Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027–2028 | Fully Funded Study in Russia

The Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027-2028 is a fully funded international competition run by the Association of Global Universities with support from Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education and Rossotrudnichestvo. It lets international students study Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral programmes at participating Russian universities, with tuition paid through the Russian government quota for foreign citizens.

It is open to foreign citizens and stateless persons worldwide, in many academic fields, with no participation fee and fully online entry. Winners get quota-funded tuition, a choice of university and programme, and free Russian-language preparatory study if needed. Registration closes on 1 November 2026. Read the sections below for eligibility, benefits and how to apply.

Winners of the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral tracks receive the right to study in Russia under the government education quota for foreign citizens.

Key benefits include:

• Tuition-funded study through the Russian government quota.
• Opportunity to choose a participating Russian university and eligible programme.
• Study in English or Russian, depending on the selected programme.
• Free Russian-language preparatory education for winners who need additional Russian-language training before entering a Russian-taught degree programme.
• Access to a wide range of academic fields.
• Online participation in the competition from anywhere in the world.
• No participation fee.
• Support during the admission process.

Postdoctoral winners receive an opportunity to work as researchers in research projects at participating Russian universities.

Is the Open Doors Scholarship Fully Funded?

The Open Doors competition is commonly described as a fully funded scholarship opportunity because winners of the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral tracks receive tuition-free education funded through the Russian government quota.

However, applicants should distinguish tuition funding from complete financial coverage of every study-abroad expense. The official rules specifically establish tuition funding and, where applicable, Russian-language preparatory education. They do not state that all personal living expenses are automatically covered for every winner.

Applicants should therefore make separate financial arrangements for expenses not covered under their admission and scholarship arrangements.

The Open Doors competition offers opportunities at four academic levels:

• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctoral degree (equivalent to PhD)
• Postdoctoral research

The Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral tracks provide successful participants with opportunities for tuition-free study at participating Russian universities through the government quota.

The Postdoctoral track is different: winners are offered research positions at organizing universities rather than admission to a degree programme.

The Open Doors competition covers a wide range of interdisciplinary subject areas.

The current official subject areas include:

• 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
• Urbanism and Civil Engineering

Applicants select a subject area corresponding to their intended academic or research field.

The Open Doors competition is open to foreign citizens and stateless persons, including compatriots living abroad.

The official rules do not restrict participation to a specific list of countries. Applicants from different parts of the world can participate if they satisfy the requirements of their selected track.

The official website states that participants have come from more than 200 countries over the history of the project.

Eligibility depends on the selected Open Doors track.

Bachelor's Track:

Applicants must:

• Be foreign citizens or stateless persons.
• Be between 16 and 23 years old as of the registration opening date.
• Not already hold a Bachelor's, Specialist or Master's degree.
• Hold, or be due to obtain during the relevant academic year, an educational qualification that allows admission to higher education under the applicable national legislation.

Master's Track:

Applicants must:

• Be between 20 and 33 years old as of the registration opening date.
• Not hold a Specialist or Master's degree.
• Hold, or be due to obtain during the relevant academic year, a qualification corresponding to at least a Bachelor's degree.

Doctoral Track:

Applicants must:

• Be between 22 and 35 years old as of the registration opening date.
• Not have completed a doctoral/PhD degree programme.
• Hold, or be due to obtain during the relevant academic year, a Specialist or Master's degree.

Postdoctoral Track:

Applicants must:

• Be between 24 and 39 years old as of the registration opening date.
• Hold a PhD, Candidate of Sciences or Doctor of Sciences degree.

These age and educational requirements are specified in the official 2026 Open Doors rules.

The Open Doors competition is conducted online through the official Open Doors platform.

Step 1: Choose Your Track

Select the appropriate track based on your educational level:

• Bachelor's
• Master's
• Doctoral
• Postdoctoral

Step 2: Select a Subject Area

Choose the subject area that corresponds to your intended degree or research field.

Step 3: Register Online

Create an account on the official Open Doors website and provide the required personal information.

For the 2026 competition, registration is open from August 20 to November 1, 2026.

Step 4: Prepare Your Portfolio

During the first stage, participants complete an online portfolio.

The portfolio includes:

• Entry test
• Motivation letter
• Information about relevant academic or personal achievements
• Supporting documents

Documents must be provided in Russian or English. Documents issued in another language must be accompanied by an appropriate translation.

