International Doctoral Students in Russia: Integration, Mobility Intentions, and the Limits of Academic Internationalization

Abstract

This article examines the attraction, integration, and retention of international doctoral students in Russia within the broader context of science and technology development. The study employs a mixed-method design combining survey data from 394 international PhD students enrolled in Russian universities with 17 semi-structured interviews. The analysis integrates human capital theory with the push–pull model of international mobility to explore how institutional, financial, linguistic, and social factors shape doctoral students’ experiences and post-graduation mobility intentions. The findings indicate that Russia attracts international doctoral students, particularly from Asian and post-Soviet countries, largely through scholarship programs, state quotas, and accessible admission procedures. Several structural barriers limit the country’s ability to retain this talent. Financial constraints, bureaucratic procedures, language barriers, and limited academic career opportunities function as push factors that weaken long-term integration. However, positive supervision relationships, peer networks, and cultural affinity with the host country are associated with the likelihood of remaining in Russia after graduation. The article concludes that Russia’s policy of doctoral internationalization currently prioritizes quantitative expansion over the creation of sustainable research careers for foreign graduates. Strengthening financial support, improving administrative transparency, and developing clearer postdoctoral career pathways are essential for transforming international doctoral mobility into a stable source of scientific and technological human capital. The findings contribute to broader debates on the role of international doctoral education in non-Anglophone and emerging research systems.