Education in Russia is available to prospective Egyptian students. This article provides guidance on how to enrol at Russian universities.
Egyptian applicants’ interest in getting higher education in Russia is proven by statistics. According to 2016/2017 data, the number of Egyptian students reached 2,2261, a two-fold increase from the academic year 2015/2016. More than 88 percent of Egyptian nationals chose self-funded study.
Nuclear physics is one of the most popular fields as Russia and Egypt cooperate in nuclear power engineering. In 2015, the two countries signed an intergovernmental agreement; the Russian corporation Rosatom is currently building Egypt’s first nuclear power plant El Dabaa on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Future NPP personnel are trained in Russia. These programmes are offered at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Ural Federal University etc. Some Russian universities train nuclear power engineering specialists in partnership with Egyptian education centres. National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University has a double degree programme Nuclear Power Plants: Design, Operation and Engineering in collaboration with Egyptian Russian University. Students are trained in their homeland for three years and then come to Russia to solidify knowledge at TPU which has a nuclear research reactor. Graduates are awarded degrees from Tomsk Polytechnic University and Egyptian Russian University. Joint programmes in nuclear chemistry are in the pipeline.
Civil engineering, electronics, computer science and robotics are among other sought-after professions. Many Egyptian applicants prefer to study in Russian, so they enrol in the Preparatory Department before taking a degree programme.
Egypt hosts regular fairs where top domestic universities representatives promote the Russian education system and advantages of studying in Russia and provide information about admission and document requirements and available programmes. As a rule, such presentations are held at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture and Cairo and Alexandria.
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What should I start with?
If you decided to study in Russia, choose the field of study, university and programme. You can learn nearly any profession at Russian universities, from doctor to architect. When choosing the university, pay attention to its position in education rankings and read international students’ testimonials. Use our search tool for convenient search for fields of study and programmes. The description of each programme shows the tuition fee, language of instruction and supervisor’s contacts.
What language of instruction do I choose?
The opportunity to select the language of instruction is an advantage of studying in Russia. Egyptian applicants can study in Russian or English. If you wish to enrol in a Russian programme, you will have to take an examination in Russian in addition to principal subjects. The language exam is not necessary at some Russian universities such as South Ural State University which recognises the TRKI (Test of Russian as a Foreign Language) certificate. Prospective students with insufficient proficiency in Russian can enrol in the Preparatory Department. They can learn the language and prepare for entrance examinations in field-specific disciplines. As a rule, foundation programmes last a year, but shorter or longer programmes are also available. After finishing the Preparatory Department, the students have the finals, get a state certificate and can apply for degree studies.
You can also choose an English medium programme. Admission requirements differ from university to university and also depend on education level and programme. Some universities such as Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Kazan Federal University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Lobachevsky University etc hold written tests or an interview in English. Others (Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, Novosibirsk State University etc) recognise international certificates, for example TOEFL, IELTS or previous education documents which show the proficiency level (these documents are required of masters and PhD studies applicants).
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Self-funded studies
Egyptian nationals can enrol in Russian universities as self-funded students. Tuition fees in Russia are much lower than at European or American universities. Following are the reference fees in the most popular fields of study. Use the search tool to find out precise education costs.
Fees for undergraduate programmes in nuclear power engineering range from 221,800 ($3,400) to 632,580 rubles ($9,730) a year, for graduate programmes from 361,750 ($5,570) to 415,220 rubles ($6,388) a year, and for PhD programmes from 112,224 rubles ($1,730) to 413,400 rubles ($6,360) a year.
Undergraduate programmes in equipment and construction technologies: 134,430 rubles ($2,070) to 227,500 rubles ($3,500) a year; graduate programme: from 144,320 ($2,220) to 301,000 rubles ($4,630) a year; PhD programme: from 224,250 rubles ($3,450) to 305,000 rubles ($4,690) a year.
Undergraduate programmes in heat and power engineering: 134,430 rubles ($2,070) to 224,000 rubles ($3,440) a year; graduate programmes: from 139,000 ($2,140) to 301,000 rubles ($4,630) a year; PhD programmes: from 112,224 rubles ($1,730) to 325,000 rubles ($5,000) a year.
