Russian-Mongolian-Chinese Cooperation in Higher Education: Key Trends and Prospects

The article examines the main areas of cooperation between Russia, Mongolia, and China in the field of higher education. The study is conducted within the framework of sociological analysis of the cross-border educational space of Inner Asia, where the academic, cultural, and geopolitical interests of the three countries intersect. The main purpose of the article is to identify current trends in Russian-Mongolian-Chinese cooperation in the context of the educational migration of Mongolian youth toward Russia and China. The empirical basis of the study includes official international and national statistics, secondary sociological analysis of public opinion surveys, as well as materials from expert and semi-structured interviews. The article shows that Russia and China are significant but distinct destinations for educational migration from Mongolia. It concludes that an asymmetric educational space is emerging in Inner Asia, whose further development is associated with the strengthening of inter-university ties, academic recognition, and multilateral partnership.