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Frequently Asked Questions
1) What services does SIMATEX UNITED
render to foreign students?
SIMATEX UNITED gives international
students all information about Russian Higher
Educational System, and offers consulting support right
after their first contact with reference to the higher
education in Russia till the end of the educational
period of 6-7 years. Besides that, SIMATEX UNITED offers
the foreign students, who wish to study at the Higher
Educational Establishments of Russia, the following
services:
•Information about different Higher Educational
Establishments of Russia.
•Processing the students documents with the chosen
University for the chosen specialty.
•Processing the admission letter and the visa support
letter from the University.
•Assistance in issuance of health and life insurance.
•Meeting students on their arrival at the International
airport and accompanying them to the University and the
hostel.
•Assistance in their hostel accommodation.
•Assistance with the registration, and documentation at
the University.
•Assistance in opening the bank account and in sending
facsimile and electronic messages.
•Consultation and help in all the regards during the
education with the University, teachers and fellow
students.
•Transferring the students from one University to
another and processing all related documentation.
•Communication with parents and informing them about the
academic records and behavior of their children
throughout the whole period of study.
•
Assistance and guidance students during the whole period
of study.
2) What is invitation for education?
The invitation for education is
the official document, which is processed by the
department of passport-visa service of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. It confirms
that the student is admitted to a particular University.
It specifies your passport details and the full name of
the University. This invitation support letter is
required by the Russian Embassy to stamp the visa in
your passport. Generally, it takes about 45 days to
process the invitation at the Ministry of Internal
Affairs. The invitation is valid for 90 days from the
date of its issuance and you need to apply to the
Russian Embassy for a visa during the validity of the
issued invitation.
3) What is the weather like in Russia?
What clothes should I bring?
The weather in Moscow varies
greatly according to season. The winters are long and
cold (with lots of snow and average temperatures around
-10 degrees Celsius), and the summers are hot with
occasional thunderstorms. As for what types of clothes
to bring, it depends on what time of year it is, but
remember two crucial points about life in these cities:
1) You will be walking a lot; feet and public
transportation are the main modes of transportation in
large Russian cities, so your shoes will take a beating
and will get quite dirty, i.e. light-coloured shoes are
not recommended 2) The same goes for clothes. Russians
do wear bright things (shoes included), but dirt
naturally stands out more on brighter clothes than it
does on darker ones. So, you can see why a tendency
toward wearing darker clothes can be seen on the streets
of Russian cities. No one wants to be washing their
clothes every day.
4) How expensive is life in Russia?
We estimate it costs a minimum of
$250 - $350 / month to cover living costs in Russia. Day
to day living costs in other cities are slightly lower
than in Moscow, although provided you avoid ex-pat
hang-outs in Moscow, the cost of living here is still a
lot lower than in the West. The prices below should only
be considered a rough guide (take the upper limits for
Moscow. Eating, Drinking and Dining: Your weekly grocery
bill is likely to be around $40-80 per person (all
prices are in USD). You can buy a fairly decent
three-course meal out for about $20 per person. If you
eat out at lunchtime during the week, you can get a
three-course business lunch for around $5. A 0.5 l glass
of beer costs on average $2.
Evening Entertainment: A ticket to an English-language
cinema costs $10, but you can see films in Russian for
$5 or less. Theatre, opera and ballet tickets can cost
as little as $3 but expect to pay $10 - $20 for decent
seats. Entrance to museums and art galleries can cost
anything from 50 cents to $10, depending on the place
and what discounts you can get. Cover charges for
nightclubs, if there is one, usually average at about $5
- $10.
Transport: A monthly metro pass costs between 250
roubles ($8) and 300 roubles ($10). Bus, tram and
trolleybus tickets cost 10 - 50 cents (for one journey,
irrespective of length). Trips and Excursions: Day trips
to Golden Ring towns can be arranged independently for
$10 - $20. Train travel in Russia is extremely good
value (a 3rd class ticket from Moscow-St Petersburg
costs about $12). Outside Moscow and St Petersburg it is
usually possible to arrange accommodation for $20 - $30
per night, although that may mean Soviet-style hotels
where service and decor leave a lot to be desired.
