Moscow summarises results of 2025 professional fellowship programme for foreigners in Russia

A press conference was held in Moscow on the topic “Expert dialogue in the context of an emerging multipolar world”. Participants reviewed the results of the InteRussia International Fellowship Programme for 2025, implemented jointly with the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. This project has become a key instrument of Russia’s humanitarian cooperation with foreign specialists amid the formation of a multipolar world.

Leonid Drachevsky, Executive Director of the Gorchakov Fund, spoke about the scale of the project.

“Today we have around 14 specialisations. We do not limit ourselves to Moscow alone; we carry out programmes in various cities across Russia. In this regard, and considering the many specialisations, we have brought together a group of people who influence, in their home countries, the minds of those nearby or perhaps those far away but still within their own country. [...] At the Institute of the Russian Language… the competition is absolutely tremendous, and the interest in the Russian language is extraordinary. And these fellowships give us a great deal in terms of gaining new friends,” he said.

Anatoly Torkunov, Rector of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MGIMO), a TV BRICS partner, noted that the programme has become a point of attraction for professionals from around the world.

“People from 35 countries have already taken part in this programme. Everyone is here: Argentina, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, India, Cambodia, Mexico [...] And then Belarus, Brazil. Such a community is essentially consolidation – public consolidation of people from different countries, but a consolidation that takes place on Russian soil, where appropriate conditions are created for staying and getting to know the country,” he said.

The practical results of this approach can be seen in specific areas. Grigory Zaslavsky, Rector of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), provided a striking example from the cultural sphere. Recently, GITIS held a series of masterclasses in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.

“This is one of our most successful programmes. [...] This year’s participants are already planning to apply to GITIS. This means they will start learning Russian and, in any case, will become promoters of our culture in their home countries. For us, this is priceless. [...] The director of the theatre school (in Abidjan), addressing the students, says, 'You are incredibly fortunate people; you have received the Stanislavsky system from teachers from Russia. Carry this professional knowledge with you throughout your life,'” he said.

Janna Tolstikova, CEO of TV BRICS, noted that attracting such motivated specialists requires targeted work. The media network informed around 60 different educational institutions and theatre associations in 15 countries, drawing their attention to the opportunity to undertake a fellowship at GITIS.

According to the Fund, in 2025, 17 fellowships across 7 areas were carried out – from theatre arts and nuclear technology to Russian studies and medicine. On average, 11 people competed for each place. At the same time, 60 per cent of participants had never been to Russia before – for most of them, the programme became their first personal encounter with the country. The average age of the interns is 30; these are experienced specialists who consciously chose Russia for professional development.

The InteRussia Fellowship Programme was launched by the Gorchakov Fund to attract foreign specialists from various professional fields to Russia. The project is implemented jointly with the TV BRICS International Media Network, Rossotrudnichestvo, and the ANO “Mezhdunarodniki”, with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation under the “New Generation” Programme.

Photo: gorodenkoff / iStock