Students are invited to the All-Russian competition of student expeditions “Rediscovering Russia” 2026

The competition is aimed at supporting and financing project expeditions, during which students will work on real problems in various regions of Russia. Organizers are looking for meaningful cases that involve not just research, but the creation of a specific product or solution for a regional partner — a university, museum, national park, corporation or public organization.

Conditions of participation and key requirements for expeditions:

Participants: representatives of universities, museums, nature reserves, volunteer centers, state corporations and local communities are invited to participate in the competition.

Team: up to 18 students (age 18-35) and 2 mentors.

Duration of the expedition: from June 1 to November 30, 2026.

Duration: from 2 to 14 days.

Budget: no more than 75,000 rubles per participant.

Expedition dates: June 1 – November 30, 2026

Topics: education, ecology, social sphere, technology, culture, urbanism and territorial development.

A successful application for the competition requires a complete description of the project work, which is aimed at solving a significant problem of regional development and changing the existing situation. The expedition applicant describes the concept of the expedition, indicates the dates and objectives of the trip. The format of the expedition itself must be justified by the need to work specifically on the territory, since the remote format is not enough to achieve goals. The key requirement is to create a specific product — strategy, prototype, program, media materials — that other people can use. The most important element of the application is confirmation of the readiness of the regional partner interested in conducting the expedition to accept and use the results of the team’s work.

Applications are open until March 1, 2026 inclusive. The announcement of the list of competition winners will take place on March 15, 2026 on the official website of the “Rediscovering Russia” program, as well as in its communities on social networks. An archive of successful cases from past years is already available on the website for inspiration and examples.

After the winners are determined, with the support of the “Rediscovering Russia” project office, the expedition program is worked out, students participating in the expedition are selected, and then the work of the expedition is organized on site. Expeditions that are selected as part of the competition receive support: funding covering travel costs, accommodation, meals and an excursion program for participants and mentors. This is a unique opportunity for organizations to implement a significant project and express themselves at the federal level, and for students to make a real contribution to the development of the country.

The most active partners that annually implement expeditions are 10 universities: Moscow State University, Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, Far Eastern Federal University, National Research Technological University «MISIS», Tyumen State University, Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography, Russian State Social University, ITMO, MIIGAIK, Irkutsk State Medical University.

source: according to the Presidential Platform “Russia – the Land of Opportunities”