Clothes: It is worth buying winter items (hat, scarf,
big coat, fur-lined boots) here, as they are better
value than in the West and are more suited to the
Russian climate. However, other clothes tend to be
poorer quality for higher prices, so we recommend you do
your clothes shopping before you arrive.
If you want to make long-distance telephone calls you
should use new line matrix or beeline that offer very
good rates: a $10 reload card lasts almost 100 minute
when calling Malaysia and Europe from Russia.
5) How is it best to bring money to
Russia?
Although many prices are listed in
US Dollars or Euros (including on this website), the
only currency accepted in Russia is the Russian Rouble.
The Rouble cannot currently be purchased outside Russia,
so we recommend bringing cash cards/credit cards to
withdraw money from ATMs (which are common in major
cities). As back up, it is advisable to bring cash US
Dollars (in good condition, with no creases or tears),
which can be exchanged at exchange points all over the
city, many of which are open 24 hours a day. Travelers’
cheque tend to be less convenient as few banks exchange
them.
6) How should the student pay the
educational fees and any other charges to the
University?
The direction of the payment, course fees and bank
details will be specified and mentioned in the bank
letter issued by SIMATEX UNITED SDN.BHD. Generally the
fees are to be remitted by the student well in advance
prior to leaving for the University. Incase the fees are
not received by the University within 3 days of the
students arriving in Russia, the University would be
unable to register the student with the local
immigration department and he would be issued an exit
visa to return back home. A process will take around
10-14 days. Till that time the student will have to stay
in one of the hotels.
7) Will a student be provided with
medical insurance?
SIMATEX UNITED provide insurance card to all our
student. The insurance card cost 175 USD. It covers all
cost and medical help for every student. All students
who join any university in the RUSSIAN FEDERATION are
required to apply for medical insurance from a local
based insurance company. This is to cover them for any
medical assistance that they may require in the future.
Medical insurance will have to be taken as soon as the
student is officially registered with the University.
8) What are the procedures for arriving
in Russia?
Students for Moscow generally arrive at one of Moscow's
two international airports, Sheremetevo 2 or Domodedovo.
The latter is preferable as it was completely renovated
in 2002, and is now an extremely modern and efficient
airport comparable with any in Western Europe.
Sheremetevo is older and can be worse in terms of
passport control and baggage delays. After getting off
the plane (generally directly into the airport building)
you should follow the signs to passport control. Before
you go through, make sure you have filled in both
sections of a migration card (often handed out on the
plane, otherwise available on desks in the passport
control area). Hand in this card together with your
passport and visa, have the migration card stamped (and
one copy returned to you), and go through to baggage
collection and customs. Find the appropriate baggage
conveyor belt for your flight, and avoid the trolley
caddies who will charge a fortune for pushing your
luggage 50 metres.
9) Who will receive the students when
they land in Moscow for the first time?
Representatives of SIMATEX UNITED will be at the airport
to receive the students. They will be there to make sure
the students have a smooth transition from the Airport
to the Hostel. The representatives are also responsible
to help the students in their initial registration with
the University.
10) What is the type of accommodation
that is given by the Universities?
Accommodation provided are hostels
that are maintained and controlled by the respective
University. The location of these hostels will depend on
the University and may not necessarily be close to the
place of study. Good public transport network enable
students to commute to and fro from the hostel. The
University provides standard hostel accommodation.
Normally, 2-3 students share a room depending on the
size and at the discretion of the University. All the
rooms are newly decorated, comfortable. The rooms
generally come with cupboards, beds linen, writing table
etc. Every floor has enough bathrooms and toilets for
the usage of the students. There also exists common
kitchen with burners for the students to cook their
food.
11) Would a student have to give any
entrance examination prior to joining the university in
Russia?
