The application for the Russian Open Door Scholarship project will open soon for applicants worldwide to pursue their bachelor’s, master’s degree, PhD, or post-doctoral degree at a leading university in Russia.

The Global Universities Association has offered the Open Door Russian Scholarship Project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, for international students interested in enrolling in a Master’s program in Russia at no cost. Applicants should participate in the online Olympiad (competition) in two rounds, including:

• First stage: Submitting a portfolio and a motivation letter, as well as completing the entrance test.
• Second stage: Completing online tasks in a proctored format for the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral tracks; making a video presentation of scientific achievements for the post-doctoral track.
• Third stage: Online interviews with potential academic supervisors for the doctoral track and with research project leaders for the post-doctoral track.
• To participate in the Open Doors Russian Scholarship Project, you need to register on the project website: od.globaluni.ru. Registration is open from September 1 to November 16, 2025.

Other program partners:

• The Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs,
• Compatriot Living Abroad and
• International Humanitarian Cooperation.

Study: in any university in Russia

Medium of instruction: based on the program

• English or
• Russian

Competition organizers:

• Higher School of Economics (HSE)
• Tomsk State University
• ITMO University
• Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
• Novosibirsk State University
• National Research Nuclear University
• National University of Science and Technology MISIS
• Ural Federal University
• Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University (LETI)
• Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University
• Peter the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU)
• Tomsk Polytechnic University
• Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University
• People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN)
• University of Tyumen
• Far Eastern Federal University
• Kazan University
• Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (UNN)
• Samara National Research University
• Siberian Federal University
• South Ural State University

Key Dates

• Registration start: September 1, 2025
• Deadline: November 16, 2025
• Portfolio filing: September 1 – November 16, 2025
• First Stage grading of portfolios: 17-27 November 2025
• First stage results in the user’s personal account: November 28, 2025
• Second Stage registration of participants: November 28 – December 1, 2025
• Completion of second stage tasks for Bachelor, Master, and PhD: December 2-15, 2025
• Post doctoral track participants – via presentation: December 14, 2025
• Second Stage Results of Bachelor, Master, and PhD: December 22, 2025
• Appeal Process  for UG, Master, and PhD: December 22-24, 2025
• Announcement of Winners and runners-up of bachelor’s and master’s: December 30, 2025
• Third stage (for phD and postdoc: January 12- February 26, 2026
• Third round result: February 27, 2026

Subjects/areas of study:

• Biology
• Computer and Data Science
• Mathematics & Artificial Intelligence
• Business & management
• Politics & International Studies
• Psychology
• Physics
• Linguistics & Modern Languages
• Chemistry
• Economics
• Engineering & Technology

Scholarship benefits:

• Free early admission
• No Entrance Examination
• Tuition fee exemption
• A monthly stipend – varies according to the university

Note: the Russian Federation does not cover Travel, accommodation, insurance, and personal expenses.

The Olympiad is held in Russian and English.

Remote admission: all you need is a computer, internet access, and your knowledge.

Who can apply?

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants holding a high school, bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, or a specialist degree from any university worldwide except Russia can apply to this program.
• Foreign citizens and stateless persons, including compatriots living abroad, are eligible to participate in the Olympiad depending on the track:
• For the Postdoctoral track, individuals under the age of 39 who hold a Candidate of Sciences, Doctor of Sciences, or PhD degree as of the start date of the Olympiad registration.

How to apply?

Applicants should read the rules and apply online before November 16, 2025

Required documents:

• Academic Transcript
• Academic diploma
• Motivation letter: includes
  • Research interests
  • Personal goals
  • professional achievements
  • Reasons for choosing a specific Olympiad subject
  • Reasons for studying in Russia
• notarized translation in Russian or English

Supporting documents: 

• Work experience
• Report conference
• Online Study courses related to the subject area
• Patent for an Invention/Scientific Discovery
• Published Book/Textbook
• Other publications related to the field
• Awards for participation in competitions
• Participation in projects
• Other awards and certificates

Apply Now

Similar opportunities

• MBS, MU Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Scholarships for International Students in New Zealand
• OCIS Master’s and PhD Scholarships for Students from Islamic Countries at the University of Oxford
• Women Scholarship Endowment (WSE) Scholarships at Afghanistan’s Public and Private universities.

For more details, please visit the Open Door Scholarship Website.

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