tool.


Source link : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/russia-universities-international-students-education-diplomacy-6290601

Russian education is considered one of the best in the world. Thousands of foreign applicants enter universities across the country every year, choosing not only universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also other Russian cities – from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok.

There are currently 3 higher education qualification degrees available in Russia which differ from each other in duration of studies and academic prospects - Bachelor, Specialist and Master.

Specialist’s degree is a traditional educational degree of higher educational institutions in Russia, which used to be generally recognized in the USSR. Such a program includes a full course of theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to work as a specialist in a certain industry. Specialist training is still continued in many Russian universities today (including in medical and some technical fields).

To enroll in specialist programs, one must have a general secondary education. The duration of studies is usually 5 years.

Since Russia’s joining the Bologna Process in 2003, many higher education institutions in the country have switched to the two-level system of higher education including Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees typical of Western countries.

The duration of Bachelor's studies is 4 years; such programs are taught on the basis of secondary education.

Holders of a Bachelor’s or a Specialist’s degree have the right to pursue 2-year-long Master’s programs.

Russian legislation does not establish age limits for admission to higher education institutions.

Foreign citizens and persons without citizenship may study in Russia either at their own expense or at the expense of the Russian budget. In the first case, an applicant only needs to choose an educational institution he/she likes and contact its representatives directly. Most often universities ask to send an initial application by e-mail, accompanied by the relevant documents.

Russian Government’s Scholarship

Foreign citizens have the opportunity to study in Russia at the expense of the federal budget of the Russian Federation. It should be remembered, however, that not all specialties and universities may be available under the Russian Government’s Scholarship.

Annually, the Russian Government allocates several thousand budget places in universities across the country. The scholarship covers:

- tuition fees for the entire period of studies under the chosen program;

- maintenance allowance (on average, $40-50 per month);

- dormitory accommodation (subject to availability).

Transportation costs, medical insurance and other living expenses in Russia are not covered by the scholarship.

Due to Russia-South Africa strategic partnership, additional support by the Department of Higher Education and Training of South Africa (DHET) is available for candidates meeting the eligibility criteria, which includes:

• travel costs;
• monthly stipend;
• once-off settlement allowance;
• annual allowance payable at the beginning of each academic year;
• visa costs;
• pre-departure and on scholarship student support.

The application intake usually runs from September until February. The start of the campaign is announced via the platforms of the Embassy and the DHET. (Remember that the academic year in Russia does not coincide with the calendar year: studies begin in September and end in May.)

Those willing to study in Russia under the Russian Government’s Scholarship are expected to register on the information system “Education in Russia.” Candidates shall be required to fill out online forms and upload scan copies of documents.

Applicants will need to provide their personal data (including full name, date of birth, country of residence, e-mail address and current contact phone number - to receive information about the progress of your application); occupation, field of study or program (that can be changed prior to the selection tests); level of education; and Russian language level.

A candidate can choose up to 6 universities where he/she would like to study (from those available under the Scholarship), but not more than 3 in one federal district, and in Moscow and St. Petersburg – not more than 2 in each city.

Hereafter it is also required to upload a copy of passport (valid for at least 18 months from the date of planned arrival in Russia) or birth certificate; copies of documents of education and (or) qualifications obtained.

After that applicants will need to pass selection tests.The tests and interviews are held by the DHET in March-April. As a result, a general list of candidates is formed.

Then candidateswait for notification of enrollment at the university, instructions on further actions from DHET and, depending on the results, prepare the remaining documents(medical certificates, copies of documents notarized and translated into Russian.)

University Olympiads

Another opportunity to enter a Russian university is participation in university Olympiads, some of which are organized only for foreign citizens. Winners and prize-winners of such competitions can receive full or partial Government Scholarship and/or discounts on tuition fees.

Citizens of South Africa and Lesotho as well as Russian compatriots in South Africa can try their hand at the following competitions (the list is not exhaustive):

- International Olympiad “Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project” – for those with bachelor and specialist degrees;

- HSE (Higher School of Economics) International Youth Olympiad – for secondary school learners, as well as students and graduates of foreign universities under 30 years of age;

- MGIMO (Moscow State Institute for International Relations) International School Olympiad – for secondary school learners;

- RUDN University (Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia) Open Olympiad for Foreign Citizens – for international citizens wishing to do Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs;

- ITMO (Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics) University’s International Open Competitions in Mathematics and Computer Science - for the final and the pre-final year high school students;

- Phystech.International - for secondary school learners that gives an opportunity to study in the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT Phystech);

- International Scientific Physics Olympiad of the MIPT Phystech - for high school students and graduates who have not enrolled in universities;

- Online Olympiad “Femida” for Foreign Citizens of the Russian State University of Justice - for foreign schoolchildren and students, in the field of law.

The International Financial Security Olympiad stands apart from others. Since 2021 the Olympiad has been held on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is organized by Rosfinmonitoring, Russian Ministry of Enlightment, Ministry of Science and Higher Education and RUDN University. Students of any South African higher education institutions may participate in the following areas: law, economics (including finance and credit, economic security), information security (including mathematics, applied mathematics and informatics, information security) or international relations. The team South Africa has successfully participated in the Olympiad twice and claimed some prizes.

The winners and prize-winners of the Olympiad receive benefits when applying to Russian universities. The finalists may also get a chance to obtain an internship at the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, Central Bank and other organizations. All the expenses are covered for those who reach a final stage and invited to participate in a final round in Sochi, Russia (September-November).

Language studies

As a rule, foreign applicants who do not speak Russian sufficiently to study in their chosen program are enrolled in preparatory faculty.

Studies at such faculties for foreigners last one academic year. The program includes the study of Russian language (4-6 hours per day), as well as some general education subjects: mathematics, chemistry and others (depending on the chosen program). For English-speaking students, general subjects are taught in English with later switching to Russian.

Studies at the preparatory faculty are part of the Russian Government’s Scholarship for foreign citizens.

At the same time, more and more Russian universities now offer programs taught entirely in English.

When applying to such programs, applicants are required to submit a certificate or diploma, a motivation letter and IELTS or TOEFL certificates. Some universities do not require entry exams for admission, replacing them with an interview in English, most often in the format of a video interview.

Source link : https://russianembassyza.mid.ru/en/russia/education_in_russia/