Features of the formation of the contingent of students from European countries at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba in 2020-2025: a comparative analysis

The purpose of this article is to identify the key factors and trends in the number and composition of European students at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba in the context of the transformation of the international educational space. The study covers key stages in the development of international academic mobility: the pre-pandemic period, the phase of the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent stage of adaptation and partial recovery of educational flows. It follows that the main objective of the work is a comparative analysis of the formation and transformation of the contingent of students from European countries at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba. Particular attention is paid to the influence of external constraints (epidemiological, logistical, and geopolitical) on the processes of recruitment, academic engagement, and integration of international students. The study is based on the application of comparative, statistical, and structural analysis methods, as well as the processing of the university’s internal statistical data characterizing the dynamics of the student population from European countries. The findings indicate that the dynamics of European student enrollment exhibit a wave-like pattern: relative stability in the initial period is followed by a sharp increase during the recovery phase (2022) and subsequent adjustment of indicators. A significant impact of external factors on both prospective and current students was observed, alongside a structural shift toward practice-oriented fields of study, primarily in the medical profile. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the European student contingent in a Russian university under conditions of multi-component external influence. Special emphasis is placed on identifying stable and adaptive mechanisms in the functioning of the international recruitment system during the crisis and subsequent recovery period, allowing for the tracing of change dynamics and the adaptation of the educational environment to external challenges.