The Russian government may fund students to attend leading foreign universities, as long as they return home to work. If the programme is given the go-ahead, the state will use loans to support high-achieving students in specific subjects so that they can study abroad and bring their expertise back to Russia in a bid to staunch a brain drain from the country. Specialisms supported by the funding will include technology, higher education management, and state and municipal administration, Russia Today online reported. “If [students] return to Russia and work in their field for at least three years, they won’t have to pay (the cash) back,” said Dmitry Peskov, director of the “Young Professionals” project at the Strategic Initiatives Agency. “But if they don’t want to return, they’ll have to pay back the loan plus interest.”
Source: Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=419528&c=1