The InteRussia team announces a call for applications to join the InteRussia fellowship programme for historians specializing in Oriental Studies from post-Soviet countries, the Middle East, and North Africa. The programme will be hosted by the Institute of Oriental Studies.
The InteRussia programme offers young international scholars in the field of Oriental Studies an opportunity to immerse themselves in Russia’s research environment. As part of the fellowship, participants will visit museums and historical sites, take part in expert sessions at leading universities and analytical centers, and exchange professional experience with colleagues from different countries. Upon completion of the programme, participants will prepare a research project of 15,000–25,000 characters (including spaces) in English, based on an individual research plan.
The fellowship will take place from March 23 to April 18, 2026.
Location: Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Working languages: English.
Who can apply?
The fellowship is open to young historians specializing in Oriental Studies who meet the following requirements:
How to Apply?
To participate in the competitive selection process, applicants must:
The selection criteria include:
Fellowship Terms
The organizers provide:
Participants cover the following expenses:
The deadline for submitting applications is February 10, 23:59 (Moscow time).
All applicants will be informed of the selection results by email. If you have any questions, please contact: info@interussia.com.
More information on the application process is available on the InteRussia website.
The InteRussia Fellowship in Oriental Studies is implemented by Mezhdunarodniki Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation in cooperation with the Gorchakov Fund and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences with grant support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.
The InteRussia programme offers young international scholars in the field of Oriental Studies an opportunity to immerse themselves in Russia’s research environment. As part of the fellowship, participants will visit museums and historical sites, take part in expert sessions at leading universities and analytical centers, and exchange professional experience with colleagues from different countries. Upon completion of the programme, participants will prepare a research project of 15,000–25,000 characters (including spaces) in English, based on an individual research plan.
The fellowship will take place from March 23 to April 18, 2026.
Location: Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Working languages: English.
Who can apply?
The fellowship is open to young historians specializing in Oriental Studies who meet the following requirements:
- citizenship of one of the post-Soviet, Middle Eastern, or North African countries;
- residence outside of the Russian Federation;
- no academic or employment affiliation with Russian educational institutions or employers at the time of application (candidates must not be enrolled in Russian educational institutions or employed by Russian organizations);
- age between 25 and 40;
- proficiency in English (a minimum of B2 level);
- academic status: a Candidate of Sciences/PhD degree, or at least three years of professional experience in a research institution or analytical center, or current enrollment in a doctoral (PhD) programme;
- research proposal – submission of an individual project in a chosen field of study.
How to Apply?
To participate in the competitive selection process, applicants must:
- Register on the English-language version of the Gorchakov Fund website. If you did not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam folder.
- Go to the “My Projects” section, click “Create Application,” select the “InteRussia Oriental Studies 2026” competition, and confirm your choice.
- Fill out all required sections of the application form.
- Attach a link to your portfolio.
- Submit the application by clicking the “Submit Application” button in the “Apply” section and wait until the status changes from “Preparing” to “Submitted.”
The selection criteria include:
- the applicant’s academic level, relevance of their area of expertise to the program, depth of the research proposal, and feasibility of the proposed research plan;
- academic publications;
- submitted letters of recommendation (2–3);
- additional research and professional activities of the applicant, including participation in conferences, research grants and research fellowships, expert publications, and commentaries in media publications;
- the results of the interview (held online).
Fellowship Terms
The organizers provide:
- travel from the participant’s place of residence to Moscow and back, as well as travel to and from St. Petersburg as part of the programme;
- accommodation in double rooms at a hotel;
- a scholarship of 30,000 rubles for the duration of the programme.
Participants cover the following expenses:
- medical insurance;
- visa application fee;
- meals during the fellowship period.
The deadline for submitting applications is February 10, 23:59 (Moscow time).
All applicants will be informed of the selection results by email. If you have any questions, please contact: info@interussia.com.
More information on the application process is available on the InteRussia website.
The InteRussia Fellowship in Oriental Studies is implemented by Mezhdunarodniki Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation in cooperation with the Gorchakov Fund and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences with grant support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.
