NOVEMBER 2012 3

Russian Education and Society, vol. 54, no. 11, November 2012, pp. 317.
2012 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved. Permissions: www.copyright.com
ISSN 10609393 (print)/issn 15580423 (online)
DOI: 10.2753/RES1060-9393541101

Sofia L. Eremina

The Academic Mobility of

Engineering Students
The Experience at Tomsk
Polytechnical University

In an increasingly global age, university students need to prepare

themselves to be competitive in both domestic and foreign labor mar-
kets. This involves the acquisition of foreign languages, experience of
a variety of educational and professional settings, and becoming part
of influential networks. The case of Tomsk Polytechnical University
illustrates how this may be achieved.
Foreign and Russian scientists are doing research on various aspects
of academic mobility. The connection between academic mobility
and international migration has been pointed out by de Wit (2002)
[1] and by Kelo et al. (2006) [2] The complexity of external and
internal factors in academic mobility as a factor in career growth
has been investigated by Bourdieu (1988) [3], and in particular
that of engineering students. Since the effects of participation in
programs of academic mobility can be different for the different

English translation 2012 M.E. Sharpe, Inc., from the Russian text, Sofia L.
Eremina. Akademicheskaia mobilnost studentov-inzhenerov: opyt TPU.
Sofia L. Eremina is a professor in the Department of International Man-
agement, Institute of Engineering Enterprise, Tomsk Polytechnical University
(TPU).
Translated by Kim Braithwaite.

3
4russian education and society

participants (the students, the higher educational institutions, and

the country) it is necessary to focus attention in this article on a
number of tasks:
(1) study the kinds of international mobility of college students,
focusing attention on horizontal academic mobility;
(2) identify the stakeholders and analyze their goals;
(3) study the structure and dynamics of students at Tomsk Poly-
technical University (TPU) who are participating in programs of
academic mobility;
(4) make an analysis of questionnaires as administered to stu-
dents and directors of faculties;
(5) assess the experience of engineering colleges, in particular
TPU, in organizing the academic mobility of engineering students;
to propose directions for improving the organization of academic
mobility of students.
Practically all international organizations (General Agreement on
Trade Services [GATS], World Trade Organization [WTO], World
Bank [WB], United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization [UNESCO], Organization for Economic Coopera-
tional and Development [OECD], etc.) are involved in assessing
the state of the world market of educational services. The Magna
Carta of universities, the Joint Declaration of Ministers of Educa-
tion (Sorbonne, 1998), the Prague Communiqu of Ministers of
Education (2001), the Message of European Rectors (Salamanca
2001), the Berlin Communiqu (2003), the Bologna Declaration,
and many other documents contain recommendations on the need
to encourage students to spend at least one semester in a university
outside their own country, since college students mobility is the
basis for the creation of the European space of higher education.
The flow of college students mobility runs basically from
Southern and Eastern Europe to Western Europe; from Asia, to
Europe and the United States, where foreign students make up
one-fiftieth of the total number pursuing the bachelors degree and
one-tenth of those pursuing masters and graduate degrees.1 In the
world as a whole, the number of students traveling out of their
countries on the basis of programs of vertical mobility (in pursuit
of an academic degree) has tripled in the past twenty-five years. In
 NOVEMBER 2012 5

Table 1

The Most Popular Countries Among Foreign Students

Country Country
Host country percentage, %1 percentage, %2

1. United States 19 1
2. Great Britain 10
3. Australia 7
4. France 7 7
5. Germany 7 27
6. Canada 6
7. Japan 4 2
8. Italy 2 2
9. China 23
10. Republic of Korea 4
11. Czech Republic 25
12. Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium 2 each
13. Other countries 3

Notes: 1According to OECD data; 2According to TPU data.

