Client: MGIMO Russian Schools Abroad

Role: Research Team Lead

Project type: Exploratory qualitative research

Focus: Russian-speaking migrant families, international secondary education, transnational schooling decisions

Methods: AJTBD product research methodology, in-depth interviews

Outcome: Segmentation, product development, communication and marketing strategies

Overview

Russian-speaking families living abroad face a complex decision: whether and how to preserve access to the Russian education system while integrating into local educational environments. This includes choices between local schools, online programs, hybrid formats, and alternative pathways to obtaining a Russian school certificate.

At the same time, education providers lack a clear understanding of how these families make decisions, what drives their choices, and how different formats (online, hybrid, external schooling) are perceived in terms of value.

My role

As a Research Team Lead (team of 10), I was responsible for both the design and execution of the study:

• Led the project, ensuring alignment between research goals, methodology, and business context
• Adapted the AJTBD interview framework to the specifics of the “Russian Schools Abroad”
• Recruited and communicated with respondents, conducting part of the interviews
• Coordinated and mentored the research team
• Facilitated team sessions on segmentation and insight synthesis
• Led team sessions to translate research findings into communication strategies

Research goal

To identify and structure the underlying decision-making logic, motivations, and value perceptions of migrant families choosing Russian education abroad, and to segment users based on their educational “jobs” and strategies to improve marketing communication.

Method