Baltic Ethnocracies Between Russia and the Eu: In Search of Consensus Under Conditions of the Economic Crisis

Abstract

The economic crisis fueled contradictions among the parties and weakened public support of internal and external policies of the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia). Natural necessity to abandon previous one-sided Euro-Atlantic foreign political and foreign economic orientation in favor of more balanced approach towards relations with Eastern neighbours (primarily with Russia) has become the issue of key importance that turned out to be a stumbling block for main political parties (ruling parties, opposition, so called ‚Russian‘ parties) in the Baltic states. The attitude to this problem became crucial during recent political crisis in Latvia, whereas in Lithuania and Estonia it led to changing rhetoric on foreign political issues by opposition parties. It is possible to nominally define the political situation in Lithuania as partisan consensus, whereas in Latvia and Estonia foreign political strategies complicated by unresolved domestic ethnic and language minorities problems are a battlegroud for ruling right-wing conservative coalitions and social-democratic oppositions. So, main social and political forces in the Baltic states faced the task to find a new consensus on foreign political issues in order to efficiently develop national economies under the conditions of financial economic turbulence in the EU and worldwide as well as to support social unity.

Teachers on the Move: Understanding the New Model of Virtual Mobility Through the Case Study of a Russian University

“…In order to foster the internationalization of higher education and regain its position in the international higher education market, the number of places allocated to foreign citizens for training under the quota of the Government of the Russian Federation will be increased by 5,000 places in 2022 and will amount to 23,000 places and 30,000 places in 2023 (Adutskevich, 2023). Moreover, the target set by the Russian government is to increase the number of international students to 710,000 by 2025 (Vorotnikov, 2017). Based on these facts, we can assume that Russia’s income from foreign students has increased significantly from the previous estimation of an annual $150 million (Smolentseva, 2004).…”

“…Large numbers of Russian universities are moving towards internationalization by hiring foreign faculty, introducing English language as a medium of instruction and getting involved in inter-institutional collaborations in the form of dual degree programs, joint research ventures and exchange programs with foreign higher education institutions (Rozhenkova et al, 2018). Under the conditions of the ‘Development of the export potential of the Russian education system’ programme, approved by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, the target is to increase the number of international students to 710,000 by 2025 and to improve the revenue from RUB 84 billion to RUB 373 billion per year (Vorotnikov, 2017).…”