2008, nine countries were most popular among foreign students,

but at TPU there were three: Germany, the Czech Republic, and
China (see Table 1).
In the Bologna process, two types of academic mobility are
distinguished, characterizing it in terms of goals and results:
vertical mobility, in which the student acquires a complete
education in pursuit of an academic degree in a foreign institution
of higher learning;
horizontal mobility, in which the student is enrolled for a
limited amount of time (a semester or academic year).
But there are other definitions as well: horizontal exchange, in
which the exchange is based on the equal quality of the education
at home and abroad [4].
It follows from the cited documents that academic mobility
creates the conditions necessary for the formation of uniform re-
quirements in the labor market, and promotes democratic values
as well as respect for the culture and language of other countries,
6russian education and society

and tolerance. Today not only students are mobile but also instruc-
tors, academic programs, and universities themselves. But student
mobility has not become broad in scale. The percentage of mobile
students among those enrolled in higher educational institutions is
not more than 2 percent, unchanged over the past several decades
[4]. For example, in 200910, 1,795 people took part in Erasmus
programs, of whom 64 were from the Russian Federation,2 but
since over 19 million students are going to school in Europe every
year, this is an infinitesmal number.3
Russian Federation laws make no reference to the term academic
mobility, but a number of organizations encourage participation
in it: the Center for Comparative Educational Policy, the National
Information Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility [5],
and the International Center to Promote International Mobility
of Scientists, Students, and Graduate Students of Russia and the
European Union. The development of mobility is supported by the
National Project Education [6].
As a rule, Russia higher educational institutions are not willing
to take part in mobility programs, due to the uncertain purposes
for the development of mobility, on the level of both the individual
institution and the country as a whole. It is most often the case that
academic mobility functions to enhance an institutions image and
prestige, but while these require systematic efforts and substantial
investments, they cannot guarantee benefits, either short term or
long term. For this reason, in most cases direct academic mobility
is not accepted by the system of higher professional education. The
main interested participants in academic mobility are the students
(future graduates), society, and the governments of both the home
and the host country.
Heightened attention on mobility may have far-reaching conse-
quences for all stakeholders:
the graduates: a solution to the problems of employment in
that yesterdays mobile students who have obtained an education
in different countries will not encounter barriers to employment.
The lack of employment in one country may be easily compensated
for in another country [7]. The system of higher education ought
to provide students with better opportunities in seeking programs
 NOVEMBER 2012 7

that ensure competitive advantages. Education and training for a

lifetime requires substantial changes in the organization of educa-
tion, a diversity of paths in the pursuit of a professional career;
the state: the international competitiveness of a system of
higher education and a cultures attractiveness to other countries
constitute proof of viability and effectiveness; a rise in the export
potential of the educational institution; an increase in the quality
of the education (the number of higher educational institutions that
have gone through accreditation and have adopted international
systems of quality control); a rise in the number of higher educa-
tional institutions whose diplomas are comparable and that issue
diploma supplements [providing a standardized description of the
nature, level, context, and content of the studies completed by its
holder], and record the students results on the basis of European
Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits; a rise
in the number of citizens who are taking part in international ex-
changes); a rise in the number of foreign students who are enrolled
on a commercial basis is able to help in reinforcing the countrys
position not only in the international market of educational services
but also in many other [markets];
the regions (continents): the rapid dissemination of knowledge.
Just as during the period of the beginning of university education,
it is essential to create conditions that enable the free movement of
students and scientists for the rapid dissemination of knowledge.
The experience at TPU provides evidence that the efforts of the
corresponding offices and subunits are bearing fruit: the number
of partner universities is expanding, and the quality of language
training is improving, leading to a steady rise in the absolute num-
ber of engineering students taking part in programs of academic
mobility, although not to a really steady rise in their relative number
(see Table 2).
The Center for International Education Programs (CIEP), a struc-
tural subunit at TPU, offers the following programs of academic
mobility:4 academic exchanges with twenty-three countries,5 short-
term study courses, European stipends from Erasmus Mundus,
joint masters degree programs, and intensive courses in foreign
languages. The main criteria for being selected to participate in an
8russian education and society

