The Discourse of Education as «Soft Power» in the Context of Geopolitical Instability

The article examines the transformation of the discourse on education as an instrument of «soft power» in response to the significant geopolitical challenges Russia has faced in recent years. Drawing on a source base that includes key works on «soft power» published between 2000 and 2025, official Russian political documents, and statistical data on the influx of international students to Russia, the authors trace the evolution of the discourse surrounding the application of «soft power» – and education as a «soft power» resource – within the Russian socio-political sphere. The development of this discourse is analyzed across three primary dimensions: the realm of academic and policy research, the sphere of normative political documents, and the field of actual practices. The concept of «soft power», introduced in the 1990s by American political scientist Joseph Nye and initially defined as the ability to achieve desired outcomes through the attractiveness of a country’s values and culture, has been expanded and somewhat redefined over the past thirty years. Higher education remains a significant soft power resource and has been actively integrated into the process of internationalization since the early 2000s. Leveraging both its advantageous geopolitical position and the extensive network of professional educational ties established during the Soviet era; Russia seeks to transform this potential into an effective mechanism for building a positive international image. In alignment with shifting geopolitical realities, the focus of Russia’s educational engagement is also changing, increasingly directed toward influencing the states of the post-Soviet space and the countries of the Global South.

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