Open Doors Scholarship 2026 in Russia

Overview

The Open Doors Scholarship provides international students and researchers an opportunity to win tuition-free enrollment or research employment in Russia. Administered by the Open Doors International Olympiad organisers, the programme awards winners the chance to study in master’s or postgraduate programmes or take on a researcher role on the postdoctoral track. Participants can compete in either Russian or English across 14 available subject areas.

Benefits

• Tuition-free enrollment in master’s or postgraduate programmes at a chosen Russian university.
• Employment as a researcher in suggested research projects for postdoctoral track winners.
• Opportunity for doctoral track winners to choose a research supervisor and pass an interview during the Olympiad.

Eligibility

• Open to foreign nationals from any country, compatriots permanently residing abroad, and stateless persons.
• Master’s track applicants must hold a bachelor’s or specialist’s degree, or plan to complete it in 2025 and present documents when issued.
• Doctoral track applicants must hold a specialist’s or master’s degree, or complete it in 2025.
• Postdoctoral track participants must earn their PhD or candidate/doctor of science degree no later than the registration start day (September 16).
• Applicants must successfully pass a short preliminary test in each selected subject area, with three attempts provided.

How to Apply

Registration for the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral tracks runs from September 5, 2024, to November 20, 2024. Registration for the postdoctoral track runs from September 16, 2024, to December 10, 2024. Interested candidates must complete the required preliminary short test in their selected subject areas and submit their applications through the official portal.

Deadline

The deadline for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral tracks is November 20, 2024, while the postdoctoral track registration closes on December 10, 2024.