International olympiad · Fully online · Free to enter
The Open Doors Olympiad
Association of Leading Russian Universities (Global Universities)
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.
Season 2026/2027 — registration: August 20 – November 1, 2026
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.
3 levelsBachelor's · Master's · PhD
14 tracksper the official site
Onlineno travel needed to compete
Free entryno participation fee
The opportunity
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.
The potential prize
What could you gain?
The right to study without tuition fees at Russian universities — tuition is covered by the Government of the Russian Federation, per the official site.
Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, PhD — each level has its own track in the competition.
A monthly stipend that varies by university — there is no single figure, so don't build your plans around a specific number.
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 path
The stages — how it works
1
Portfolio assessment
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.
2
Proctored online test
Those who pass the portfolio stage take a proctored online test in their subject track — for the Bachelor's, Master's and PhD levels.
3
PhD only: interview
The PhD track has an extra stage: an interview with a potential academic supervisor at the university.
The details and dates of each stage are set officially every season — the official website is always the final reference.
Tracks
Tracks (subject areas)
These are the tracks listed on the official website at the time of writing — actual availability per level is set each season:
Applied Mathematics & Artificial IntelligenceBiology & BiotechnologyBusiness & ManagementChemistry & Materials ScienceClinical Medicine & Public HealthComputer & Data ScienceEarth & Environmental SciencesEconomics & EconometricsEducation & PsychologyEngineering & TechnologyPhysical Sciences & TechnologyPolitics & International StudiesRussian Language & CultureUrbanism & Civil Engineering
Eligibility
Who can take part?
The olympiad is designed mainly for international students (from outside Russia). Detailed eligibility rules — age, the academic level required for each track, and citizenship rules — are set in each season's regulations on the official website, so check them before you start registering.
Prepare for the test
Practice with the smart tutor
Every Open Doors track has a smart tutor (a custom GPT) prepared by Abdelrahman — a helper tool for practicing the track's questions and understanding its concepts, not a substitute for real studying and not a promise of any admission. Opens in ChatGPT in a new tab.
Applied Mathematics & Artificial IntelligenceA smart tutor that drills you with the official questions all the way to the examOpen tutor ↗
Business & ManagementDiagnoses your level, builds a plan, and trains you on the official questionsOpen tutor ↗
Biology & BiotechnologyTests you, explains, and trains you on the questions step by stepOpen tutor ↗
Clinical Medicine & Public HealthGives you a question, you answer, and it explains until you master itOpen tutor ↗
Computer & Data ScienceDiagnosis, a plan, and practice on the official questionsOpen tutor ↗
Chemistry & Materials ScienceQuestion practice and step-by-step problem solvingOpen tutor ↗
Earth & Environmental SciencesTests you and trains you regularly on the recurring question patternsOpen tutor ↗
Economics & EconometricsPractice on the official questions, with explanations of concepts and graphsOpen tutor ↗
Education & PsychologyLevel assessment, a plan, and question practiceOpen tutor ↗
Engineering & TechnologyQuestion practice and step-by-step problem solvingOpen tutor ↗
Physical Sciences & TechnologyGives you the question, explains it, and trains you on the calculationsOpen tutor ↗
Politics & International StudiesDiagnosis, a plan, and practice on the official questionsOpen tutor ↗
Russian Language & CultureQuestion practice, simple explanations, and mock examsOpen tutor ↗
Urbanism & Civil EngineeringTests you, builds you a plan, and trains you on the official questionsOpen tutor ↗
The competition itself is available in English, and study afterwards is in Russian or English depending on the university and program. If the program 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.
Next step
Registration opens August 20, 2026 — start preparing now
Follow the Telegram channel — we'll prepare the portfolio step by step before the door opens, and any official update on dates will reach you right away.
