Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project is your chance for admission to a tuition-free Master’s or PhD program at one of the leading universities in Russia.
International academic competition for international prospective Master’s and PhD students Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The competition is organized by the Association of Global Universities.
ITMO University is a co-organizer of the competition and has been an active contributor to the project since its very beginning. Click here to learn more about ITMO University, and here to discover the beautiful St. Petersburg, the home of ITMO.
The competition is open to foreign citizens and stateless persons, including compatriots living abroad, having a Bachelor's degree or completing a Bachelor's degree program for the Master's track and having a Master's or Specialist's degree for the PhD track in the current year.
Registration and more info is available via the Open Doors' website, VK page, and Telegram channel.
The competition has two tracks, one for Master's and the other for PhD students. Winners of the relevant track will be able to study for free at Master's and PhD programs at ITMO University.
Click here to find out more information about the PhD Track.
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The selection process for the Master's track has two rounds:
You can submit your application (which implies registering on the competition’s website and completing a portfolio in the chosen subject area) on the official website of the competition.
program track
Please note that programs taught in English are marked in bold
27.04.07 Research-Driven Technologies and Economics of Innovations
19.04.01 Biotechnology
06.04.01 Biology
07.04.04 Urban Studies
27.04.07 Research-Driven Technologies and Economics of Innovations
program track
Please note that programs taught in English are marked in bold
19.04.01 Biotechnology
06.04.01 Biology
program track
Please note that programs taught in English are marked in bold
A subject area of the Open Doors international academic competition is a scientific or academic field you as a prospective Master’s student would like to specialize in.
Can’t decide which subject area suits you best? Apply for participation in two (three, four, ten) subject areas in one go!
The Open Doors international academic competition is held in two rounds.
The first round is a portfolio contest. It will be held from September 15 - December 23, 2023
You will need to choose a subject area (or several subject areas), register on the competition’s website and upload your achievements (diplomas, certificates, grants and publications) in each chosen subject area.
Study the list of Master’s programs available to the competition winners below, pick those you like the most, and check if you submitted a portfolio for a corresponding subject area.
The results of the first round are decided by an expert jury consisting of representatives of Russia’s leading universities. The participants with the most achievement-heavy portfolios are admitted to the second round.
The second round is a problem-solving contest. It will be held online from January 9 - February 9, 2024.
Your final result is the total of points you’ve received in the first and second rounds.
The participants with the most points after the two rounds will make it to the top-25% of the ranked list of the Open Doors international academic competition winners.
Participants who have scored a significant amount of points but still failed to make it to the top-25% can still be accepted to ITMO University’s Master’s program in a corresponding subject area without any entrance examinations if they successfully pass the interview with the head of the chosen educational program.
More than 800 Master’s places at Russia’s leading universities have been allocated to the Open Doors international academic competition winners. They will be granted free tuition for the duration of their studies. In case the chosen Master’s program is held in Russian, the winners will also receive free Russian language training as part of ITMO University’s Foundation program.