The Open Doors offers education, self-development, and academic career opportunities in Russia for young talented individuals around the globe. Held annually since 2017, it's organized by the Association of Global Universities, a consortium of leading Russian universities, and supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and Rossotrudnichestvo. The competition covers 14 interdisciplinary subject areas, from engineering and medicine to economics and linguistics, and is free to enter. Winning gives admission to a degree program or a post-doc research position through a streamlined process.
Key Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must meet the age and academic requirements for their chosen track:
- Bachelor's Track: Ages 16-23, without a bachelor's or specialist's/master's degree, who have completed or are completing a program qualifying them for higher education admission.
- Master's Track: Ages 20-33, without a specialist's or master's degree, who have completed or are completing at least a bachelor's degree.
- Doctoral Track: Ages 22-35, without a doctoral degree, who have completed or are completing at least a specialist's or master's degree.
- Post-Doctoral Track: Ages 24-39, who hold a doctoral (PhD or equivalent) degree.
Scholarship Benefits
Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral track winners get:
- Free tuition, taught in English or Russian, with a year of complimentary Russian language training for Russian-taught programs.
- A streamlined, one-stop system to choose a university and degree program.
- Ongoing support throughout the academic journey.
Post-doc track winners get:
- A post-doc position in a research project at a Russian university.
- The chance to work under world-renowned scientists with state-of-the-art equipment.
- Continuous support throughout their research work.
Selection Process
- Registration and portfolio submission: August 20 - November 1, 2026.
- First stage grading and results: November 2-13, 2026.
- Second stage tasks and grading (bachelor's, master's, doctoral tracks): November 17 - December 10, 2026.
- Winners announced for bachelor's and master's tracks: December 21, 2026.
- Third stage for doctoral and post-doc tracks: December 22, 2026 - February 26, 2027.
- Winners announced for doctoral and post-doc tracks: February 26, 2027.
How to Apply
Visit the Open Doors Scholarship webpage to register and apply before November 1, 2026.
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Disclaimer
Edfrica shares opportunities for informational purposes only. Results and funding outcomes are not guaranteed.
