Russia boasts a long history of higher education and is home to many world-renowned universities. What sound advice can you follow when selecting a university for study in Russia? What are the characteristics of Russian universities?

I. Universities with Special Status

As a unique research and education complex, Saint Petersburg State University holds a special legal status in Russia. It is Russia’s oldest university and carries great significance for the development of Russian society. Over the past decade, Mr. Zhou graduated from Saint Petersburg State University and later pursued postgraduate studies at Moscow State University of Education. When the diplomacy lecturers at Moscow State University of Education saw his diploma from Saint Petersburg State University, they were astonished and remarked that it was an outstanding university. This demonstrates the prestige of Lomonosov Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University among Russians.

In November 2009, then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree granting Saint Petersburg State University and Lomonosov Moscow State University special status as 'unique scientific and educational systems, Russia’s oldest universities with profound significance for the development of Russian society'. These two universities are authorised to issue special official certificates bearing the state emblem of the Russian Federation.

II. National Research Universities

National Research Universities can be loosely understood as Russia’s equivalent to China’s Project 985 and Double First-Class universities. They generally have solid academic foundations, many Nobel laureates among their alumni, and receive key government support. The state expects them to achieve strong positions in major global university rankings.

In 2009 and 2010, 12 universities were awarded National Research University status. By 2015, the number had risen to 21, most of which are ranked among the world’s top 500 universities.

Most National Research Universities are elite Russian institutions, while a small number are allocated to remote regions, similar to China’s practice. On November 7, 2018, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation classified these 21 universities into three categories based on their ranking performance in recent years:

• Category 1: National Research University Higher School of Economics, ITMO University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University Moscow Power Engineering Institute, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Tomsk State University, Novosibirsk State University.
  
• Category 2: Kazan Federal University, RUDN University, Sechenov University, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tyumen State University, Ural Federal University.
  
• Category 3: Baltic Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University, Samara University, Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University, Siberian Federal University, Lobachevsky University Nizhny Novgorod, South Ural State University.
  

III. Federal Universities

Federal Universities serve as the primary higher education institutions and federal scientific and educational hubs within their respective federal districts. As of 2016, Russia had ten Federal Universities. Examples include Kazan Federal University, Ural Federal University and Far Eastern Federal University. They are generally multidisciplinary comprehensive universities. Most are leading Russian universities, though some have been formed through institutional mergers in recent years.

IV. Other Less Well-known Universities Located in Various Cities

This does not mean these universities are inferior. After all, Russia is not the most popular destination for Chinese international students, so only a small number of Chinese applicants choose these schools. We will not elaborate on them here.

In addition, many Russian universities are specialised institutions that fall outside the National Research University and Federal University categories. Examples include MGIMO University, Bauman Moscow State Technical University and Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University. There are also academies focused on professional talent training, mainly art schools such as the Repin Saint Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts.