Open Doors Scholarship in Russia for International Student

The Open Door Olympiad offers young talents from all over the world unlimited opportunities for education, personal development and new academic career possibilities in Russia.

The Olympiad has been held annually since 2017. It is organized by the Global Universities Association, a consortium of leading Russian universities, and is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and Rossotrudnichestvo. Every year, more than 100,000 talented and motivated young people from many countries take part in the Olympiad.

The competition covers 14 interdisciplinary subjects, ranging from engineering and medicine to economics and linguistics, with courses for bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates. Participation in the Olympiad is free and the competitions are held online. The working languages ​​of the Olympiad are English and Russian.

Winning the Olympiad can lead to admission to a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD program through a streamlined unified process, or to securing a postdoctoral position in a research project at one of Russia’s leading universities. Over the past seven years, more than 6,000 international students have taken advantage of this opportunity.

Benefits 

• Free tuition for the chosen study program, taught in English or Russian. Students who have selected a degree program taught in Russian are entitled to a year of complimentary Russian language training;
• The opportunity to choose a university and degree program through a streamlined, one-stop system;
• An engaging student life experience and vibrant campus environment;
• Ongoing support and assistance provided at every stage of the academic journey.

Stages 

• There are two stages in the bachelor’s and master’s tracks:
• The first stage is a portfolio review and an entrance test. The second stage is a completion of Olympiad tasks.
• There are three stages in the doctoral (PhD) and postdoctoral tracks:
• The first stage for both tracks is a portfolio review and an entrance test.
• The second stage for the PhD track is a completion of Olympiad tasks; for the postdoctoral track — a video presentation of achievements in research activity.
• The third stage for the PhD track is an interview with potential research supervisors, and for the postdoctoral track — an interview with the leaders of research projects.

Eligibility

For Foreign citizens

• Bachelor’s track – a completed general secondary education;
• Master’s track – a degree of higher education, at least that of a bachelor;
• PhD track – a degree of higher education, at least that of a master’s or specialist;
• Participants of the postdoctoral track should have a PhD or a candidate/doctor of science degree.

Registration

To participate in the Open Door Olympiad, candidates must register online by clicking on the “Register” button on the Olympiad IT platform. After registration, participants will have access to their personal account.

Registration for the Open Door Participant Olympiad for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs will be open from September 5th to November 20th, 2024. Registration for the Participant Olympiad for postdoctoral programs will be open from September 16th to December 10th, 2024.

Subjects of the OpenDoors