Undergraduate programmes in computer and information sciences: 120,970 rubles ($1,860) to 260,400 rubles ($4,000) a year; graduate programmes: from 109,000 ($1,680) to 325,000 rubles ($5,000) a year; PhD programmes from 148,800 rubles ($2,290) to 357,500 rubles ($5,500) a year.
Undergraduate programmes in mechanical engineering: 134,430 rubles ($2,070) to 216,000 rubles ($3,320) a year; graduate programmes: from 144,320 ($2,220) to 275,000 rubles ($4,230) a year; PhD programmes: from 112,224 rubles ($1,730) to 305,000 rubles ($4,690) a year.
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Russian government scholarships
Egyptian nationals applying for undergraduate or masters/PhD studies can enter a Russian university as scholarship students if they have good grades in the school certificate or research achievements.
You might consider the following scholarship options:
- Take part in an international Olympiad.
Every year, Russian universities hold academic competitions in various fields for international applicants. Winners are entitled to preferences, from extra points for individual achievements to admission without entrance examinations. However, most competitions require proficiency in Russian. Prospective undergraduate students can take part in Ural Federal University’s Izumrud (Emerald) Olympiad, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and National University of Science and Technology MISIS international programming Olympiad “Cognitive Technologies” and National Research Nuclear University MEPhI’s Rosatom Olympiad. Those who wish to study for a master’s degree can take part in HSE’s International Olympiad Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project.
Some competitions are held in English, such as the ITMO University online Olympaid in informatics and mathematics for prospective undergraduate/specialist students or the Higher School of Economics International Youth Olympiad in 17 fields of study. Browse our website to find out more about academic competitions.
- Win the Russian government scholarship (quota) contest.
Every year, the Russian government sets aside 15,000 scholarships for foreign nationals. Egyptian applicants got 90 scholarships in the academic year 2017/2018. The Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) selects prospective international students eligible for government-funded places. Contact Rossotrudnichestvo over scholarship quotas. It has an office in Cairo (Tahrir Str., 127, Cairo, Dokki, P.O.Box 394) and Alexandria (El-Batalsa Str., 5, Bab-Sharki).
Document requirements
After you select the programme, contact university representatives and get all information about entrance tests, you have to prepare your documents.
In initial application for bachelor’s/ masters/PhD studies or medical residency, an Egyptian national has to send to the Admissions Board a copy of school certificate or university degree, passport, a filled out application form and photos. All documents have to be translated into Russian and notarised. Legalisation/apostille is not required.
Egyptian universities graduates applying for masters, PhD or medical residency programmes have to complete the degree recognition procedure. You can consider the following options:
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Submit documents to the Main State Expert Centre for Education Estimation (Glavexpertcentre) for the procedure of recognition and equivalence assessment. You can submit your documents in person or use your personal account on the Expert Centre’s website. The second option is the easiest; also, the application can be filled out in Russian or English. This service costs 6,500 rubles ($100). Find out more:
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Apply to one of the 46 universities (see the list) authorised to handle the recognition procedure for foreign education certificates on their own.
If an Egyptian applicant got higher education at a listed university, the recognition procedure is unnecessary.
Degree from Russian university in Egypt
After graduation from a Russian university, an Egyptian national has to complete the degree recognition procedure in their homeland. This service is provided by the Supreme Council of Universities/المجلس الأعلى للجامعات). The information on the recognition of academic degree and titles is available on the organisation’s website.
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Russian visa for Egyptian nationals
Egyptian nationals who plan to get higher education in Russia need a student visa. Documents required for visa: passport and its copy, a filled out application (the application form can be downloaded from the Embassy website), photos, negative HIV-test certificate and invitation processed by a Federal Migration Service office or the Russian Interior Ministry (as a rule, the invitation is sent by the host university). Contact the offices of the Russian consulate general in Cairo, Alexandria or Hurghada over visa issues. See their addresses on the website of the Russian Embassy in Egypt.
