KARACHI: Russian Prokhorov, Head of the Russian Centre for Science and Culture, met with Karachi journalists at the Russian House. During the meeting, he discussed the current implementation of the Russian Government scholarship program and outlined the key achievements of the past year. Prokhorov recalled that the Russian Government annually allocates 30,000 budget-funded scholarships for international students. He noted that interest among Pakistanis in pursuing higher education at Russian universities has grown significantly in recent years. The competition among Pakistani applicants is one of the highest in the world among Russian Houses. This year, thanks to the efforts of the Russian Embassy in Islamabad, the Russian House in Karachi, and the Pakistani Embassy in Moscow, the number of scholarships has tripled. The Higher Education Commission is also actively working to attract Pakistani students. The Head of the Russian Centre for Science and Culture noted that applications for the scholarship competition can be submitted until January 15, 2026, on the official portal education-in-russia.com. To register, applicants must complete a form, indicate their desired major and preferred Russian universities, and attach a scanned copy of their passport and educational document. All stages of the competition are conducted online and are completely free of charge. He also emphasized that the language of instruction of programs on a scholarship basis is Russian. If a candidate does not speak Russian, he or she will be provided with a free one-year preparatory language course at a Russian university. Following the meeting, journalists were shown the documentary “Window to Pakistan,” produced in 2025 by the Russian team of the RT News Agency. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025