Table 2

Dynamic of Participation in Programs of Academic Mobility at TPU

Number Change in number of

of partner Number of Number of students, % compared
Years countries faculties students to preceding year

2006 13 12 116
2007 13 13 151 130
2008 17 13 179 119
2009 18 13 191 107
2010 17 14 270 141

academic mobility program are the following: Russian Federation

citizenship; knowledge of a foreign language (not lower than the
B2 level on the European scale, including completion of 70 percent
of test problems), confirmed by the TPU certificate Language for
Mobility or other international certificate; a grade-point average
of not less than 4.7; and a specialty from TPU that is in confirmity
with the program of instruction in the host institution of higher
learning.
The number of students and graduates at TPU who were enrolled
in and took courses in foreign universities, participated in confer-
ences and received practical training (in the near and far abroad)
more than doubled in 2009 compared to 2008 (from 141 to 337).
From 2006 to 2009 the number of partner countries went up from
eighteen to twenty-three.6 At TPU there were plans to raise the
number of students taking part in international academic exchanges
to 2.3 percent by 2010.7
A questionnaire survey of students at TPU who were taking part
in academic mobility programs from 2005 through 2010 made it
possible to determine their main goals and reasons for taking part
in the programs (Table 3) and also the extent to which these were
realized (Table 4).
As can be seen from Table 3, for 67 percent of the respondents
language is the most important consideration in the choice of host
country. For this reason, the preferred countries are those in which
 NOVEMBER 2012 9

Table 3

Goals of Participation by TPU Students Taking Part in Programs of

Academic Mobility

Percentage Purposes
Number of of students declared by
students who who chose international
Answer choices chose this option this option organizations

Language 20 0.67 Language

Interaction 7 0.23 Democratic values
Intellectual horizon 1 0.03 Tolerance
Culture 6 0.20 Respect for culture
Travel 6 0.20
Experience 12 0.40
Education 11 0.37
Professional growth 8 0.27
Independence 2 0.07

Table 4

Degree of Satisfaction with the Result

Number of Percentage of
students who students who made
Answer choices made this choice this choice

100% 18 0.60
80% 3 0.10
90% 4 0.13
Over 100% 2 0.07
Not satisfied with everything 3 0.10
Total 30 1.00

the language of instruction is English, French, or German; Japan

is an exception.
The results of the survey of students and deans at TPU provide
evidence that the main reasons for the inadequate development
of students academic mobility are these: insufficient fluency in
a foreign language, although in engineering specialties this is not
as important; the lack of financial resources (for transportation,
10russian education and society

Table 5

Benefits of Participation in the Program

Number of Percentage
students who of students who
Answer choices made this choice made this choice

Language, culture 13 0.43

Expansion of intellectual horizon 4 0.13
Life and professional experience 13 0.43
Gathering of material for science work 1 0.03
Exposure to a new system of education 4 0.13
Knowledge 3 0.10
Other 5 0.17

Table 6

Access to Higher Quality Educational Programs, Courses, and

Research Opportunities

Number of Percentage of
students who students who
Answer choices made this choice made this choice

No 8 0.27
Yes 20 0.67
I find it difficult to answer 1 0.03

residence, food, medical services and other social expenses) for

low-income students; the presence of a military department and
inadequate consumer services during time outside of class.
The benefits of taking part in programs of academic mobility are
mentioned by almost all the TPU students surveyed (see Table 5),
particularly having access to better educational programs, courses,
and research opportunities (see Table 6).
It is essential to mention some minuses of academic mobility.
It can lead to an exodus of the best students, since some will not
return to their homeland. A number of respondents have pointed
out that if a student has not adequately mastered the program of
 NOVEMBER 2012 11

Table 7

Difficulties of Choice of Program

Number of Percentage
students who of students who
Answer choices made this choice made this choice

