How to get support for postgraduate study abroad. PhD Abroad

Magistracy of Moscow State University named after M. A. Sholokhov. More than 4,000 master's programs of universities in the Russian Federation. Master's degree in St. Petersburg and other Russian cities.

Moscow State University for the Humanities named after M.A. Sholokhov is the leading Russian university in the field of applied humanitarian knowledge and humanitarian technologies. The university was founded in 1951. Over the entire history of its existence, the university has trained hundreds of thousands of professionals. There are branches of Sholokhov Moscow State University in 13 cities of Russia.

MSHU

The master's program at Moscow State University named after M. A. Sholokhov trains professionals in 118 programs. At Moscow State University. MA Sholokhov has 30,000 students in 30 different specialties. Doctoral students are trained in 7 specialties, postgraduate studies work in 41 specialties. About 7,000 students enter the university every year. The Humanitarian University has 54 departments, 15 faculties, 18 branches.

There are three interuniversity centers at the university: environmental and pedagogical education, the Sholokhov center, the center distance education. As part of the Humanities University is the Institute of Information Education.

Teaching at the university is conducted by well-known doctors, professors, academicians and candidates of sciences, corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences and foreign academies. Classes at the university are conducted according to interesting modern author's programs.

For some, postgraduate study abroad is an opportunity to fully engage in science, for others it is a step in a career, for others it is a path to emigration. Whatever the motives, there are a number of factors that are recommended to be considered when choosing a graduate school.

Program specialization

The specialization of the program is not always obvious. For example, the candidate has a basic university degree in psychology but plans to major in experimental psychology.

There are hundreds of experimental psychology programs in the US, and although their names may be the same, they often have a specific, even narrower focus.

If this information is not specified anywhere, specialization can be defined as follows:

• explore the research interests of the scientific and teaching staff on the faculty website;
• find out which laboratories have access to the department;
• study the curriculum.
• At the very least, the above will give you an idea of ​​what you can expect from a training program.

Program Philosophy

Some PhD programs focus on theory and basic research methods, others on applied aspects and application of research results in practice.

This difference must be taken into account when submitting documents. If in the application documents on theoretical program you indicate that you are most interested in applied research, most likely you will be refused.

Program structure

The PhD program can be structured or unstructured. In the first case, students are first “trained” on research methods and theory, and closer to the end of their studies, they start working on a dissertation.

Structured PhD programs are more typical for American and Canadian universities. Classical unstructured doctoral programs are more common in Europe.

Here, a doctoral student is assigned from the very beginning to a certain professor and works on his research topic alone or as part of a group of researchers.

Dissertation Requirements

Postgraduate programs involve writing a qualifying work - a dissertation. It makes sense to clarify the dissertation requirements for the program of interest: should the dissertation be based on empirical data or should it be more theoretical with a multi-page literature review. The choice will depend on what is closer to your academic interests.

Other factors

The quality of postgraduate education and prices in our universities most often do not correspond to their foreign counterparts. Confirmation of this is the rating compiled by The Times newspaper. It contains a list of 200 best universities peace. And it has none national university! Therefore, more and more young professionals in search of a decent education rush abroad. What are the nuances of postgraduate study abroad? How and in what order should one act to get there? Let's consider these questions in more detail.

What is graduate school?

Postgraduate study is a system for the training of scientific personnel at higher educational institutions, following one or another stage of higher education. The result of postgraduate studies is to obtain highest qualification candidate of sciences. A graduate student carries out independent research work, the results of which he uses to write a PhD thesis. After her successful defense, he receives a Ph.D.

The principle of work of postgraduate studies

The path to defending a Ph.D. thesis is thorny and full of difficulties. In the course of training, you need to spend a lot of time in the library in search of the necessary information, do not miss classes, find solutions to various research problems and pass candidate exams. According to the method of study, postgraduate studies are:

1. Correspondence, in which training is carried out on the job.
2. Full-time with a break from production.

Benefits of graduating

In addition to the main purpose, preparation and defense of a Ph.D. thesis, postgraduate studies make it possible to carry out scientific activity and participate in conferences and symposiums, deepen their knowledge in one narrow area. In addition, this stage is mandatory if you plan to defend a doctoral dissertation in the future. It is also possible during this period to make a discovery on a global scale, having received further rewards and recognition from the scientific world community.

