Open Doors Russia Scholarship 2027

The Open Doors Russian Scholarship Project is an international academic competition organised by the Global Universities Association. The 2026 competition is being held under the auspices of Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and offers four tracks: Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral (PhD) and Postdoctoral.

The competition is conducted online, allowing international students and researchers to participate without travelling to Russia during the selection process. Successful Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral-track winners receive the right to study within the Russian Federation Government education quota, with tuition funded from the federal budget. Postdoctoral winners are offered research positions at participating universities.

Open Doors currently covers 14 broad subject areas, including Applied Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence; Biology and Biotechnology; Business and Management; Chemistry and Materials Science; Clinical Medicine and Public Health; Computer and Data Science; Earth and Environmental Sciences for Sustainability; Economics and Econometrics; Education and Psychology; Engineering and Technology; Physical Sciences and Technology; Politics and International Studies; Russian Language and Culture; and Urbanism and Civil Engineering.

The competition has different stages depending on the track. Bachelor’s and Master’s applicants complete a portfolio stage followed by an online final assessment. Doctoral applicants additionally participate in interviews with potential supervisors, while Postdoctoral applicants submit a research video presentation and may later interview with research project leaders.

Note: Although the official website promotes Open Doors as a scholarship opportunity, the standard student funding package should not automatically be presented as covering every expense. Tuition and a monthly stipend are provided, while accommodation, food, travel, insurance and personal expenses are normally the student’s responsibility unless the applicant separately qualifies for additional Russian Government grant support.

• Applicants must be foreign citizens or stateless persons, including compatriots living abroad.
• Pakistani citizens are eligible to participate.
• Bachelor’s-track applicants must be 16–23 years old as of 20 August 2026.
• Bachelor’s-track applicants must not already hold a Bachelor’s, Specialist or Master’s degree.
• Bachelor’s-track applicants must hold, or be due to obtain during the current academic year, a qualification that permits admission to higher education.
• Master’s-track applicants must be 20–33 years old as of 20 August 2026.
• Master’s-track applicants must hold, or be due to obtain, at least a Bachelor’s-level qualification.
• Master’s-track applicants must not already hold a Specialist or Master’s degree.
• Doctoral-track applicants must be 22–35 years old as of 20 August 2026.
• Doctoral applicants must hold, or be due to obtain, a Specialist or Master’s degree.
• Doctoral applicants must not have completed a doctoral/PhD programme.
• Postdoctoral-track applicants must be 24–39 years old and already hold a PhD, Candidate of Sciences or Doctor of Sciences degree.
• Applicants must select an appropriate subject area and track.
• Applicants may participate in more than one subject area, but a separate motivation letter is required for each.
• Applicants must comply with identity-verification and online-proctoring requirements where applicable.
• Each person may create only one Open Doors account during the competition year.

• Tuition-free study for Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral-track winners within the Russian Federation Government education quota.
• Monthly stipend for enrolled scholarship students; the amount varies by university.
• Priority for winners when selecting eligible degree programmes at participating universities.
• Access to participating Russian universities across a wide range of academic fields.
• Federally funded preparatory Russian-language study where additional Russian-language preparation is required.
• Guaranteed progression to the selected Russian-taught degree programme after successfully completing the preparatory programme and demonstrating the required Russian proficiency.
• Postdoctoral-track winners receive a research position at an organising university.
• Winners and runners-up receive an electronic Open Doors certificate.
• Bachelor’s and Master’s runners-up may receive the same quota rights as winners if places remain available.
• Eligible full-time Russian-language students may apply for additional Russian Government grant support.

Initial Documents

• Scanned copy of a valid passport.
• Motivation letter.
• Proof of the required education level.
• Degree certificate where already available.
• Academic transcript, grade sheet or another official document confirming education level if the final degree certificate is not yet available.
• Supporting evidence of academic, research or professional achievements where applicants wish to claim portfolio points.
• Documents supporting language ability, where available; these are optional for the competition but may contribute to the portfolio score.
• Postdoctoral applicants must provide proof of their PhD, Candidate of Sciences or Doctor of Sciences qualification.

Documents must be in English or Russian. Documents issued in another language must be accompanied by a translation into the language selected for Open Doors participation.

Documents Required After Selection

Winners and eligible runners-up must later submit the documents required for international admission through the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education system. The exact list and deadlines are provided through the participant account and email after results are published.

• Relevance and quality of achievements included in the applicant’s portfolio.
• Performance in the Open Doors entry test.
• Quality and relevance of the motivation letter.
• Portfolio scoring criteria specific to the selected subject area.
• Performance in the Second Stage online assessment for Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral participants.
• Final Second Stage ranking for Bachelor’s and Master’s applicants.
• Quality of the research-achievement video presentation for Postdoctoral applicants.
• Doctoral applicant readiness to conduct research on the proposed topic.
• Doctoral applicant suitability for admission and acceptance by a prospective research supervisor or Doctoral Track manager.
• Postdoctoral applicant ability to contribute to the chosen research project.
• Acceptance by a research project leader for Postdoctoral candidates.

For Bachelor’s and Master’s tracks, winners and runners-up are determined from ranked lists based on Second Stage results. Doctoral-track participants become winners when at least one prospective supervisor agrees to supervise them or a Doctoral Track manager recommends admission. Postdoctoral winners must receive an employment offer from a participating research project leader.

• Study tuition-free at participating Russian universities.
• Access programmes across 14 broad academic subject areas.
• Compete entirely online from your home country.
• Choose from a large network of participating universities.
• Gain international academic and research exposure.
• Access a pathway from Bachelor’s through Doctoral study.
• Pursue research opportunities through the Postdoctoral track.
• Potentially receive additional Russian Government grant support if eligible.
• Build connections with university academics and prospective doctoral supervisors.