It is practically impossible 2 0.07

It is hard 5 0.17
It is not easy 11 0.37
It is easy 12 0.40
Total 30 1.00

Table 8

Negative Consequences of Participation in Program

Number of Percentage
students who of students who
Answer choices made this choice made this choice

There were none 15 0.50

Other 2 0.07
Worsening grades, failure to pass
exam in time 8 0.27
Need to retake subjects 5 0.17
Total 30 1.00

instruction in a university of a different country, if grades have gone

down, if he has not passed his examinations in time or has needed
to retake certain subjects (Table 7), or has had trouble finding the
necessary syllabus, for 60 percent of respondents (Table 8) these
factors lead to disruption of the syllabus and thus a longer period
of schooling or even expulsion.
As evidence of the efforts to stimulate the development of aca-
demic mobility at TPU, we present below a list of the measures
implemented at the university, which are in complete conformity
with the Europe Mobility Plan:
1. The necessary conditions have been created to expand mobil-
ity, including the following:
12russian education and society

organizers of the mobility process have been trained;

a system has been formed to provide mass training in a for-
eign language prior to the period of mobility (up to eight hours
per week for students in the lower division); the general indicators
have been worked out to assess the level of language training of
students and instructors; regular retraining of foreign-language
teachers is conducted; and access has been provided to information
about mobility: the website of the CIEP at TPU constantly updates
information about the main European resources and programs of
mobility of other countries. A database has been set up for the
various mobility programs.
2. A model for the financing of mobility has been set up and is
being improved constantly:
one-time payments of 10,000 rubles are made from the uni-
versitys funds;
monthly payments are made for the purpose of equalizing
conditions for participation in the program, depending on the condi-
tions offered by the host university from university funds;
some students are offered supplementary payments from the
funds of faculties or institutes.
In spite of these factors, there is no reason to be overly optimis-
tic about the adequacy of the programs for providing financial aid
to students at TPU. For this reason, participation in programs of
academic mobility can be afforded only by students from families
with an average or comfortable income. In some cases parents have
sold their car to provide their children with the opportunity to go
to school in a foreign university.
Student mobility at TPU has been organized on the following
principles:
the student is enrolled in a foreign institution of higher learning
for a semester or an academic year; for that period an individual
syllabus is created for him, designating the disciplines that must be
passed at TPU and those he will have to pass in the host university
for the entire period of schooling;
the grades for the disciplines covered in the foreign university
are recorded in accordance with the documents received from the
corresponding university; the problem of converting them comes
 NOVEMBER 2012 13

up quite often. One problem consists of unsatisfactory grades

received in the foreign university. While such a student should be
expelled, there are not many such cases, and not all faculties have
worked out a uniform position. The deans offices make the deci-
sion in each case;
the language of instruction is that of the host country, or else
it is English, and the periodic and final tests are given in the same
languages;
for the student, his schooling in the host university is free of
charge; but for the TPU it is not, since the university is training
foreign students on the same terms. Of course, if the instruction is
conducted in Russian and the student is included in Russian groups,
there are no additional costs, but if the instruction is organized in
English, which means that it is practically individualized, taking
account of the size of the group, the TPU incurs substantial costs
to pay instructor salaries, lighting, heating, and upkeep as well as
other expenses;
as a rule, the student pays for his own transportation, residence,
food, medical insurance, and other costs. But there are other vari-
ants. Some foreign institutions of higher learning offer residence
free of charge. In that case, the TPU student receives less financial
support.
The creation of the system of academic mobility certainly must
take account of the national priorities of each country, and the risks
and contradictions of that process. In the case of any country, encour-
aging mobility on the part of masters degree and graduate students
schooling can lead to more of a brain drain, while any increase in
the intake of foreign students ought to be in accord with the priorities
of the countrys migration and state security policies.
The level of mobility is not distributed equally across the ter-
ritory of the Russian Federation; in the regions it is lower than in
the center, which can be discerned, for example, on the basis of the
results of academic mobility of Russian students in the framework
of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) program. In
this regard, Tomsk represents an exception, since its index exceeds
by more than two times the index in both of the capital cities (see
Table 9).
Table 9

