Geopolitical tensions could close Russian branch campus

Geopolitical tensions could mean the closure at the end of this year of the only branch of a Russian university in Japan.

The branch campus of Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University, located in Hakodate city in Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, says it will not accept new enrolments for 2025 owing to financial constraints.

The Japanese branch accepted just three new students this academic year which started in April, despite gaining a reputation as a hub for providing high-quality Russian studies.

It launched in 1994 as a branch of the Far Eastern Federal University based in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East.

Yoshiyuki Watanabe, a former Russian language graduate and current chairman of the Hakodate International School Corporation that manages the Japanese campus, told University World News this week the decision to suspend enrolment was “difficult but practical”.

The current total number of students is 14, a figure far removed from the high of 80 students the university had at the time of its launch. Watanabe said the number of students enrolled in the institution has been declining since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“The sliding number of applicants can be linked to a decreased interest in Japan to study [courses] about Russia. There is a rise in anti-Russian sentiment as a result of the clashes,” Watanabe said.

Sanctions

Watanabe said the decision by the Japanese government to slap sanctions on Russia had dealt a heavy blow to the future of the campus as it impacts the ability of the Japanese branch to raise public and private funding.

Japan issued fresh sanctions on Russia in March, including freezing the assets of the country’s dozens of financial institutions and individuals considered to be directly involved in or supporting Moscow's war against Ukraine.

“We don’t want to get involved in politics. As a higher education institute our only objective is providing high quality education which the campus has won respect for,” he said.

Watanabe added that with tuition fees being a major source of funding, the institution required a base of at least 33 students for financial stability.

Subsidies from Hakodate city that started in 2001 are another important source of funding for the branch. Operating costs amount to around JPY60 million (US$374,000) annually, according to local media reports.

Hakodate city’s subsidy is around JPY30 million each year. Pledges for new subsidies are pending, with no new promises confirmed yet. But the end of subsidies will mean the university will have to close.

A role in diplomacy

The campus offers a four-year programme in Russian Regional Studies and a specialised two-year Russian language course. The university has more than 270 alumni who comprise most of the faculty and who also work as Russia specialists in Japan.

In November 2008, the school opened the Hakodate Russian Centre with the aim of promoting the Russian language and culture.

The Hokkaido Shinbun, a local newspaper, said in an article this week that the campus played a key role in contributing to diplomacy between Japan and Russia. It noted that Hakodate city historically maintained close ties with Russia – the old Russian consulate was established in 1860 and continues to be a popular sightseeing spot.

Tetsushi Kogashiwa, chairman of the Hakodate Japan-Russia Friendship Association and an alumnus of the branch university, told University World News the possible closure of the campus, which is located close to Russia, will be a blow to people interested in Russian culture.

The association stopped its activities following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.

“Japan’s relations with Russia are negatively impacted because of the ongoing Ukraine war that is being prolonged. Enrolment is affected by this because students don’t see a future in studying [courses] about Russia or the language,” he explained.

A local resident, Nobuko Kitani, was quoted in Hokkaido media expressing disappointment about the possible closure of the Japanese campus. “It’s a real shame. We need a place to learn, especially when there are big events,” he was quoted as saying.

In contrast, other Japanese universities have created fundraising campaigns to support displaced Ukrainian students in Japan whose number has reached 387 according to the Japan Students Services Organisation.

Higher education institutions have also pledged to provide as many students as possible with the opportunity to continue their education after being forced to flee their own countries.