On November, 2008, the Minister of education and science of Russia Andrei Fursenko held a session of the Board of the Ministry on the topic "On measures on developing and modernizing Russian educational services' export and on development of Russian-national educational institutions in CIS member states". The director of the Department of international cooperation in education and science Vladislav Nichkov and deputy director of the Federal agency for education Evgeniy Butko gave their reports.

As Vladislav Nichkov stated that at present more than 120 thousand foreign citizens were studying in more than 650 institutions of higher education of Russia on a compensative (commercial) basis and at the expense of federal budget. The main contingent was citizens of CIS member states (more than 70 thousand people), countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Evgeniy Butko added that 17 975 foreign students from 150 countries were getting their education at the expense of federal budget. 75% of them had come from CIS. For citizens from Abkhazia and South Ossetia there were quotas for 70 people each this year.

The participants also touched upon the question of approving Russian documents of education, academic degrees and statuses abroad and foreign documents in Russia. By the order of the Ministry of Russia N 231 of August 22, 2005 a workgroup was established to settle the questions of preparing international agreements on approval and equivalence of documents of education, academic degrees and statuses. At present the corresponding drafts were made ready and sent for coordination to our foreign partners from Venezuela, Vietnam, India, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and other countries.

An important direction of Russian educational export is the training of foreign citizens in the branches of Russian universities opening in the neighboring and far countries. At present 37 branches, launched by 29 Russian institutions of higher education (15 state and 14 non-state, among which there are M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, I.M. Gubkin Moscow State University Of Petroleum And Gas, Moscow State University Of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, Russian New University and others) are functioning on the basis of Russian licenses to maintain educational activity in the following CIS member states: Republics of Azerbaijan, Kirgizia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine. 25 thousand people study in these branches.

The rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichiy made a suggestion about launching a special inter-departmental workgroup for development assistance and Russian educational technologies export and about elaborating a clear national strategy for this direction. According to the rector, today the activity of all existing departments, among which there were Rusintercenter and "Russian World" fund, was poorly coordinated. Besides, one of the obstacles for foreign students was way of life. Therefore, said Sadovnichiy, along with propaganda of Russian educational quality we should create normal life-conditions for all foreign students.

Andrei Fursenko supported the Moscow State University rector's suggestion about launching an inter-departmental workgroup. Proposals on its forming should be offered in two-week time. In the Minister's opinion, the new commission should include the representatives of the Ministry of foreign affairs, the Ministry of health and social development, the Russian Rectors Union, the Russian Academy Of Sciences and other authorities.