Spatial Behavior Of Students And Their Role In Polarized Development: Comparative Studies Of Yaroslavl Oblast And Bavaria

• Published in: GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY
• Main Author: Alexandra V. Starikova
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Lomonosov Moscow State University 2019
• Subjects: educational migration; higher education institutions; early developed regions; spatial polarization; yaroslavl oblast; bavaria; Geography (General); G1-922; Kostroma; Arkhangelsk
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2019-49; https://doaj.org/article/8edf110d24fc4c2da52f83e949b30ca7

The article deals with the analysis of student educational migration and its role in origin of spatial contrasts at the territory of Russian early developed regions. In the paper ongoing processes are considered on the case of Yaroslavl oblast at the intra- and interregional levels and compared to processes abroad on the case of German federal state of Bavaria. The results are based on examination of official statistical data, surveys among students (disclosing their spatial behavior during the study and after degree completion) and expert interviews with university spokespersons. Migration bonds of Yaroslavl universities as well as space-time features of educational migration (average distances, time costs, transportation means) in Yaroslavl oblast and Bavaria are revealed. The study found that educational migration (together with other population mobility types) plays an important role in spatial polarization at the research territory due to importance of Yaroslavl as big educational centre for northern part of Non-Chernozem zone ( Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Kostroma oblasts and Komi Republic). School-leavers from small cities and countryside come to the regional capital for bachelor ’s degree completion, next they try to go to Moscow, St. Petersburg or other largest cities not only to get masters’ degree, but also in search of life conditions improvement. They want to change place of permanent residence and to have a career on perspective labor market.