Russia has proposed eliminating state-funded places for international students.

A proposal has been put forward in Russia to eliminate state-funded places for international students. The initiative, proposed by LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky, calls for all international students at Russian universities to be fully fee-paying. Slutsky argues that state universities are funded by Russian taxpayers, and therefore, state-funded places and dormitory accommodation should be available exclusively to Russian citizens. He described the deprivation of benefits for foreigners not as discrimination, but as "fairness."

These changes could directly impact citizens of Uzbekistan, for whom Russia remains the most popular destination for education abroad.

According to statistics, 3,964 Uzbek citizens went abroad to study in the first two months of this year. Of these, a quarter, or 989, chose Russian universities. Although the overall number of Uzbek students departing for study decreased by approximately 1,200 compared to the same period last year, Russia remains the leading destination by a significant margin.

By comparison, South Korea ranked second in popularity (679 students), and Kyrgyzstan third (639). Turkey (300 students), Tajikistan (276 students), and China (252 students) also made the list. Another 829 Uzbek students went to study abroad.

In the first six months of this year, more than 21,000 foreign citizens arrived in Uzbekistan to study. Compared to the same period last year, the influx of international students increased 2.2-fold.