Dynamic of school graduates migration intentions due to new COVID 19 reality (based on surveys held in Smolensk oblast)

This article presents the results of a study on the dynamics of youth migration attitudes and university choice factors, implemented by comparing data from a series of surveys of 11th grade students in the pre-coronavirus year 2019 and subsequent pandemic years 2020 and 2021. A survey method was used, implemented in a repeat survey mode in the same area for the same general population using the same instrument. Smolensk region is considered as a typical case study of a region whose relative geographical proximity to major Russian agglomerations with super-concentration of leading universities and higher levels of socio-economic development has led to the stability of migration attitudes of school leavers and the outfl of young people for higher education and subsequent employment in the pre-pandemic period. A progressive decrease in migration attitudes among Smolensk school leavers, who consider higher education as an opportunity to change their place of residence for further employment and self-fulfi in more promising regions with high socio-economic indicators and developed socio-cultural space, has been established. The difference in the migration plans of school leavers depending on their place of residence (regional centre, border or intraregional areas, areas with direct transport connection to the Moscow agglomeration) has been revealed. At the same time, there is no correlation between the place of their residence and their non- return/post-departure strategies from their home region.