ABSTRACT
In this chapter we explore the contradictory processes whereby the Russian education system is both gravitating towards and pulling away from internationalization and globalization trends. As such, this chapter primarily engages with the second question the volume poses, focusing on the factors that facilitate or constrain intentions to internationalize in different kinds of schools and different educational contexts. However, we also tackle the first objective, by proposing a theoretical framework that enables us to capture a more nuanced context within which internationalization in Russia is taking place. Our framework distinguishes between three separate dimensions: pragmatic, cultural and political. This framework is most suitable for education spaces in which openness to global forces is fluid and at times ambiguous. We will begin the chapter with a brief historical account of the factors shaping internationalization across different epochs—tsarist Russia, during the Soviet era and after the collapse of the USSR. We then will illustrate our proposed theoretical framework both quantitatively—using a descriptive analysis of the data from two waves of the World Values Survey—and qualitatively, showcasing the examples of two elite private schools in Moscow.
