Schools and universities woo Russia

PRIVATE schools and universities across London and the South-East have launched an unprecedented bid to attract the children of wealthy Russians.

'We are recognising the vast spending power there is now in Moscow - and it's growing each year,' said one senior admissions tutor at the UK's biggest-ever recruitment drive in Russia.

'When I last came here 15 years ago, there were bread queues. Now the Russians are queueing to come to British schools and universities - and they don't blink at the fees. It's a reflection of the stunning economic changes here and for us it's good business.'

Some 75 British educational institutions attracted thousands of would-be students to the two-day recruitment in a hall across Moscow River from oniondomed St Basil's Cathedral. Some schools were even holding on-the-spot interviews to assess the aptitude of young Igors and Olgas.

Boarding schools such as King Edward's, Witley, stressed to parents their convenience to Heathrow and Gatwick airports and their success in educating foreign students over many years. The same ploy was used by Surrey University at Guildford.

'I need a school for my son and daughter near London, and a place that can guarantee their security,' confided one father, who gave his name only as Alexei.

'I have been quoted fees of about £20,000 a year. I am a New Russia businessman and, for me, this will not be a problem.'

The institutions deny they have turned to Moscow after falling on hard times, emphasising that they cannot turn a blind eye to a market that is second only to Germany in Europe.

'You can't ignore 4.5% growth in Russia,' says Dr Gwyn Brown, dean of international students at Surrey University. 'The Russian psychology is that you have to come back two or three times to build up a level of trust.'

Sarah Elam, marketing manager for Bedford School, says: 'Parents here tend to be quite serious. They are not timewasters. They are serious about coming to the UK. Today has been really good for us. We had a steady stream of interested parents with their kids.'

University College, London, in contrast, was attracting major interest from students seeking masters' degrees.'The number of Russians has been rising quite dramatically in the last five years,' said one UCL representative.

Other universities stressed they were inundated with requests for information about business studies. Exhibition organiser Paul Norton, of the British Council, says Russian students are now bringing in some £70m a year to the British taxpayer.

Private school recruitment from the ex-Soviet Union is rising fast, while a trebling in Russians coming to study in higher education is expected by 2005.

Norton dismissed notions that some Russian cash is not clean. 'It's legal money,' he said. 'It's people who are running their own businesses, or they are in senior positions with Russian or multinational companies. I am sure that, particularly a few years ago, in among all that was the mafia. We are aware of that. But it's very much the minority.'

The vast majority of the parents of potential students were those who made their money through hard work, he insisted.