Russia’s ties with the West have been increasingly troubled in recent years, leading to the question: How is this waning relationship playing out in the higher education sector? According to a recent report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the country is rolling out the welcome mat -- not to international students, but to its own citizens who are studying abroad. Here’s a closer look at the situation.

A New Marketing Campaign

Rossotrudnichestvo -- which is known by several other names including the Federal Agency for CIS Matters, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation -- is responsible for the wellbeing of the country’s overseas citizens.  

Now, this government agency has debuted a new marketing campaign designed to prompt its internationally-minded students to complete their studies on Russian soil. The campaign’s title? “Highly Likely Welcome Back.”

A History of Exchange

According to the most recent figures from Russia’s Education and Science Ministry, approximately 60,000 Russians were studying outside the country in 2014. Furthermore, many children of Russian government officials and prominent business people have studied at Western universities. Additionally, many of the country's postdocs have expressed interest in relocating.

Now, however, insiders suggest that the climate has changed and that Russians may not be as welcome as they once were. Said one Rossotrudnichestvo representative, “As we know, the domestic politics in a host of countries, and in Europe in particular, have increasingly taken on a harshly expressed anti-Russian character. We are obligated to highlight the negative influence of Russophobic attitudes on the activity of our compatriots, which purposely narrow their opportunities for self-realization.”

What does all of this mean for international students studying in Russia, meanwhile? While the US State Department issued a travel advisory for Russia earlier this year,  many studies abroad programs continue to operate, according to the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). In fact, these programs may be more important than ever given that “we need more people-to-people exchanges at tense political times like this,” says ASEEES.