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Find opportunities that are right for you to continue your education outside your home country.
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© 2025 Freedom Degree
Freedom Degree, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. © 2025 | Powered by Strapi
Nov 01, 2026
Together with the media outlet Groza, we present six programmes accepting applications between November and January — from studying professional ethics in Germany and Poland to an academic exchange in the United States. All offer free participation.
The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne invites students to join research laboratories and work alongside experienced scientists. The programme is open to students studying:
• Biology and molecular biology;
• Bioengineering and biotechnology;
• Bioinformatics and quantitative biology;
• Biophysics and biochemistry;
• Genetics and neurology;
• Immunology and cancer research;
• Computational biology.
Participants will attend scientific seminars, workshops and professional development activities. The organisers also offer assistance with the visa application process. The programme’s working language is English.
What it offers: laboratory research experience and an opportunity to obtain references for applications to master’s or PhD programmes.
When: eight weeks, from 5 July to 27 August 2027.
Where: Lausanne, Switzerland. Some research laboratories are based in Geneva.
Who can apply: students in the third or fourth year of a bachelor’s degree or the first year of a master’s degree in biology, chemistry, bioengineering, genetics or other relevant disciplines. Applicants must also have a strong academic record — a GPA of 3.75–4.
How to apply: complete the application form and attach an academic transcript listing your university courses and grades; two short essays, one about your achievements and experience and another about your interest in the selected laboratories; and a reference letter from a lecturer or researcher, including their contact details. An English-language certificate is not required: language proficiency may be assessed during a Zoom call. You may translate your transcript into English yourself, provided you attach the original. The application will also ask how you used AI in preparing it.
Cost: free. Students receive a stipend of CHF 3,600 to cover living expenses, leaving approximately CHF 1,700 after accommodation costs. Travel expenses are also reimbursed after the programme ends.
Deadline: 15 November 2026.
The Foundation for the Furtherance of Swedish–Russian Relations offers scholarship holders an opportunity to visit Sweden and learn about Swedish institutions and achievements in political science, law, economics, public administration, arts and culture. Applicants should have an interest in one of these fields.
During the programme, scholarship holders will engage with Swedish public authorities, universities, businesses and individuals to develop professional connections in the country.
At the end of their stay, participants must submit a written report to the Foundation’s Board.
What it offers: three months in Sweden to pursue your own project with funding from the Foundation, and professional contacts in Swedish public authorities, universities and companies.
When: any three months during 2027.
Where: Sweden.
Who can apply: Russian citizens aged 20–35 who are pursuing or have obtained an academic degree. Students living in Russia are not eligible.
How to apply: send an application in English as a PDF to michael.sohlman@gmail.com and malin.nasiell@gmail.com. Include your contact details, a motivation letter, a preliminary study or research plan, and a biography or CV with references. The motivation letter must not exceed 200 words, the plan one page, and the CV two pages. The application must also include your name in Russian and English, date of birth, passport number, home address and a photograph. Send it to both email addresses.
Cost: free. Participants receive a scholarship of SEK 50,000, which can be used for accommodation, insurance and living expenses. Scholarship holders must have an account with a non-Russian bank.
Deadline: 15 November 2026. Scholarship recipients will be announced on 15 January.
Students at Russian universities can spend a summer semester at a university in the United States to learn about the American academic system. Participants will volunteer, take part in various activities and visit a US national park.
Participants cannot choose their host university; this decision is made by the organisers. During the summer semester, participants will study full-time and earn 6–9 credits, usually equivalent to two or three courses. SPARK students will take one American studies course, such as US history, African American literature or US government, to learn more about American society. Students can choose their other subjects and electives according to their field of study.
What it offers: an introduction to the American academic system, an opportunity to improve your English and international connections.
When: summer 2027.
Where: colleges and universities in the United States.
Who can apply: students in years one to three of a bachelor’s degree or years one to four of a specialist degree, aged 18–21. More precisely, applicants must have been born between 1 August 2005 and 15 April 2009; for students with disabilities, the earliest eligible date of birth is 1 August 2004. Participants must have at least one year of study remaining after the programme.
How to apply: submit an application. Attach copies of your academic transcript, CV, essay, short video essay and international passport. If you do not have an international passport, you can submit a copy of your domestic passport and apply for an international one. After the first selection stage, applicants must attend an interview and then take an English-language test.