Features of admission to graduate school in various foreign countries

The answer to the question: “Do I need a degree? "Everyone will have their own. If you have decided that this option of continuing a scientific career is acceptable for you, and you prefer to complete it abroad, you, regardless of the country, will need to act in the following order:

• submitting an application to the university you like (you can use the Internet) and receiving a response;
• providing the embassy with a certificate of an account in national currency (each country sets its own minimum);
• passing a language course and upon completion of it, obtaining an appropriate certificate (German DSH, English IELTS or TOEFL);
• registration of a passport with the provision of a certificate of admission to a foreign postgraduate study to the OVIR;
• payment of medical insurance of the country where the training is planned (price is $ 100 per year);
• visa processing (takes about 2 months, in individual cases up to 4).

As for the choice of the country and the university itself, English and German universities are traditionally considered prestigious. Interesting options for free foreign postgraduate studies are offered to foreigners by Finland and Canada. Recently, graduate school in China has gained popularity. Let us consider the features of teaching foreign graduate students in different countries the world in more detail.

England

Here, high requirements are imposed on applicants for graduate school, regardless of whether it is an Englishman or a foreigner. The latter is recommended to pass before graduate school preparatory Course. Basically, higher education is a must. However, there are separate universities where you can enter even after college, having an impressive work experience in the relevant specialty, at least 3 years. English system education is different a high degree specializations. First you need to register for DPhil courses. After successful management scientific work level can be converted to PhD.

An indispensable condition for admission to graduate school in England is knowledge of English. His knowledge is checked by one of the following tests (you need to score at least 550 points on them): Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE), IELTS international test on knowledge of the language and TOEFL.

20 most prestigious universities England are part of the Russell Group. These universities account for about 65% of all grants allocated to science and 55% of degrees. Among the top five universities in the country:

• Cambridge
• University College London
• Imperial College London
• Oxford.

Germany

Higher education and postgraduate studies in Germany until 2005 cost foreigners inexpensively or even free of charge. Accessibility caused the illusion of permissiveness and lowered the overall level of academic performance. Since 2005, the situation has changed. The German Constitutional Court gave the right to each city to independently determine the amount of tuition fees at the university. Thus, the authorities achieved a rise in the quality and value of German higher education, improved its material base.

Eventually free education remained in Brandenburg, Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein. All other universities have become paid. For admission to a German postgraduate program, a foreign student must have a document confirming the completion of his higher education. For the best PhD students stipends are paid at state universities. The list of universities that are in the greatest demand:

• Wilhelm University of Westphalia;
• Heidelberg University named after Ruprecht and Karl;
• Institute of Technology Karlsruhe;
• Free University of Berlin.

Finland

Scandinavian countries such as Finland offer postgraduate studies to foreign specialists both at English language(requires TOEFL certificate) and in local Finnish. The latter is quite difficult to master, but there are many courses in the country where it is studied for free. In addition, the difficulties for our citizens lie in obtaining a visa, for which you need to have at least 6,000 euros on your account.

Postgraduate study in Finland is not a cheap pleasure. Even if you manage to study for free, the living itself will cost a pretty penny, and a part-time job at first without knowing Finnish is almost unrealistic. The exception is working as a programmer. Prestigious Finnish universities are:

Canada

Science in Maple Leaf Country is generously dated from the budget. Postgraduate study in Canada is free of charge, depending on the level of knowledge and the chosen specialty. It also matters how much you can interest the professor in your work. Canadian university so that he agrees to be your supervisor. At the same time, the scholarship for a foreign postgraduate student is paid from the grant allocated to the professor.

For admission to Canadian graduate school, you must have a high GPA certificate (the exact number required varies depending on the university) and a certificate of passing a language exam. Among top universities Canada, accepting foreign graduate students, can be noted:

• University of Toronto;
• University of British Columbia;
• McGill University;
• York University.

