The expert spoke about admission to a university in the UAE and obtaining a "golden visa"

International students can obtain a long-term residence permit in the UAE if they meet a number of academic requirements. The country has a system for encouraging talented students, which provides not only the opportunity to study at prestigious universities, but also cash payments, as well as obtaining a "golden visa". Kristina Tancyura, CEO and Managing partner of SKY Consulting Group, an expert on business development in the Middle East, told Izvestia about this on July 22.

According to her, the best graduates of schools in the UAE receive a prize of 100 thousand dirhams (about 2.1 million rubles) and a personal letter from the Emir of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The amount of the payment was not chosen by chance: these funds may be enough to partially or fully pay for the first year of study at prestigious universities in the country.

In addition, Tansiura said that the UAE authorities consider talent as a strategic resource of the country, therefore they support gifted students not only morally, but also financially. This, she says, creates healthy competition and shows a direct link between academic success and future opportunities.

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In addition to the monetary award, the best graduates of schools and universities can apply for a "golden visa" — a long-term residence permit that allows them to live, study and work in the UAE without being tied to an employer. High school students can receive a five-year "golden visa" if they are among the best students in the country, have an academic record of at least 95% and a letter of recommendation from the UAE Ministry of Education.

The same opportunity is provided for students and graduates of Emirati universities who graduated from the university no more than two years ago. To do this, the educational institution must have an A or B rating according to the classification of the Ministry of Education of the country, and the candidate must meet the requirements for a CGPA and provide the necessary recommendations.

Graduates of foreign universities can also receive a "golden visa" if their diploma is issued by a university from the top hundred world rankings recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education, and the average score meets the established requirements.

At the same time, as Tanzyura emphasized, for most foreign citizens, obtaining a "golden visa" remains a complex procedure and usually requires a significant contribution to the economy or public life of the country — through investment, entrepreneurship, real estate ownership or the availability of sought-after professional competencies.

On July 11, Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, announced that as part of the updated higher education system, students of all specialties will be required to take four subjects: History, Russian Language, Philosophy, and Fundamentals of Russian Statehood. According to him, this initiative is being implemented in the format of a pilot project.