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Projections for the global economy frequently center on the BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. As futurists and economists alike define and re-define both formal and informal coalitions (for example, by broadening the R in BRIC to include all Eastern European economies or instead re-directing the discussion to G-8 countries or to World Trade Organization members), the education profiles of the individual nations sometimes resemble economic indicators: what is imported, what is exported, and what is the potential for expansion. Higher education, and specifically distance learning (the Clicks element of this paper), can already be charted in these terms for some nations. This paper describes the current role of distance learning in countries described as growing economies and proposes a typology for describing change as additional data become available. The paper informs readers of global developments in distance education, using the BRIC nations as examples.(Contains 3 figures, 4 tables, and 13 resources.)

Data from a comparative study of the educational, career, and migration strategies of rural school students in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan show high levels of educational aspiration. This is likely to increase the flow of population to urban areas, to increase the rate of urbanization, and to have demographic and economic consequences that will affect the way these countries develop in the future.

The development of a continuing vocational training programme at the Information Satellite Systems Joint-Stock Company (ISS JSC) during the transition from the planned Soviet economy to what is now called the Russian market economy is briefly outlined. How the collapse of a planned economy led to the degradation of engineering higher education (HE) is shown. The present system of engineering HE is criticized as a degraded relic of the Soviet one and an argument is made in favour of continuing vocational training in businesses like the ISS JSC, where the engineers are engaged in innovative activities. The schematic programme of training, retraining and improving the professional skills of the company's personnel is presented. Some work assignments of the centre for personnel management at the ISS JSC are examined, in particular the preparation of target students along the "school-HE-industry" chain. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

Powerful nations have influential systems of higher education. The article explores the possible pattern of geopolitics in the twenty-first century, and the competing prospects of America and its rivals in higher education and research. Pressures on both the American and non-American worlds are evaluated, along with relative economic strengths, and how factors such as these translate into intellectual prowess. The article suggests that peak intellectual and research achievement is dependent on cultural factors, and that America remains well positioned as an intellectual nation despite fierce competition from rivals because of unique cultural characteristics. (Contains 6 notes.)

The growth of private universities in Russia has made tuition costs an increasingly important factor in students' enrollments across institutions. So far, however, universities do not compete on price, but this strategy will need to change as the system matures and as economic and demographic changes occur. (Contains 1 note.) [This article was translated by Kim Braithwaite.]

The demographic situation in the Russian Federation is characterized by a steady process of natural population loss; it began in 1992 and coincided with the economic crisis. To a partial extent the loss was made up for by migration, and by early 2008 the number of inhabitants of Russia declined to 142 million compared to 148.6 million in early 1993. The birth rate in the country went down steadily over the span of almost the entire last century. By the mid-1960s the birth rate had already fallen to a level that was not sufficient to ensure population reproduction: the crude birth-rate coefficient stood at 2.14. The decline in the number of births in the 1960s was an echo of the Great War for the motherland. It was not until 1986 that the birth rate started to go up a bit, thanks to the implementation of the state's policy of pronatal measures. Starting in 1989 a process of birth-rate decline took place; it was of a precipitous character, and it did not slow down very much until 2000-2004, when the birth rate figures actually began to go up just a bit, as relatively large cohorts came into their childbearing age. However, 2004 marked the beginning of a decline in the number of women of reproductive age. Human potential is built up first and foremost on the basis of education and health. Studies have shown that level of employment at older ages is linked to education level. The employment of older people produces a substantial social and economic effect, because it serves to create new products, contribute to economic growth, increase family incomes, and retain social ties. Demographic changes require that all economic and social institutions adapt to the new conditions. In Russia a special role must be played by intensive development based on knowledge, because only in this way is it possible to achieve success in terms of not just numbers but also ability, to partially compensate for quantitative changes by improving human potential as a whole, through improved health, increased life expectancy, and a higher level and improved structure of education. To a very large extent, Russia's system of education is closed to older people, and society at best tends to be indifferent toward their educational needs. This article contends that aging of the Russian population and a reduction in its size require significant increases in investment in education and the development of human capital. [This article was translated by Kim Braithwaite.] (Contains 9 figures and 4 tables.)

Presents an overview of the working and social conditions for women in contemporary Russia. Massive lay-offs in industries that have traditionally employed women (chemical, machine-building, light industry) have weakened women's position in the labor market. Sexist hiring practices exacerbate this problem. Includes statistical and tabular data on employment. (MJP)

In modern conditions, human capital is the main factor of economic development. The main qualitative characteristics of human capital are formed by the system of professional education. In the Russian Federation, the system of vocational education is administered by the state. It determines the quantitative and qualitative parameters of the training system for the economy. These parameters must meet the needs of the economy in personnel. The purpose of this research is to analyze the compliance of the state policy in the field of training of highly qualified personnel with the needs of the regional economy in personnel. The article is written on the materials of the Altai territory. Based on the analysis, the priorities of the state policy in the field of training of highly qualified personnel are determined. The classification of spheres of economic activity according to the level of provision with highly qualified personnel is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic decline in Russia affects the regions in different ways, so that the problems created and the policies needed at the local level vary from place to place. There is a mutually significant and interactive link between demographic and economic factors in Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]