Russian Universities to Conduct Online Classes for 1st Year Medical Students in India till International Travel Resumes

• Standard of Higher education in Russia is considered to be one of the most advanced and sophisticated. 
• Cost of higher education is relatively cheaper because it is highly subsidized by the Government of the Russian Federation. 

Chennai, August 21, 2020: Russian Universities are all set to conduct online classes for students in India who enroll in their undergraduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) programs in the 2020 academic year. The online classes are scheduled to start from September / October this year and may continue throughout the first year, owing to the international travel restrictions during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, announced the officials of the leading Russian universities, today, while addressing a virtual press meet.

(L to R)   Gennadii A. Rogalev, Director - Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Chennai; Oleg N. Avdeev, Consul General - Russian Federation in Chennai, South India

The press meet was organised by the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, Chennai. The officials who participated in the press meet were Mr. Oleg N. Avdeev, Consul General - Russian Federation in Chennai, South India, Mr. Gennadii A. Rogalev, Director - Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Chennai, Ms. Natalia Alshuk, Vice-Chancellor for International Students Program and International Relations, Volgograd State Medical University, Dr. Timur Akhmetov, MD. Ph.D., Vice Dean of Foreign Students Education, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Mr. Sergei Titov, Administrator of the "General Medicine" International Educational Program, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia, and Mr. Ravichandran. C, Managing Director, Study Abroad Educational Consultants - the authorized Indian Representative for Russian Universities, Chennai. 

They informed that to join the UG/PG programs, students should have a minimum of 50% marks in the relevant core subjects/degrees, which in the case of SC/ST and OBC students, is 40%. Tamil medium students are also eligible to apply. Also, there are no pre-qualifying exams like CET, IELTS, etc. for admissions to universities in Russia. 

Russian Medical Universities offer an M.D. degree, which is equivalent to M.B.B.S in India. The duration of the UG medical program is six years in English Medium and seven years in Russian Medium (including one-year intense preparatory program). There are over 100 government medical universities in Russia, which are recognised by the Medical Council of India and listed in the Directory of Medical schools of WHO. 

Based on the University and the place of study, the fee structure differs anywhere from US$ 2500 to US$ 4000 per year in the case of Russian Medium instruction - and about US$ 3500 to US$ 6000 per year in the case of instruction in English Medium. 

Study Abroad in association with the Russian Center of Science and Culture is also organizing a series of webinars throughout this month for the students to interact with the university officials and obtain first hand information about admission procedures and other required details.

Talking about the Russian medical education, Mr. Ravi Chandran, MD, Study Abroad, said that Russian medical education is a boon for the Indian students, who aspire to get prestigious, globally-recognized and affordable medical education. Currently, there are about 15,000 Indian students studying at medical, and various other institutions in Russia. As almost all the medical students return to their motherland to practise medicine, it increases the pool of talented doctors in India, where the doctors to population ratio is at 1:1800, as against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) minimum recommended ratio of 1:1000. 

He added that the standard of Higher education in Russia is considered to be one of the most advanced and sophisticated. However, the cost of higher education is relatively cheaper because it is highly subsidized by the Government of the Russian Federation. The seats for the Indian students to study English medium, has been increased from 3000 to 5000 during the last academic year. 

The Russian universities that admit Indian students for the medical courses are: Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd; National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow; Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok; Kazan State Medical University, Kazan; Kursk State Medical University, Kursk; Stavropol State Medical University, Stavropol; I.M Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (M1), Moscow; Pirogov Russian National Research Medial University (M2), Moscow, and Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk. 

The universities have already started admitting Indian students for the UG and PG programs in medicine and engineering. Though NEET eligibility is mandatory for the Indian students to pursue a medical course within or outside the country, the students need not produce the NEET certificate at the time of enrollment. It is enough if they can submit the eligibility certificate after NEET result – at the end of September. 

Registration and further details are available through www.studyabroadedu.com / 92822 21221. 

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