An English-language certificate is not required: the organisers will assess language proficiency themselves in February, at the semi-final stage. Essays and videos must not be prepared using AI; applications containing generated content will not be considered. The video must last one to two minutes, and you must be on camera speaking throughout, without a voice-over. Complete the application in English and attach a translation of your transcript prepared by your university or a translation agency; notarisation is not required. You must obtain an international passport by 31 January 2027 or you may be removed from the competition.
Cost: free. The programme covers tuition, visa fees, flights, accommodation and meals, medical insurance and a book allowance. A monthly stipend is also provided.
Deadline: 20 November 2026.
Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) invites applications for intensive programmes in Germany and Poland. In 2027, the charity is running two-week ethics programmes in business, law, journalism, medicine, design and technology, and seminary and religion.
According to the organisers, participants will examine the roles of different professionals under the Nazi regime and discuss professional ethics in a contemporary context. Participants will attend daily seminars at historically significant sites relevant to their professions.
What it offers: an opportunity to explore ethical issues in your profession with peers from different countries and join FASPE’s alumni community of almost 1,100 people.
When: the law, business, and design and technology programmes run from 28 May to 11 June 2027.
The journalism, seminary and medical programmes run from 18 June to 2 July 2027.
Where: Germany and Poland.
Who can apply: young people preparing for a career or in its early stages, with no more than ten years of professional experience overall. Required stages of study vary by programme. For example, the journalism programme welcomes master’s students with journalism experience and working journalists; the law programme is for law graduates with no more than six years of work experience; and the medical programme accepts medical students who will have completed at least one year of clinical practice by the start of the programme, as well as residents.
How to apply: apply to one of the programmes and attach a CV, university transcripts, a short essay and two reference letters.
All classes are in English, so fluent spoken and written English is required; German and Polish are not needed. Participants arrange their own visas; FASPE provides only supporting documents for the visa application. After the programme, each participant prepares a final paper on ethics in their profession.
Cost: free. The programme fully covers participation and travel.
Deadline: 3 January 2027.
Vienna BioCenter, one of the leading research clusters in the life sciences, invites biology students to carry out research alongside experienced scientists. Each participant will be assigned a faculty member with whom they will work closely.
With support from laboratory staff, participants will conduct experiments, analyse data and contribute their own ideas to the project. In addition to practical laboratory work, scholarship holders will attend laboratory meetings, journal clubs and other activities.
The programme is open to students studying:
• Anthropogenic evolution;
• Biochemistry and biophysics;
• Cell and chromosome biology;
• Cognitive and behavioural biology;
• Computational biology, genomes and evolution;
• Disease mechanisms, immunology and pathogens;
• Crop science;
• Neuroscience;
The full list of laboratories will be published with the programme’s application form on 15 November.
What it offers: experience of working in a research laboratory under an experienced scientist, and an opportunity to obtain a reference from them for a master’s or PhD application.
When: 1 July–31 August 2027.
Where: Vienna, Austria.
Who can apply: third- or fourth-year bachelor’s students or first-year master’s students in the biological sciences with a good command of English. Good grades and at least three months of research experience are required.
How to apply: complete the online application and describe your academic experience.
Cost: free. Participants receive free student accommodation, a stipend of EUR 1,400 after tax for the full nine weeks, and reimbursement of travel expenses to and from Vienna. Students also receive medical insurance and an unlimited public transport pass for the city.
Deadline: 11 January 2027.
The Aalto University Science Institute is looking for more than 50 students to take part in research projects with the university’s leading research groups. Last year, students were offered opportunities to work with researchers in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, physics and computer science.
The organisers offer help finding affordable student accommodation, cultural and sporting activities, and an introductory course about Finland.
All available research projects will be published on the programme’s website in mid-December.
What it offers: paid research experience in a university laboratory: participants are employed as full-time research assistants.
When: 12 weeks between June and August 2027. Exact dates depend on the chosen research project.
Where: Espoo, a suburb of Helsinki, Finland.
Who can apply: bachelor’s and master’s students or graduates. Graduates are eligible only if they completed their studies at the end of 2026.
Unfortunately, students who will return to Russian or Belarusian universities after the programme cannot participate. Students with Russian or Belarusian citizenship may nevertheless apply.
How to apply: the application form will be published on the project’s website on 7 January. Attach a motivation letter, CV, official university transcript, a reference letter from a professor or research supervisor, and English-language test results. The organisers have prepared tips for completing the application.
Deadline: 31 January 2027.