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Russia · Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD & Postdoc · Funded

Association of Global UniversitiesGovernment of Russia · Open Doors

Open Door Russian Scholarship 2027 in Russia (Funded)

The Open Door Russian Scholarship 2027 — formally the Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project — is an international competition that offers tuition-free study at leading Russian universities for Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD and Postdoctoral tracks. There is no application fee, no IELTS requirement and no entrance examination: winners are chosen on their portfolio and online tasks, with interviews for doctoral and postdoctoral candidates. Registration closes on 1 November 2026, and the prize is a place under the Russian Government education quota, with tuition paid from the federal budget.

Deadline 1 Nov 2026 · 7 days left Open Updated 16 Oct 2026 By Association of Global Universities
Award
Full tuition for the whole degree, funded from the Russian federal budget under the Russian Government education quota. Winners whose programme is taught in Russian and who need language preparation also get a free one-year preparatory course, with their degree place held. The host university pays a monthly stipend on top — the amount varies by university and is not published centrally, so confirm it with your chosen university. Travel to Russia, accommodation, food, medical insurance and personal expenses are not covered. Postdoctoral winners do not get a degree scholarship; they are offered a research position at an organising university.
Eligible
Foreign citizens and stateless persons, including compatriots living abroad — there is no restricted list of eligible countries. Each track has an age band and a qualification rule, both measured at the registration opening date (20 August 2026): Bachelor’s, 16–23, holding or completing a qualification that permits university entry, and not already holding a Bachelor’s, Specialist or Master’s degree; Master’s, 20–33, holding or completing at least a Bachelor’s degree, and not already holding a Specialist or Master’s degree; PhD, 22–35, holding or completing a Specialist or Master’s degree, and not already holding a doctorate; Postdoctoral, 24–39, already holding a PhD, Candidate of Sciences or Doctor of Sciences degree.
How
Register on the official portal od.globaluni.ru, choose your track and one or more of the 14 subject areas, build your portfolio, and choose up to six universities in order of preference. There is no fee at any stage. The competition is run in English or Russian.
Deadline
Registration and portfolio submission close on 1 November 2026 — after that you cannot create an account, edit your personal information or add to your portfolio. The first stage continues to 13 November 2026 for participants who registered before the deadline. Bachelor’s and Master’s results are announced on 21 December 2026; PhD and Postdoctoral results on 26 February 2027.
Fine print
Do not read “fully funded” as “everything paid”: tuition is covered, but living costs are yours, and dormitory accommodation — generally inexpensive — is the usual route. Additional Russian Government grant support may be available to qualifying winners or runners-up who obtain quota admission and agree to full-time study in Russian, but it is not guaranteed to every winner. Winners may also need to complete an Education Quota application in their Open Doors account after winning.

About the scholarship

The Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project is organised by the Association of Global Universities with the support of Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and Rossotrudnichestvo. It has run since 2017 and, according to the organisers, has drawn more than 618,000 participants from over 200 countries, with more than 16,700 winners and runners-up. More than 20 leading Russian universities take part, across 14 interdisciplinary subject areas that include computer science, artificial intelligence, engineering, medicine, business, mathematics, natural sciences, economics and the humanities.

What makes Open Doors unusual is what it does not ask for. There is no application fee, no IELTS or TOEFL requirement to enter the competition, and no entrance examination at the university. Language proficiency is assessed by the admitting university at enrolment, and if your chosen programme is taught only in Russian, the funded one-year preparatory course covers the gap. Selection runs on your portfolio and on subject tasks completed online, with interviews only for the doctoral and postdoctoral tracks.

Eligibility

  • Be a foreign citizen or stateless person, including a compatriot residing abroad. There are no nationality restrictions.
  • Bachelor’s track: aged 16–23 on 20 August 2026; hold, or be due to obtain during the relevant academic year, a qualification allowing entry into higher education in your country; and not already hold a Bachelor’s, Specialist or Master’s degree.
  • Master’s track: aged 20–33 on 20 August 2026; hold, or be due to obtain, a qualification equivalent to at least a Bachelor’s degree; and not already hold a Specialist or Master’s degree.
  • PhD track: aged 22–35 on 20 August 2026; hold, or be due to obtain, a Specialist or Master’s degree; and not have completed a doctoral programme.
  • Postdoctoral track: aged 24–39 on 20 August 2026; already hold a Candidate of Sciences, Doctor of Sciences or PhD degree.
  • Consent to the processing of your personal data under Russian law, as the competition rules require.