China

The rapid growth of all spheres of life in China, from industry to the economy, has generated serious interest in it from students. Postgraduate study in China is in demand worldwide due to the optimal ratio of cost / quality of services. To go to study in China, your Chinese proficiency must be at least level 4 on the HSK test. If the applicant does not pass the test, he must attend during the year language classes and retake the language exam. There is a postgraduate course in English in China, but it is very expensive, and the choice of specialties is small. A graduate student does not have the opportunity to choose a supervisor on their own. It is assigned to him by the university. The training system itself is similar to the Russian one. Universities in China, included in the top 200 best universities in the world:

Poland

For postgraduate study in Poland, it is of fundamental importance whether you own the Pole's Card (a document confirming the presence Polish roots). In this case, there is a real opportunity to study in Poland for free, while receiving a scholarship. Otherwise, it is necessary to study the Polish language course and enter graduate school for a fee. The best Polish universities worth paying attention to:

• Leon Kozminsky University;
• Warsaw Academy of Finance and Business Vistula;
• Lazarsky University;
• University of Civitas.

Documents required for admission to graduate school abroad

Each university has its own procedure for admission to graduate school. At the same time, the list of required documents is approximately the same. It includes:

Cost of education

The cost of studying for a postgraduate study in England ranges from 6,000 to 9,000 pounds per year. The same amount will need to be spent on accommodation with meals. With the support of the British Council, grants are provided to Russian citizens on a competitive basis. With their help, 40-50 people annually take postgraduate studies abroad for free. Similar programs operate in other countries (Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland). But not everyone is able to use them. Paid postgraduate studies in Germany fluctuate widely between 350-900 € per semester.

Polish postgraduate study in English will cost from 1600 to 2000 €, in Polish - 800-1200 € per year. In China, the cost will be 2500-4000 dollars in addition to additional expenses for literature and accommodation.

Thus, it can be concluded that domestic education annually increases in price (but not in quality) and loses its position in international rankings. Against this background, postgraduate study abroad looks more than attractive. Going to study abroad is much easier than it seems at first glance. The main thing at the same time is perseverance, purposefulness and strict adherence to our recommendations.

In graduate school, the differences between countries and universities are slowly beginning to fade, globalization is taking its toll. If you do not pay attention to generally secondary things, then we can say that Russian postgraduate studies and writing a dissertation are not very different from foreign ones. Perhaps the most significant difference is that the Western graduate student has to study much more (in the usual "student" sense), that is, take courses and take exams.
Abroad, a graduate student (as well as a master) always has a “main” and “additional” specialty (major subject / minor subject). The main specialty is general direction activities — physics, mathematics, computer science, biology. An additional specialty can be anything and indicates what courses a person takes for his general development. A computer scientist may well take linguistics, history, biology as a minor subject. It is possible not to deviate from the main topic and take physics or economics.
As part of a European postgraduate study (using Finland as an example), you will have to take an average of seven semester courses in each specialty (that is, a total of about 14 courses; disclaimer: this was the case where I studied). For comparison, only weekly seminars on philosophy and a foreign language are held in Russia. They also pass a specialty (but there is usually no separate course for it) and some incomprehensible exams like “basics of technology” or “history of science”. But the total volume of the load, of course, cannot be compared.
How does postgraduate study abroad work in general? It is assumed that a PhD degree can be obtained in about four years (but five or six years is also not a problem; the problem is always not in the duration as such, but in the possibility of obtaining a scholarship for an expanding period of study). It is morally easier for most graduate students to start by taking courses. That is, the first year they practically do nothing but listen to lectures. I scored all the courses that I could, and I'm trying to earn the missing credits.
By the way, an unexpected difficulty may arise here: if you studied at master's program in a small university, it will not be easy to find enough new courses to get "credits". Many people have such a problem: almost all the courses of the “high” level were listened to in the process of studying for a master's degree. In addition, if you already have one higher education behind you (preferably in a related but different specialty), you can try to trick yourself and pass it off as a minor subject. With a certain amount of luck, it might work.

