International academic recruitment at the leading Russian universities: current position and prospects of further development

International academic recruiting is an important area for attracting and detaining talents in modern universities as well as a perspective development direction for the Russian universities enhancing their competitiveness level. However the number of international specialists at the Russian universities is relatively small compared to the experience of universities in the developed countries and the work on systematization and understanding experience of entering academic staff international market has begun only recently. This article makes an input into the process of understanding and analysis of the current state and development perspectives of international academic recruiting in Russia. The first review part of the article briefly describes external environment challenges and trends that stimulate the academic mobility in general such as the development of international mass higher education, growing competition for the most talented and highly qualified personnel, changing structure of education and science market, appearing new global strong players, growing international competition in the field of academic research and dominating model of research university. The second part of the article describes external factors: high demand for highly qualified personnel at the international academic market combined with low supply, volatile market, unfavorable geographic position of Rus- sia compared to traditional academic centers, country specific external policy and financial risks, low level of life quality, rigid legislation, administrative and bureaucratic barriers. Internal university factors are also analyzed: inbreeding, absence of developed academic market, unfavorable position of the Russian science in several fields, self-sustainability delusions, insufficient publicity of the Russian universities, language barrier and external expertise deficit. The third part of the article offers cases based on the experience of three leading Russian Universities (NRTSU, HSE and ITMO University) of organizing international academic recruiting, their approaches, mechanisms and instruments. Particular attention is given to the development perspectives of international academic recruiting at those universities in the nearest future. HSE demonstrates a developed university recruiting model. ITMO University describes a breakthrough in that area by means of well-planned managerial solutions whereas NRTSU presents an attempt at international recruiting intensification in the context of unfavorable geographic and climate conditions. These three models have a lot in common (stages and norms) but also differ from each other (presence or absence of profile departments, level of process routine, number of decision making stages, membership in decision making bodies related to international recruiting). Each Russian university oriented towards international academic recruiting development should consider both existing Russian and international experience and specific characteristics of the region when making decision concerning their own model.