Number of Students Participating in the German Academic Exchange Service Program (DAAD), 20067

% of citys students in % of citys students in

total no. participating No. of students in city, total no. of students Index of citys students
City No. in DAAD in thousands in the RF,% in the DAAD program

St. Petersburg 28 0.107 454.3 6.12 1.75

14russian education and society

Moscow 55 0.256 1,281.1 17.27 148

Tomsk 9 0.042 86.3 1.16 3.60
Krasnoiarsk 3 0.014 125.8 1.70 0.82
Novosibirsk 4 0.0019 164.6 2.22 0.84
Samara 4 0.019 174.4 2.35 0.79
Rostov-on-Don 5 0.023 217.7 2.93 0.79
Total, RF 215 1 7,418.8 100

Note: RF = Russian Federation.

Table 10

Effects of Participation in Programs of Academic Mobility

Positive Negative Neutral

Home state Standardization of requirements on
the market of educational services
and the labor market
Host state Respect for democratic values, culture,
and language, tolerance, revenue
from residence
Institution Increased motivation to study and
develop, international contacts
Student Language, culture, life and
professional experience
Brain drain, exodus of the best
students
Undesirable migration, threat to
state security
Expulsion of students
Worsening of grades, failure to
pass exams on time
Difficult to formulate owing
to the low percentage of
participation
Fulfillment of indicators
Travel
NOVEMBER 2012 15
16russian education and society

We can summarize certain outcomes and group the results thus

produced (see Table 10).
We can propose the following directions of improvement of the
academic mobility of higher professional education in the Russian
Federation, and at TPU in particular:
(1) Precisely formulate the system of the goals and tasks for
organizing mobility;
(2) Strive to overcome asymmetries in the organization of
mobility;
(3) Raise the quality of the training of students, instructors, and
other personnel of high education institutions with respect to foreign
languages and specialties;
(4) Develop the infrastructure necessary for the recognition of
qualifications and academic degrees;
(5) Coordinate the efforts to standardize the syllabi of the Rus-
sian system of higher professional education on the basis of the
new generation of educational standards;
(6) Ensure the support of mobility through the development of
a national system of grants and participation in international grant
support.

Notes
1. Institute for International Education. www.iie.ru/iie/about.htm.
2. http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/results_compendia/documents/
statistics/em200920010_students2.pdf.
3. ISCED is 4.5.6 as of 2008. www.studyineurope.eu/blog/how-many-
students-are-there-in-europe.
4. TsMOP. http://portal.tpu.ru/departments/centre/cmop/asad_ex.
5. Mezhdunarodnye akademicheskie obmeny. http://tpu.ru/files/report-
ia09.ppt#423,37,7.
6. Itogi mezhdunarodnoi deiatelnosti TPU. http://tpu.ru/html/interna-
tional.htm.
7. Kompleksnaia programma razvitiia TPU na 2010 g. http://NRU.TPU
.RU/files/cdp-2010.pgf.

References
1. de Wit, H. Internationalization of Higher Education in the United States
and Europe. Westport CT: Greenwood, 2002.
 NOVEMBER 2012 17

2. Kelo, M.; Teichler, U.; and Wchter, B., ed. Student Mobility in European
Higher Education. Bonn: Lemmens Verlag & Mediengesellschaft mbH.,
2006.
3. Bourdieu, P. Homo akademicus. Cambridge: Polity, 1988.
4. Altbach, P.G., and Teichler, U. Internatsionalizatsiia i obmeny v globali-
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5. Natsionalnyi doklad RF. Vstrecha ministrov obrazovaniia. London,
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6. O vysshem i poslevuzovskom professionalnom obrazovanii. Federalnyi
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