Then the "research" begins. Its vicissitudes are a topic for a separate and long conversation, but I will try to limit myself to the main points.
Graduate students are the "workhorses" of science. It should be understood that the professor takes a graduate student to help him, and formally has quite a lot of power over him. The life of two or three different graduate students can be radically different from each other, depending on the “goodness” of the leader. In principle, the supervisor can keep a graduate student “in a black body”, load him with work as much as he likes and demand results.
I'm not saying it's bad, but there is a fine line. Some leaders tend to overstep the bounds of reason. The choice of a leader is very important, and here it would be nice to make inquiries among senior comrades (another argument in favor of the “master’s first”: while you are studying, there is time to assess the situation).
I must also say about the "complexity of reorientation." Somewhere in the area of ​​graduate school (maybe a little later) there is a line beyond which it becomes difficult to present oneself in a new capacity. Suppose you are in Russia engaged in the topic of XX. Abroad, they agree to take you to graduate school on a related topic Y. The supervisor there understands that you are qualified for Y, because the topic is related, but the topic X simply does not interest him, and he does not want to deal with XX. The probability of finding a graduate school that perfectly matches XX is quite difficult, just accept it as a fact.
So, agreeing to Y, after a while you automatically become a specialist in Y, and you are already perceived as such. Going back to XX will be very difficult. It can be recommended not to break away from XX completely, and to touch XX in one way or another in your graduate work (if the topics are related, this is usually possible).
Research activity in graduate school itself is an ambiguous thing. On the one hand, you seem to be starting a scientific career, and it's good if the start is worthy. On the other hand, everyone understands that the purpose of a PhD dissertation is to prove the ability to conduct research, not work. Nobel laureate. The attitude towards the dissertation is generally pragmatic, books are even written about the algorithm for “passing” the quest for a graduate student.
The postgraduate research project is designed to confirm the ability to perform "competent" research in accordance with all the rules. A certain (not very difficult task) is taken, analyzed by scientific methods, a solution is proposed, the task is solved, the results are evaluated, conclusions and suggestions are made. Therefore, the main criterion for choosing a task is its “scientific nature”, and of course its solvability within two to three years. I must say that this attitude persists even among some serious academic leaders.
On the one hand, it doesn't look like fundamental science On the other hand, well-founded scientific problems are solved, they are solved well, and a colleague deserves his place at the university.

In the process of research, intermediate results are periodically published, and these publications are the basis of the dissertation work. Journal publications are considered more solid, conference publications are considered less solid. A set of three points for publications is sufficient to qualify for defense (1 point is worth a journal article, 0.5 is a conference article). At the same time, the presence of at least one journal publication is highly welcome.

In some Western countries(in Finland, in particular) it is allowed not to write a dissertation at all. It is enough to arrange articles in a single book and write a lengthy introduction (in the region of 50-70 pages, although this is a lot, it is clearly less than a full-fledged dissertation. Such a “file” is generally not valued so highly, but the same degree is awarded.

And, finally, a few words about the defense of the dissertation. Formally, the defense process is more thorough than in Russia. For example, the defense itself can last 3-4 hours, during which the opponent drives the defender on all issues that arose during the defense. But in general, a simple rule works: if you are allowed to defend, most likely you will pass it.
As one told me clever man when it comes to bookkeeping, the differences between countries blur. A failed dissertation is a blow to the faculty and the university as a whole. If the dissertation is weak, a politically literate supervisor will look for such reviewers and such an opponent who will be loyal and not fail. If it is strong, it will invite serious people to raise the prestige of the faculty. If you fill up other people's dissertators, in the end they will start to fill up yours, scientific world cramped.....
I am aware that all this politics looks, to put it mildly, not scientific, but such is the world, and nothing can be done about it. The conclusion is that if they want articles or a dissertation from you, provide it. But a well-executed dissertation is completely different, here you should answer to your conscience, and not to the academic council.

How to enter one of the Ivy League universities, where it is better to prepare for language exam what to write in a motivation letter and what not to say in an interview, how to choose the right MBA school. The editors of Theory and Practice have prepared several instructions on how to prepare for admission to a foreign university, receive a grant and go to study abroad.

Step 1: situation analysis

When it is already clear that there is a need for foreign education, but there is no money for it, then it is worth deciding on the known variables. Items that should be checked first of all: the presence of higher education, knowledge foreign languages, achievements in the chosen field and work experience.

