Russia as a higher education provider for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022

This paper examines how Russia’s role in higher education (HE) is perceived in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It shows that while Russia remains a key HE provider – supported by strong bilateral and multilateral ties and geopolitical, academic, economic and socio-cultural dependencies – its role has shifted since the onset of the war. Uncertainty about Russia’s future, the implications of the war, current security concerns and its loss of status as a gateway to Europe act as major constraints, referred to here as push-away factors. Both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, consistent with their multivector foreign policies, seek to diversify HE partnerships. The study draws on semi-structured interviews with HE experts in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as materials from relevant ministries, media and public opinion polls. The concept of education diplomacy is used to explain Russia's motivations for engaging in Kazakhstani and Kyrgyzstani HE, while push factors related to the given HE systems, and pull factors of Russian HE help to interpret interest – or lack thereof – towards studying at Russian higher education institutions (HEIs).