Russian education as a soft power: educational strategies of Mongolian students

On the base of a sociological study conducted among students of border universities in such regions as the Republic of Buryatia, the Republic of Tyva, the Irkutsk Region, the authors describe the perception of the Russian education system and the image of Russia as a whole by Mongolian students. Trying to understand the motives for choosing an educational vector by Mongolian students, the authors draw conclusions about the possibility of using the potential of the attractiveness of Russian education to build and strengthen long-term partnerships with Mongolia. The authors describe the difficulties faced by students from Mongolia, talk about the most popular Russian universities and areas of study, and reveal the educational strategies of Mongolian students.