According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Russia is the most educated country in the world, overtaking Canada, Japan, Israel and the United States. More than half of Russians have higher education. More than 270,000 people from 168 countries of the world come to study at Russian universities annually. Education in Russia has many advantages, here are just a few of them:
The fundamental nature of university education
In Russia, you can get deep, fundamental knowledge in all areas, including training in pharmacovigilance, but most of all the country is known for its strong scientific schools in the field of physics, mathematics and natural sciences. Russia is a recognized world leader in the training of mathematicians, physicists, chemists, geologists, engineers, programmers, doctors and specialists in other natural sciences. This is confirmed by the positions of Russian universities in international rankings (see the section «Russian universities in world rankings»).
Large selection of universities and educational programs
Foreign applicants in Russia are waiting for: 741 universities in 82 regions of the country — from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok; More than 400 areas of training — from mathematics and natural sciences to training in pharmacovigilance; More than 650 specialties in bachelor’s, master’s, specialist’s, postgraduate programs (residency, postgraduate studies), internship assistants. Russian universities also offer pre-university preparatory programs (preparation for bachelor’s, specialty and master’s programs), short programs (summer university, semester in Russia, summer schools), programs for studying Russian as a foreign language, programs for professional retraining and advanced training.
The optimal ratio of price and quality of education
Education on a contract basis in Russian universities is much cheaper than in universities in the USA, Canada and Great Britain, and in terms of the level of training, the leading universities in Russia are worthy of competing with Western educational organizations. Pharmacovigilance training and pharmacovigilance reporting capabilities in this option have an excellent price / quality ratio. In 2020, the cost of studying in Russian universities on full-time bachelor’s programs started at 83 thousand rubles per year ($ 1186), depending on the specialty (according to the standard established by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation). The maximum cost indicator in the most prestigious metropolitan universities of the country reached 586,000 rubles a year (8371 dollars) according to the rating agency «Expert» 1. If you choose universities that are not located in Moscow or St. Petersburg, tuition and accommodation will be cheaper — the price level in the regions is noticeably lower than in the capital. (Detailed information on tuition fees can be found on university websites).
Ability to study on a budget basis
Russia is one of the few countries that provide foreigners with the opportunity to study free of charge. Pharmacovigilance training and pharmacovigilance reporting is not yet available in this option. Every year, the Russian government allocates several thousand budget-funded places in Russian universities for foreign citizens (in 2020, 15,000 places were allocated). In addition, some categories of foreigners, including compatriots, can apply to budget-funded places outside the quotas on an equal basis with Russians. Another opportunity is to take part in university olympiads, the winners and prize-winners of which are provided with privileges for admission to leading Russian universities.
Possibility to study Russian
Russian is spoken by about 260 million inhabitants of the planet, about 10.5 million foreigners are constantly studying Russian. Russian universities offer various programs for the study of the Russian language — courses, summer schools, and distance learning. For foreigners, within the framework of the preparatory department, a one-year course of training in the Russian language is provided, for students admitted under quotas (state scholarships), it is free.