They are most willing to give grants for master's and postgraduate studies, less willingly - for undergraduate studies. In addition, grants can be obtained for short-term research programs, summer language courses, participation in visiting schools and seminars. Scholarships for Master's Degrees foreign students offered by most foreign universities. It is also possible to find a grant for a bachelor's degree, but in 90% of cases such a grant will either cover half the cost of studying in the first year, or will give an annual discount throughout the entire period of study. The largest number of offers is available to those who have a master's degree, were engaged in research activities during their studies, achieved certain results and enlisted the support of a research supervisor at their home university and have connections with research groups abroad.

Knowledge of foreign languages ​​will allow you to participate in more programs. Fluency in English is a mandatory requirement for almost all programs, even those that offer scholarships to study at Russian universities. Proficiency in any other language will set the candidate apart from the competition and allow them to choose from a larger list of universities and countries. Usually, training in master's programs (and even more so in postgraduate programs) in Europe takes place in English, but knowledge of the language of the country to which the candidate is going to go, at least at the initial level, is additional points.

In the next round, it is worth checking the quality of the diploma received. For programs that target leaders like Chevening, Fulbright programs, Edmund Muskie - Special attention refers to the quality of the diploma and the experience of the candidate. Program organizers don’t care if candidates have a red diploma (especially since in other countries there is no such thing as a “red diploma”), but it is extremely important for them to know whether the candidate always received the highest score or agreed to any assessment. In internal university grants there is no strict requirement to have only the highest scores, however, when choosing between two applicants for a scholarship, preference is likely to be given to the one with the average score in the diploma above.

Also, when considering an application, they will pay attention to work experience and participation in volunteer programs. It is important that volunteering be in a field other than professional. Organizers usually give preference to versatile individuals with a wide range of interests and activities. Another of the main requirements of the Chevening program is at least two years of work experience in the chosen specialty. Participating in the British Council scholarship program, it is not necessary to confirm the presence of work experience. However, the jury at each of the presentations of its program does not get tired of noting that those who are cunning on one or another point are immediately visible. In addition to work, the experience of participating in volunteer programs is important.

Oksana Sytnik

PhD student at Universidad de Cádiz, Erasmus Mundus 2011–2014, Erasmus Mundus Master Grant 2009–2011:

“The idea of ​​studying abroad came to me quite spontaneously. One day I receive a letter from my teacher with a proposal: “There is such a program, Erasmus Mundus is called. Would you like to try?" I tried. And she completed the Erasmus Mundus Master in WCM Water and Coastal Management, the first semester in Plymouth (UK), the second and third - Cadiz (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal).

My choice of this specialty is not accidental. I am from the coastal city of Novorossiysk, I graduated from the Oceanological Faculty of the Russian State Humanitarian University in St. Petersburg with a degree in Integrated Coastal Zone Management. Thus, as a postgraduate student of Erasmus Mundus, I continued my chosen direction related to marine sciences, environment and management of coastal areas.

During my studies on the master's program, I also had numerous field work with access to the open sea and trips to the mountains, laboratory research on biological diversity, computer modeling of coastal and channel processes, participation in thematic seminars and conferences. However, the most memorable was the scientific diving course organized during the second semester at the University of Cadiz. For those who had no experience of scuba diving, there was an extraordinary opportunity not only to open a license for subsequent diving, but also to see the universe of the sea with their own eyes, and much more: to understand how this universe functions, what wonders it hides in itself.

Step 2: Defining Claims

Having decided on the initial data, you can start searching for programs and try on a candidate for each of them, analyzing whether it fits the criteria that the organizers set for candidates and the level of claims and interests of the candidate himself. The first step is to decide at what level to continue education. It is logical to apply for a master's degree with a bachelor's or specialist's degree, choosing a program of a narrower specialization or choosing a related discipline: in this case, the candidate will benefit from work experience in this specialty and the ability to justify his decision to change the field of activity and certain achievements. Achievements should be rather formal - those that can be documented: victories in competitions, publications in scientific journals.

