For a long time, Tomsk was closed to foreigners due to its R&D activities. Today, although most of the students are from East and Southeast Asia, it hosts international students, which make up 15% of the total student population. Tomsk State University is a cheap, compact, super safe university city, better known as the Russian Oxford. Tomsk describes itself as a student “capital” rather than a student city. One in four people living in the city is either a student or a university employee. The Russian government is making serious investments in the city and the university. The university, which meets all the needs of the students, offers a wide range of services with its gyms, conference halls and swimming pool.