Benefits

  • Full tuition for the entire degree, funded from the Russian federal budget under the Russian Government education quota.
  • A free one-year Russian preparatory course for winners entering Russian-taught programmes, with the degree place held.
  • A monthly stipend paid by the host university — the amount varies by institution and is not published centrally.
  • Priority when selecting an eligible degree at participating universities; winners choose up to six universities in order of preference.
  • Work while studying is permitted, with no separate work permit required.
  • For Postdoctoral winners: a research position at an organising university, working with leading scientists.

Documents to prepare

  • A motivation letter for each subject area you apply to (mandatory).
  • Proof of education — degree, transcript or grade sheet (mandatory).
  • Language certificates (IELTS/TOEFL/Russian) — optional, but they boost your portfolio score.
  • Achievement and olympiad certificates, awards, research papers and project records — optional, but they boost your score.
  • A CV and recommendation letters — optional, but they boost your score.
  • Certified translations are not needed at the first stage; they are only required later, at a Russian Embassy, Consulate or notary, once you are confirmed as a winner or runner-up.

How to apply

  1. Go to od.globaluni.ru and create your account before 1 November 2026.
  2. Select your track (Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD or Postdoctoral) and one or more subject areas.
  3. Build your portfolio: upload proof of education, a motivation letter for each subject, and any optional achievements, certificates and CV.
  4. Practise with the sample tasks for your subject area and check that your computer meets the technical requirements for the online test.
  5. Choose up to six universities in order of preference.
  6. Submit before 1 November 2026 — after this your account and portfolio are locked. PhD and Postdoctoral candidates who pass the earlier stages are then interviewed by potential supervisors or project leaders.
  7. If you win, complete the Education Quota application in your Open Doors account and upload the required documents.

FAQs

Is the Open Door Russian Scholarship fully funded?

Tuition is covered in full from the Russian federal budget, and a free Russian preparatory year is included where needed. Travel, accommodation, food, medical insurance and personal expenses are not covered, and the monthly stipend amount varies by university — so treat it as tuition-funded rather than all-expenses-paid.

Do I need IELTS to apply?

No. There is no IELTS, TOEFL or PTE requirement to enter the competition, and no entrance examination at the university. Language proficiency is confirmed or assessed by the admitting university at enrolment.

What are the age limits?

Bachelor’s 16–23, Master’s 20–33, PhD 22–35, Postdoctoral 24–39 — all measured on 20 August 2026, the registration opening date.

Can I apply for more than one subject area?

Yes. You may enter as many of the 14 subject areas as you wish, with a motivation letter for each, and you can list up to six universities in order of preference.

When are the results announced?

Bachelor’s and Master’s results on 21 December 2026; PhD and Postdoctoral results on 26 February 2027. The first stage continues to 13 November 2026, but only for participants who registered before the 1 November deadline.

Verified 25 Oct 2026: opportunitiesnexus.com/open-doors-scholarship-russia-2027/ — registration deadline 1 November 2026, tuition covered in full from the Russian federal budget, monthly stipend paid by host university (amount varies, not published centrally), no IELTS, no fee, 26 participating universities, 14 subject areas, age bands and results dates, facts verified directly from the official Open Doors website on 30 September 2026; admitstudy.com/scholarship/5120ed3d-afe8-4b80-98bf-4875b9aa05cb — registration and portfolio 20 August–1 November 2026, free tuition and free Russian preparation, travel and living costs not covered; daadscholarship.com/russia-open-doors-scholarship-2027-3-stage-application-process-explained-for-bachelors-masters-phd-and-postdoc-admissions/ — age bands 16–23 / 20–33 / 22–35 / 24–39, registration deadline 1 November 2026, first-stage results 13 November 2026, Bachelor’s/Master’s results 21 December 2026, PhD/Postdoc results 26 February 2027; daily-sun.com/bangladesh/903649/open-doors-olympiad-offers-tuition-free-study-opportunities-in-russia — press release from the Russian House in Dhaka, 1 November 2026 deadline, 618,000+ participants since 2017, 16,700+ winners, government grant benefits for Russian-taught winners subject to conditions; scholarhunter.com/open-doors-russian-scholarship-project-2026-27-100-fully-funded/2026/ — required documents table, motivation letter and proof of education mandatory, certified translations only after winning.

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