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About the Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2025
The Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project offers international students the opportunity for early admission to a tuition-free Master’s or PhD program at one of Russia’s top universities.
The Open Doors International Olympiad is launching for the seventh year, offering a chance for students to enroll for free in Master’s or Doctoral programs. Winners of the Olympiad can study at leading Russian universities with full tuition coverage. Participants in the doctoral track will also have the opportunity to select a future research supervisor and conduct interviews with them during the Olympiad.
Education and participation in the Olympiad can be conducted in either Russian or English.
This year, there are 14 subject areas, including newly added fields. Notably, the doctoral track is now available in all 14 areas, compared to only six previously.
Foreigners from any country, as well as compatriots permanently residing abroad and stateless individuals, are eligible to participate. Applicants for the Master’s track must hold a bachelor’s or specialist’s degree or be completing their studies in 2024, while applicants for the doctoral track must have a specialist’s or master’s degree.
To participate, applicants must pass a brief test in their chosen subject area, designed to evaluate their knowledge and familiarize them with the Olympiad interface. Applicants have five attempts to pass the test. Failure to pass will disqualify them from submitting their portfolio and participating in the Olympiad.
Both the Master’s and Doctoral tracks include two online rounds. The first round involves a portfolio competition, and selected candidates will move on to the second round, which consists of proctored online tests. The Doctoral track also includes an additional interview round with potential research advisors. If the interview is successful, the participant will choose a research advisor from those who accepted them.
Available Fields of Study
This year introduces three new subject areas—Clinical Medicine & Public Health, Earth Sciences, and Education—bringing the total to 14 subject areas. Additionally, some subjects have been updated and renamed:
- Biology is now Biology & Biotechnology
- Psychology is now Neuroscience & Psychology
- Physics is now Physical Sciences
- Chemistry is now Chemistry & Materials Science
- Economics is now Economics & Econometrics
The Doctoral track is now available across all 14 subject areas. Pre-entry tests are also newly introduced this year. Registration closes on December 10, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria
- Foreigners, compatriots permanently residing abroad, and stateless persons are eligible to participate.
- Applicants for the Master’s track must hold a bachelor’s or specialist’s degree, or be completing one in 2024.
- Applicants for the Doctoral track must have a specialist’s or master’s degree.
Both tracks consist of two online rounds: a portfolio competition and a proctored Olympiad. The Doctoral track also includes an interview round with potential research advisors.
Benefits of the Scholarship
- Tuition fees will be covered by the Russian Federation.
- Participants will need to cover their travel, accommodation, insurance, and personal expenses.
How to Apply
All foreign students are currently allowed to enter Russia, but individual universities may have specific guidelines. Additionally, if you are accepted for both the Open Doors scholarship and the Rossotrudnichestvo scholarship, you will need to choose one, as receiving both is not allowed.
The deadline for applications is November 20, 2024. Be sure to review the participation rules and application details before applying. Click the link below to begin your application.
See also:
Valencia College Global Achievers Scholarship 2025/2026 for International Students: Apply Now!
Coca-Cola Scholarship 2024–25: Apply Now!
The University of Turin Scholarships 2024/25 in Italy: Apply Now!
