About the School
The School of Asian Studies is one of Russia’s leading centers of East Asian and Middle Eastern studies. The school promotes a comprehensive approach to the study of Eastern countries, and its most important mission is to provide initial training in the fundamental principles of East Asian and Middle Eastern studies, followed by specialisation in the historical, cultural, religious, socio-economic, and political development of the traditional and modern East, as well as Russia’s interaction with Eastern countries. The school offers an intensive programme of both classical and modern Eastern languages, combining the teaching of the academic fundamentals of Eastern studies with practical skills for working with countries in East Asia and the Middle East.
Project of the School of Asian Studies
The Mediterranean Region in the Context of Political Processes in the Middle East and North Africa →
Administration
Larisa Zeltyn
Deputy Head of the School
Alexandra Sizova
Deputy Head of the School
Publications
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Book
The Russian Koreans in the 1920s and 1930s. An Ethnic Community in the Face of Soviet Power
This book offers the first comprehensive exploration of the history of Soviet Koreans (1920s-1930s), focusing into their experiences in the USSR. It examines the impact of Stalin's foreign and domestic policies on
Soviet Koreans, their role in the socio-economic development of the Far East, and their contributions to the Red Army, as well as the cultural and educational aspects of their lives. Key themes include the political repression of Soviet Koreans during Stalin’s era and their subsequent rehabilitation in the Russian Federation.Brill, 2025.
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Article
Turkish Students’ Academic Adjustment in Russian-Medium Higher Education: Academic Russian, Social Support, and Institutional Contexts
This qualitative study examines how academic Russian, institutional conditions, and social support shape the academic adjustment of Turkish undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Russian-medium degree programs in Moscow. Drawing on phenomenologically informed semi-structured interviews with 15 students at three universities, the study employs reflexive thematic analysis and develops a study-specific 4A framework (Access, Amplification, Authentication, Awareness). The findings show that dense academic Russian, bureaucratic procedures, and instructor-centered classroom norms constrain participation, while peer networks and social support infrastructures help students navigate institutional expectations and sustain academic engagement. The study contributes to international student research by highlighting how linguistic regimes, institutional structures, and social support interact in non-Anglophone higher education contexts.
Journal of International Students. 2026. Vol. 16. No. 8. P. 194-220.
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Book chapter
Russia and Turkey After 2022: Peculiarities of Bilateral Relations in Russian Academic Discourse
The new stage of the Ukrainian crisis in 2022 has significantly influenced Russian-Turkish relations, which are defined by a complex interplay of cooperation and competition. This dynamic has drawn considerable attention from Russian scholars, shaping academic discourse on the subject. This chapter explores the dominant discourses articulated by Russian experts concerning the evolution of Russian-Turkish relations since 2022. The study outlines several primary frameworks for examining Russian-Turkish relations through the lens of Russian academic discourse: Peculiarities of Russian-Turkish relations, The Black Sea Region as a Zone of Cooperation/Competition, Ideological and Value-Based Approach in Russian-Turkish Relations, The Syrian Case in Russian-Turkish Relations, Economic Cooperation in Russian-Turkish Relations.
In bk.: Shifting Power Dynamics in International Relations: From Unipolar Hegemony to Multipolarity. IGI Global Scientific Publishing, 2026. P. 321-334.
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Working paper
Extended Family Structures Exert a Causal Influence on Fertility
Research of the impact of kin alloparenting on reproduction mainly focuses on mother’s parents and parents-in-law. The impact on fertility of extended families and the alloparental help with childcare they can provide has received much less attention. Moreover, there is an important lacuna in the existing studies of this problem, as it is mostly approached through correlational studies, while the presence of a causal link remains unclear. Using an instrumental variables approach, we demonstrate that prevalence of extended family structures exert a causal influence on fertility. A one standard-deviation increase in prevalence of extended families is associated with approximately 1.07 additional children per woman. These results highlight that family structure is not only statistically significant but also demographically consequential in shaping fertility outcomes.SocArXiv. Soc. SocArXiv, 2025