The Open Doors Olympiad
An international online competition designed mainly for students outside Russia. Winners may earn the right to tuition-free study within the Russian government quota — depending on competition results, with the final decision resting with the ministry and university.
Olympiads whose winners and prize-winners may apply for the Russian Government quota — master's and school students' lists
Official files (PDF) ↗ Second list ↗This is the window to register and submit your portfolio on the olympiad platform. Don't wait for the last week — a strong portfolio takes time to prepare. The official website is always the final reference for dates.
13 days left until it closes1 November 2026International eligibility differs between tracks — details below.
International students are eligible according to the official list (the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education's 2026/27 school-students list). Admission benefits themselves vary by programme, track and admission rules.
International students are eligible according to the official list (the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education's 2026/27 Master's list). Admission benefits themselves vary by programme, track and admission rules.
Tuition covered plus a monthly stipend — all remaining living costs are the student's own.
🎯 First things first: check that you're eligible — age is a gate, not a detail.
| Track | Age as of 20 Aug 2026 | Additional condition |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 16 – 23 | You must not already hold a Bachelor's or Master's |
| Master's | 20 – 33 | You must not already hold a Master's · and you've finished (or are finishing) a Bachelor's |
| PhD | 22 – 35 | You must not already hold a PhD · and you've finished (or are finishing) a Master's |
| Post-doctoral | 24 – 39 | You must hold a PhD |
⚠️ These figures come from the currently published season regulations — regulations are updated when registration opens, so check the final version on the official rules page the moment the door opens.
📌 And a note about the official site itself: the rules page still displays the 2025 season's dates (“from 1 September to 16 November 2025”) — the correct dates are on the timetable page, and those are the ones we've used here.
+ Post-doctoral track for researchers — see the details →
What is Open Doors?
The Open Doors olympiad is an online competition organized by the Association of Leading Russian Universities (Global Universities), aimed mainly at students from outside Russia. The idea is simple: instead of applying for a scholarship the traditional way, you compete in an olympiad — and if your result is among the top, you may earn the right to study within the government quota.
Participation is free of charge and fully online — you can compete from home without any travel. Study afterwards is in Russian or English, depending on the university and program.
What could you gain?
Mind the limits of the coverage: travel, accommodation, insurance and personal expenses are on the student, per the official site. So “full funding” here means tuition — not everything.
🗓️The 2026/27 calendar
📄 Source: the olympiad's official site — checked 2 September 2026
⚠️Things to watch out for
📄 Source: the olympiad's official regulation — 2026/27 season
The stages — how it works
Your file is evaluated: motivation letter, educational documents, and achievements. This is the first filter — and a strong portfolio takes weeks, not days, to build.
Those who pass the portfolio stage take a proctored online test in their subject track — for the Bachelor's, Master's and PhD levels.
Both tracks have a third stage: the PhD track interviews potential academic supervisors and doctoral track directors, and the post-doctoral track interviews research project leaders — up to six interviews either way.
🗓️ Your door is 1 November 2026 — not the last date on the timetable. The stages after it are only reached by those who got through.
Subject areas
These are the subject areas listed on the official website at the time of writing — actual availability per level is set each season:
We've built a full section covering every detail of the competition:
Open Doors Practical Guide 2026–2027
Open Doors Practical Guide 2026–2027
A 67-page practical walkthrough of Open Doors — from registration and your Portfolio to the Entry test and stage two.
67 pagesVersion 1.0Updated 24 August 2026
⬇ Download the Practical Guide (PDF)
Who can take part?
🌍 The olympiad is for foreign nationals and stateless persons — including citizens residing abroad. 🎂 And the age limits for each track are in the table above — check it before anything else, because age is counted as of the registration opening date (20 August 2026), not the day you register and not the start of study. 🗣️ Language: the competition itself is in Russian or English (both are official languages of the olympiad), and study afterwards depends on the university and the programme.
Tap any question to open the answer ▾
💬Do I need to know Russian to take part?
No. Language of participation in the Open Doors is something you choose during registration — Russian or English — and it is the language you complete the olympiad tasks in. The language of instruction is a separate decision, made after the results are announced, and it depends on the university and programme. If the programme is in Russian, preparatory language courses are available per the official site.
💬Does winning mean confirmed admission?
No. Winning gives you the right to apply within the government quota, and the final decision rests with the ministry and the university, depending on competition results and available places. The opportunity is competitive and not guaranteed — which is normal for any real competition.
💬Does participation cost money?
Taking part in the olympiad itself is free of charge per the official site. What it costs you is preparing your file and your time getting ready.
This opportunity is competitive and not guaranteed — nobody can promise you admission. What is actually in your hands is the quality of your portfolio and your preparation for the test. And for any information here, the final reference is the olympiad's official website.
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Registration opens August 20, 2026 — start preparing now
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