chatter matter
The Russian landscape varies from desert to frozen coastline, tall mountains to giant marshes. Much of Russia is made up of rolling, treeless plains called steppes. Additionally, Russia is famous for its very powerful and progressive education system. Russia has a high literacy rate. Students choose to study in Russia for a combination of affordable tuition and living costs, a high standard of globally recognised academic programmes in fields like engineering, medicine and physics and access to a rich cultural heritage. The country offers diverse academic programmes, opportunities for research and internships and a multinational environment that is experienced in welcoming international students.
The Russian Centre for Science and Culture (Russian House) Karachi, works with Pakistani universities on joint educational projects, including those related to regional studies, Russian grammar and professional collaborations. The key activities of the centre include promoting Russian culture and language through courses, workshops and exhibitions, supporting educational initiatives like student exchanges and presenting Russian education to Pakistanis, and fostering bilateral cooperation through joint projects with universities and organisations.
Recently, the centre organised a meeting at its premises where a briefing was given to the local journalists regarding the annual scholarship programme of the Russian Government. Ruslan Prokhorov, Director of Russian House, welcomed the guests. He mentioned that the criterion of selecting the candidates is very simple. “Applications are accepted online from September 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026. At the same time, the list of documents is minimal - a candidate’s application form, a document of education and a valid passport. There are no restrictions on the candidate’s age, place of residence, gender or other criteria,” said Mr Ruslan.
He also informed journalists that the growing interest in Russian education over the past few years has yielded significant results. “This year, the number of scholarships granted by Russia to Pakistani students has more than tripled which is a positive sign,” he added.
Also present on the occasion were Dr Roman Porozov and Anton Dolgov from Ural State Pedagogical University. Both teachers were specially flown in from Russia to teach the Russian language free of charge to the people of Pakistan for a month. The programme was designed by the Russian Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Russia, Ural State Pedagogical University, and the Foundation for the Support of the Humanities ‘My Story’.
Dr Roman told reporters about the programmes of the Ural State Pedagogical University.
“I would like to note that this is not our first - and hopefully not our last - visit to Pakistan. In 2024, we had a unique opportunity to teach Russian at universities in Karachi. We were also fortunate to hold several thematic workshops on the culture, history and education system of Russia. We also had a unique opportunity to gain new experiences and share our own with our Pakistani teaching colleagues. As a result, we were able to hold several round tables and conferences that allowed all of us to get to know each other and present our academic traditions. We really hope that this time, too, our stay in Pakistan will benefit both countries.”