Problems and Prospects of the Online Model for Exporting Russian Education in the Context of Digital Inequality

Abstract

Russia has historically been a favored destination for international students, a trend continuing through 2020–2022 despite pandemic challenges, quarantine measures, remote learning adaptations, and evolving geopolitical dynamics. The pandemic prompted significant digital transformations in universities, revealing varying digital readiness among Russian institutions for the abrupt shift to online education. This led to the emergence of a novel “digital didactics” methodology. Russian universities adopted digitalization not only for education but also for supporting digital students’ sociopsychological adaptation and devising recruitment strategies via social networks. In these circumstances, digital inequality emerged as a critical concern. This issue is not only evident at a global level but also across various stages of foreign students’ education, spanning from virtual admissions to final certification. This study analyzes the global experiences and recommendations for crafting an optimal model for online educational engagement with foreign students and categorizes Russian universities based on their digital readiness for education export and identifies challenges in engaging foreign students and attracting applicants.