Masters can apply for further studies in graduate school (or PhD program) or in another master's program. To get into a PhD, you need to have experience research activities and certain achievements that will speak for themselves, and for studying in the magistracy - a serious reason for changing the specialty. Candidates of Science or PhD degree holders can afford to apply for participation in the research program - postgraduate.

Having decided on the level at which to continue studying, it is worth thinking about the country. It is necessary to build on the knowledge of foreign languages, on the experience of interaction with the country and on the programs that these countries offer to candidates who are not EU citizens. Russian citizens many grant programs are available in the USA, Germany, France, China, Japan.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that some programs organized by foundations have one of the requirements for the scholarship holder to return to their home country after graduation. When choosing a program, it is worth understanding that for some of them it will not be possible to immigrate to another country.

Natalia Ravdina

head of educational projects of the British Council:

“One of the important requirements of the Chevening scholarship program is the condition of returning to your native country after graduation. This condition is related to the interest of countries providing fellowships in developing cooperation with strong partners. Studying abroad opens up incredible opportunities for networking in the professional community, laying the foundation for joint business and cultural exchanges. The return of fellows to their home country certainly facilitates the development of these partnerships and contributes to their prosperity.

There are different grants that imply different obligations for the people who receive them. The Chevening Scholarship, which is administered by the British Council, assumes that a successful candidate, after completing a course of study in the UK, will return to Russia, where he will apply the acquired knowledge and skills. Therefore, for those wishing to emigrate, this is probably not the most suitable way.”

Step 3: search for programs

You need to look for programs in four places: on the websites of foundations or organizations that administer scholarship programs, on the websites of specific foreign universities, on the website of the Global Education Program . It is also worth keeping an eye on the information that passes through your native university.

Almost all universities have a Scholarships section, which presents opportunities for covering tuition-related expenses. For example, the Student financial services section is at Harvard Law School, the Scholarships page on the website of the University of Melbourne, limited quantity scholarships are provided by the Danish technical university. Usually, all universities have different requirements: some cover tuition costs only partially, some completely, and some even include a small monthly stipend for personal expenses. It is on the websites of universities that you are more likely to find scholarships for studying at the undergraduate level. It's usually the same on websites. educational institutions positions for PhD studies or recruitment of a research group for work on a specific, most often very highly specialized, problem are presented.

In addition to foreign universities, scholarships are provided by Russian universities. Every year, the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences holds a competition, together with the Vladimir Potanin Foundation, for training in cultural management under a double degree program: a Russian diploma in advanced training and a British master's degree in University of Manchester. Many Russian universities are partners foreign universities and organize joint programs for their students. high school economy cooperates with several foreign universities, and MGIMO partners with Technological University Monterrey, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University, Potsdam University and others.

Natalia Garanina

student of Tomsk polytechnic university, Erasmus Mundus scholarship holder:

“It all started with work on the diploma. The fact is that I received three educations at the same time: the main day one - in the specialty "Applied Mathematics and Informatics", the evening one - "International Management" and on the basis of the evening one more additional - "Translator in the field of professional communications". When choosing the topic of the diploma, I did not experience any particular problems, because I wanted to write something that combines mathematics and marketing. As a result, she took up the topic Mathematical Methods to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising.

However, there was either no literature on this topic at all, or it was in English (thank God, this did not cause me any special problems). And it was then that I realized that this topic is more relevant abroad. I decided that I should write my master's thesis outside my homeland. Then I found a very interesting specialty at the university in Paris - Quantiave Methods in Economics. I was looking for ways to get there. I found out that the specialty is supported by Erasmus Mundus, as well as by a consortium. The consortium has offered a limited number of scholarships to be distributed to each of the universities. They are available to all students (from EU and non-EU countries). The size of each scholarship is half the cost of education. I decided to enlist support (mainly financial) from both sides and began to prepare a package of documents.

The main attention had to be paid to writing a motivation letter: why do you need a scholarship, program, specialty? I wrote everything as it is. The commission rated my application as type A, which means accepted with a scholarship. However, it turned out later that QEM is not funded by Erasmus in this particular year. And training, even despite the tough competition, costs 4,000 euros. And that's not counting housing and travel expenses. In the end, the commission wrote to me that it gives 2000 from the consortium, that is, it pays only half the cost of training. I didn’t want to take money from my parents, and I myself didn’t work at that time, I barely had enough time for education. For a long time, until the start of classes, the employees of the foundation wrote me letters with links to other scholarships that I could try my luck to win.