Step 5: Complete the First Stage

The first stage is a portfolio competition.

For the 2026 competition, the first stage runs from August 20 to November 13, 2026.

Step 6: Take Part in the Second Stage

Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral participants who advance to the second stage complete subject-specific tasks under online proctoring.

Participants have 180 minutes to complete the second-stage tasks.

Postdoctoral participants instead prepare a video presentation demonstrating their research achievements.

Step 7: Complete the Third Stage if Required

Doctoral and Postdoctoral participants who advance further participate in online interviews.

Doctoral candidates can interview prospective research supervisors, while Postdoctoral candidates interview research project leaders.

Step 8: Select Your University

Winners in the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral tracks can use their Open Doors status to apply for study through the government quota.

Postdoctoral winners select an organizing university where a research project leader has agreed to employ them as a researcher.

Required Documents:

Participants should prepare the documents and information required by the Open Doors online platform.

These may include:

• Passport scan
• Academic information
• Academic achievement records
• Motivation letter
• Supporting documents for achievements
• Educational qualification documents
• Research information for Doctoral or Postdoctoral applicants
• Video presentation of research achievements for Postdoctoral applicants

The passport information entered during registration must correspond to the passport used for identification in Russia. Supporting documents issued in languages other than Russian or English require translation into the selected Open Doors participation language.

Application Deadline:

For the 2026 Open Doors competition, online registration closes on November 1, 2026.

The first-stage portfolio competition continues until November 13, 2026.

Other important dates include:

• November 13, 2026: First-stage results
• November 13–December 21, 2026: Second stage
• December 21, 2026: Second-stage results
• December 22, 2026–February 26, 2027: Third stage for Doctoral and Postdoctoral tracks
• February 26, 2027: Final results for Doctoral and Postdoctoral tracks

Applicants should complete registration before November 1 because account and portfolio changes are restricted after the registration deadline.

Competition Stages:

The number of stages depends on the selected track.

Bachelor's Track

The Bachelor's competition consists of:

1. Portfolio competition
2. Online subject-specific tasks

Master's Track

The Master's competition consists of:

1. Portfolio competition
2. Online subject-specific tasks

Doctoral Track

The Doctoral competition consists of:

1. Portfolio competition
2. Subject-specific tasks
3. Interviews with prospective research supervisors and/or Doctoral Track managers

Postdoctoral Track

The Postdoctoral competition consists of:

1. Portfolio competition
2. Video presentation of research achievements
3. Interviews with research project leaders

Participation is conducted online, and no participation fee is charged.

Participating Universities:

Open Doors winners can choose from participating Russian universities through the project's admission system, subject to the applicable track, field of study, language requirements and available programmes.

The official Open Doors website currently states that winners can access tuition-free programmes at 24 Russian universities.

For Bachelor's and Master's winners, the quota application allows applicants to list up to six higher education institutions offering their selected field or specialization, in order of preference. Doctoral and Postdoctoral selection follows separate procedures involving prospective supervisors or research project leaders.

Language of Study:

The official languages of the Open Doors competition are English and Russian.

Winners can choose eligible degree programmes taught in English or Russian.

If a winner selects a Russian-taught degree programme and requires additional Russian-language preparation, they can receive funded preparatory education before beginning the degree programme, subject to the official rules.

Important Points:

Applicants should remember:

• Open Doors is an international competition for foreign citizens and stateless persons.
• It offers Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral and Postdoctoral tracks.
• Participation is free.
• The competition is conducted online.
• Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral winners receive access to tuition-funded study through the Russian government quota.
• Postdoctoral winners are offered research positions at participating universities.
• A wide range of subject areas is available.
• English and Russian are the official competition languages.
• Russian-taught degree programmes may include funded preparatory Russian-language education when required.
• Applicants must satisfy track-specific age and education requirements.
• The 2026 registration deadline is November 1, 2026.
• Bachelor's and Master's runners-up may receive the same admission rights if quota places remain after winners confirm their places.
• Winners must complete the required procedures to exercise their admission or research-position rights.
• The competition does not charge a participation fee.
• Participants can register only once during a competition year.
• Applicants should carefully follow the official schedule and instructions in their participant account.