The website, studyinrussia.ru, provides information for students and parents on required documents, fess and funding, as well as events and academic contests.

It also has a course search function, which details more than 2,800 undergraduate and graduate courses

It also has a course search function, which details more than 2,800 undergraduate and graduate courses, and a step-by-step infographic guide to applying to a Russian university.

Available in three languages – Russian, English and Mandarin – the website also allows prospective international students to gauge their level of Russian using an online test.

A separate section gives information on what it is like to live in Russia, covering subjects such as accommodation, transport, healthcare, climate and leisure activities.

Written and video testimonials from current students show first-hand accounts of studying in Russia.

Abeer Abudan, a master’s student from Palestine, recounted her experiences of studying at the National Research Nuclear University in Moscow, and of adjusting to life in the capital.

“At first I wasn’t feeling good, but then I made friends with Russian Muslim girls… we communicate and often walk around the city,” she relates. “I’m not afraid to live in Russia; Moscow’s a very safe city.”

“The educational system in Russia differs a lot from Palestine,” she adds. “At home, we don’t get credits, just exams and laboratory classes.”

The decision to include student testimonials was based on the results of a survey of 4,000 students last year by the Center for Sociological Research that found 34% of foreign undergraduates and 28% of graduates rely on recommendations when considering where to study.

The launch of the website is part of the government’s strategy to internationalise Russia’s universities, following the launch and expansion in recent years of Project 5-100, which aims to boost international intake and see five institutions in the top 100 universities in academic league tables.

“Internationalisation, including attracting students from other countries to Russia, is one of the key priorities of the development of Russian universities participating in Project 5-100,” commented Deputy Minister of Education and Science Alexander Povalko.

“In 2014, more than 220,000 foreign students studied in Russian universities,” he added.

“We hope that the website Study in Russia will help even more young people to appreciate all the advantages of Russian higher education.”