Step 4: collection and preparation of documents

Submission of documents is the most important step in the entire procedure for obtaining a grant. Experts get acquainted with the candidates, having only a standard package of documents in their hands, to which, in rare cases, you can attach a photo. Before you start collecting documents, it is worth studying the list of what is required for each specific program. Usually these are copies of documents about higher education and their certified translation, certificates confirming knowledge of foreign languages, CV and motivation letter. Sometimes the organizers ask you to attach documents on general secondary education, a translation of a dissertation, a list of publications in scientific journals, a GMAT certificate, and possibly something else.

Fellows, that for fellowships such as DAAD, it is not only important to meet all the requirements for paperwork, but also to lay out the documents in the exact order in which they are listed on the program website. Sometimes an interview for a scholarship is simply not provided, and the organizers select fellows based only on the documents submitted by the candidates.

Irina Dobrynina

Fellow of the research internship program for young scientists of the German Academic Exchange Service:

“I received a scholarship from DAAD under the program “Research Scholarships for Young Scientists of the German Academic Exchange Service”. I chose the program in accordance with my language skills: I only know German and my English is at a conversational level. The area of ​​my scientific interests: ecology, climate, climate change, urban climate, urban ecology. In Germany, I worked on assessing the microclimatic conditions of Kassel and Voronezh. Scholarships were enough for everything and even more - after all, it is 1000 euros per month.

I didn't have an interview. I sent all the documents in paper form to the Moscow representative office, where the experts make a decision. The competition is held in two stages: first in Moscow, and then in Bonn. I have documents - this is the only and important stage. You just need to comply with all the requirements stated on the site. If they ask you to put your CV first, and then a copy of the certificate, then this is how it should be done. Applications that do not comply with the requirements are simply discarded.

Most scholarship applicants have the most big question- how to find a professor in a foreign country who will make an invitation to work together. I had a professor from the very beginning - I met him through participation in international seminars. He came to our university, and that's how we got to know each other. He started working with my scientific instructor, I connected. But as I am told, it is not difficult to find a professor. You just need to think about it in advance - four months in advance.

The DAAD website has a special search system, which works well. You can also view the circulars of various international conferences. Just by reading a book, for example, you can find out that such and such a professor works in such and such a direction and write to him.

Many professors are happy to work with talented young people from third world countries and Russia. As a result of such cooperation, consortiums can be born, and consortiums receive funding. A European scientist lives on grants, and most of the grants are geared towards the international cooperation. After the internship, I, my leader in Russia, my leader in Germany, and several colleagues from Holland planned to create a scientific network.”

Step 5: Interview

The final stage in the pursuit of a scholarship is an interview. Interviews or interviews are most often conducted by large foundations involved in the distribution of grants. At the interview, it is important to demonstrate an interest in studying in general and in scholarships in particular, as well as convincingly talk about your previous experience, without contradicting your own application. The selection committee devotes the lion's share of its attention to how candidates can present themselves and how they talk about themselves. The veracity of what is written in the documents and the general adequacy of the applicant are also checked.

5% of candidates are usually invited for an interview if we are talking about large grant programs. The British Council typically receives around 600-800 applications for a Chevening Scholarship. The number of candidates invited for interviews depends on the number of fellowships.

Alexander Parolov

Cass Business School student, British Chevening Award 2011/12 scholarship holder:

“At first I entered British university and then found out about Chevening Scholarships and submitted documents. My parents were ready to give me the opportunity to study further because they believed it would change my life. However, the general meaning of this does not change, because agreements with the university can be reached without paying any fees - this will mean a conditional invitation.