The student only requires
his/her standard marks of Higher Secondary School
certificate/A-levels/Recognized Foundation of Science
qualification for admission to the university. Upon
arrival the student is required to sit for an entrance
exam for the subject Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
Russian.
12) Is it necessary to study the Russian
language, even if the student is in the English Medium
Faculty?
For medical studies, the first
three years consist of pre-clinical training and is more
lectures orientated. The pre-clinical subjects are
taught completely in the English language. However
Russian language classes are part of the curriculum from
the 1st till 4th year. This is necessary because from
the fourth year onward the students would start their
clinical subjects, this would require them to attend the
clinics and hospitals as part of their training. The
student would have to interact with the local Russian
patients hence the importance of the local language. It
is also an added advantage for the student to interact
with the locals without having difficulties.
The Russian language preparatory faculty is a specially
design faculty, to prepare the students to undertake the
main course in the Russian language. The faculty covers
specific subjects in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
Mathematics along with the Russian language.
13) Are there any diseases which do not
allow to their carrier to come for studies in Russia?
Yes, there are. The list of
infectious diseases posing a threat for others, which is
the cause of the refusal of issue or annulment of the
permission for a part-time residence for foreign
citizens and stateless persons in the Russian Federation
is adopted by the Government of the Russian Federation
Regulation # 188 dated 02.04.2003. The list includes: a
disease induced by the human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV), leprosy (the Hansen's disease), tuberculosis,
infections with a predominantly sexual mode of
transmission (syphilis, chlamydial lymphogranuloma
(venereum), chancroid). Thus, the foreign citizens,
whose examination determines the mentioned above
diseases, are deported out of Russia to their native
country for a medical treatment.
14) Is it safe to live in Russia?
Is it safe to live in New York or
London? Moscow and St Petersburg
are neither safer nor more
dangerous than any other large cities, although there is
admittedly a higher than average risk of icicles falling
off high buildings and hitting you on the head during
the spring thaw. Recent events have obviously made
terrorism a concern, but sadly, no city in the world is
immune from that threat these days. Smaller cities may
be considered slightly quieter, and thus safer, but the
following advice applies to any of them.
You should be careful when going out late at night, and
try not to draw attention to yourself, i.e. don't talk
loudly in English or flash money/valuables around. If
you go out for the evening, stay in a group, and plan it
so that you accompany each other home right up to the
front door. Women are strongly recommended not to walk
home alone after 11pm, and they should be prepared to
put up with occasional verbal harassment late at night,
as Russian males who have had too much to drink might
well shout things at girls on the street. It's
irritating and impolite, but if you ignore them they
almost always stop bothering you. Guys should also be
careful when out late at night in large English-speaking
groups, as nationalism is on the rise in Russia as a
whole. People of dark skin tones will be more at risk of
abuse than others, and may be discriminated against by
the police (i.e. stopped more often for ID checks).
Smaller streets can be badly lit, so try and keep to the
main streets if possible when it's dark. Avoid carrying
with you more cash than you need - pick-pocketing is a
problem in the metro, particularly in Petersburg. None
of this advice is intended to scare you, and in any
case, most of it applies anywhere in the world. With
luck, your stay here should pass off without you being
hassled in any way, but you should know the risks in
order to avoid them.
15)Where can I see the prices?
Our prices for the education are equal with the prices of the institute you are going to apply.
You may learn about prices on the web-pages of the institutes and academies you want to apply to. Also there is a fee, that Simatex will take for different services. To find out more, plese contact us via E-mail or Phone see detailes here
16)What documents do I need?
Generally the Applicant should submit to Simatex the following documents:
- Copy of national passport
- Application form
- Notarized copy of higher secondary/higher education certificate with a mark sheet (+ a notarized translation of both into Russian)
- Medical certificates (see Step 5)
- 10 passport-size photos
Application deadline: September 1st (for the 1st year) or October 20th (for the Preparatory Faculty).
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