The vast majority, if not all, of the 2011 Chevening Fellows had not yet entered universities at the time of the scholarship award. An agreement already reached with the university is not a requirement, it can only serve as a small advantage and proof of activity, but nothing more. Therefore, as general recommendation I can say that it is better to start correspondence with universities in advance, so that by the time you apply for the selected scholarship, you already have some history of correspondence with the university (perhaps even an invitation), which does not require tuition fees and at the same time will definitely distinguish you from the crowd. Fellow status can speed up and simplify the process of obtaining final approval from universities - this scholarship is highly respected in the UK.

The Chevening Scholarship attracted me because, in fact, it remained the only option for a Russian student who wanted to study for a master's degree in the UK - by that time I had already determined my preferred university and received a conditional invitation. I learned about the scholarship from a friend, and then I saw the information on the website of this business school. Following the website of the British Council, I learned that the scholarship not only covers a very large part of the cost of studying and living in the UK for young and ambitious leaders of their countries, but also makes serious demands on academic success, motivation and professional experience. Also, the scholarship holder must return to their home country after graduation in order to put the acquired knowledge into practice and change any aspect of life for the better. The results of the research were unequivocal: this scholarship is one of the most prestigious and difficult to obtain. I saw that I passed the main criteria and, despite my doubts, I applied. Two months later, I was already interviewed at the British Consulate in St. Petersburg, and three months later I was on a train paid for me to Moscow to sign a scholarship agreement.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the preparation of documents is the most important stage in the entire process of obtaining a grant or scholarship. The fact is that personal charm, competent and rich speech, intelligent behavior and neat appearance the jury will be able to see only if you pass the first stage of selection - the competition of documents. And here, as in any paper work (although now everything is usually in electronic form), the most important thing is accuracy, literacy, brevity and clarity of thought. Regardless of the scholarship you have chosen, and whether you complete the documents in paper form or electronically, there should be no contradictions in the application form and / or motivation letter (for example: full-time full-time study and full-time work in the same year) and grammatical errors, but there must be your achievements in all their glory, logical personal development with the correct chronology, a strong desire to receive a scholarship and an understanding of why you need it and why those who award this scholarship need it.

The latter is especially important for a motivation letter, the importance of which in the overall package of documents can hardly be overestimated. Its writing should be approached as the most important stage of the entire selection, because it is it that can become a ticket to the ship if the other parameters fall short a bit. Motivation letter should be clear, not too long, enjoyable to read, honest and smart - this is the point where you have to show that you have clearly defined your goals and understand how the scholarship will help you achieve them. From what I've heard most of candidates are eliminated precisely because they cannot formulate in writing or orally why they need all this and what they will then do with all this. Simple and difficult at the same time.

When the first stage - the competition of documents - is passed, you can relax and be a little proud of yourself, but then you will have to get together again, because the interview is also very important. I can only say that in the case of my scholarship, 50 out of 650 applicants were invited for an interview, but only 13 of them received a scholarship.

I can try to list things that I think should not be done before, during and after the interview: stay up late, have a big breakfast in the morning, show up back to back, act arrogantly aware of your own uniqueness, refer to mutual acquaintances and connections, flattering and complimenting the jury, smiling too much or laughing all the time, putting your feet up on the table and asking about the jury's impressions immediately after the interview.

First, read your application and letter again. If you are called to talk, it means that you liked it, but what places in the questionnaire can cause questions and clarifications? Identify them and prepare the correct answers. Think about what is the purpose of your program, who do they give a scholarship or grant, for what? This way you can prepare for the conversation. I personally wrote down all the possible questions on a piece of paper and looked through them in the morning before leaving the house. The second advice is to wake up a good mood in yourself, because you have already achieved a lot and will soon gain experience that others can only dream of. Therefore, smile, enjoy the process and radiate an unobtrusive positive - this is the key to success, I am firmly convinced of this. Don't worry about the circumstances of the interview itself: the environment is always welcoming and very friendly, these people are here to learn about your dreams and aspirations, they work there because they like helping people. It is much more important to practice answering questions and walk to the interview site on foot, if, of course, the weather permits. And the last thing - on the evening before, do not be too lazy to imagine your tomorrow's triumph in rainbow colors. Let's not underestimate the value of visualization."

Icons: 1) Chananan, 2) Isabel Martínez Isabel, 3) Marcos Folio, 4) Ferran Brown, 5) Rflor - from the Noun Project.