tourism financing and state aid

Guide on EU funding for tourism

This online guide highlights the wide range of funding programmes financed by the new budget, multiannual financial framework 2021-2027, and Next Generation EU.

New online Guide on EU funding for tourism

The new 'Guide on EU funding for tourism' highlights the wide range of funding programmes relevant to the tourism ecosystem included in the new budget, Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, and Next Generation EU.

This online guide comes with new EU programmes working towards a more sustainable, inclusive and digital EU economy. The guide gathers information on EU funding sources with the highest potential to support investments in tourism.

It focuses on practical questions.

• Who can apply?
• Which actions are supported?
• What kind of funding is available?

The user-friendly guide contains links to the relevant EU programmes’ websites that publish the latest developments on annual work programmes or calls for proposals and technical details per programme. Finally, it points to examples of good projects co-funded by EU funds in the past.

More information

Guide on EU funding for tourism

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Tourism Financing and State Aid

Martin Wiedenbauer has published an article in ecolex’ March edition (ecolex 2018, 261), a renowned Austrian journal for commercial law.

Many EU Member States finance tourism activities and run their own tourism offices or location development departments. In this context aid is often granted for the construction and operation of infrastructures of touristic interest or for activities that are otherwise relevant to the tourism sector (e.g. destination marketing, the distribution of touristic material etc).

In his article, Martin Wiedenbauer outlines the recent developments and best practice in state aid law to avoid the need for notification to the Commission.

Dr. Martin Wiedenbauer

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Reimagining the $9 trillion tourism economy—what will it take?

Tourism made up 10 percent of global GDP in 2019 and was worth almost $9 trillion, 1 See “Economic impact reports,” World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), wttc.org. making the sector nearly three times larger than agriculture. However, the tourism value chain of suppliers and intermediaries has always been fragmented, with limited coordination among the small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) that make up a large portion of the sector. Governments have generally played a limited role in the industry, with partial oversight and light-touch management.

COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented crisis for the tourism industry. International tourist arrivals are projected to plunge by 60 to 80 percent in 2020, and tourism spending is not likely to return to precrisis levels until 2024. This puts as many as 120 million jobs at risk. 2 “International tourist numbers could fall 60-80% in 2020, UNWTO reports,” World Tourism Organization, May 7, 2020, unwto.org.

Reopening tourism-related businesses and managing their recovery in a way that is safe, attractive for tourists, and economically viable will require coordination at a level not seen before. The public sector may be best placed to oversee this process in the context of the fragmented SME ecosystem, large state-owned enterprises controlling entry points, and the increasing impact of health-related agencies. As borders start reopening and interest in leisure rebounds in some regions , governments could take the opportunity to rethink their role within tourism, thereby potentially both assisting in the sector’s recovery and strengthening it in the long term.

In this article, we suggest four ways in which governments can reimagine their role in the tourism sector in the context of COVID-19.

1. Streamlining public–private interfaces through a tourism nerve center

Before COVID-19, most tourism ministries and authorities focused on destination marketing, industry promotions, and research. Many are now dealing with a raft of new regulations, stimulus programs, and protocols. They are also dealing with uncertainty around demand forecasting, and the decisions they make around which assets—such as airports—to reopen will have a major impact on the safety of tourists and sector employees.

Coordination between the public and private sectors in tourism was already complex prior to COVID-19. In the United Kingdom, for example, tourism falls within the remit of two departments—the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)—which interact with other government agencies and the private sector at several points. Complex coordination structures often make clarity and consistency difficult. These issues are exacerbated by the degree of coordination that will be required by the tourism sector in the aftermath of the crisis, both across government agencies (for example, between the ministries responsible for transport, tourism, and health), and between the government and private-sector players (such as for implementing protocols, syncing financial aid, and reopening assets).

Concentrating crucial leadership into a central nerve center  is a crisis management response many organizations have deployed in similar situations. Tourism nerve centers, which bring together public, private, and semi-private players into project teams to address five themes, could provide an active collaboration framework that is particularly suited to the diverse stakeholders within the tourism sector (Exhibit 1).

We analyzed stimulus packages across 24 economies, 3 Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. which totaled nearly $100 billion in funds dedicated directly to the tourism sector, and close to $300 billion including cross-sector packages with a heavy tourism footprint. This stimulus was generally provided by multiple entities and government departments, and few countries had a single integrated view on beneficiaries and losers. We conducted surveys on how effective the public-sector response has been and found that two-thirds of tourism players were either unaware of the measures taken by government or felt they did not have sufficient impact. Given uncertainty about the timing and speed of the tourism recovery, obtaining quick feedback and redeploying funds will be critical to ensuring that stimulus packages have maximum impact.

2. Experimenting with new financing mechanisms

Most of the $100 billion stimulus that we analyzed was structured as grants, debt relief, and aid to SMEs and airlines. New Zealand has offered an NZ $15,000 (US $10,000) grant per SME to cover wages, for example, while Singapore has instituted an 8 percent cash grant on the gross monthly wages of local employees. Japan has waived the debt of small companies where income dropped more than 20 percent. In Germany, companies can use state-sponsored work-sharing schemes for up to six months, and the government provides an income replacement rate of 60 percent.

Our forecasts indicate that it will take four to seven years for tourism demand to return to 2019 levels, which means that overcapacity will be the new normal in the medium term. This prolonged period of low demand means that the way tourism is financed needs to change. The aforementioned types of policies are expensive and will be difficult for governments to sustain over multiple years. They also might not go far enough. A recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) survey of SMEs in the tourism sector suggested more than half would not survive the next few months, and the failure of businesses on anything like this scale would put the recovery far behind even the most conservative forecasts. 4 See Tourism policy responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD, June 2020, oecd.org. Governments and the private sector should be investigating new, innovative financing measures.

Revenue-pooling structures for hotels

One option would be the creation of revenue-pooling structures, which could help asset owners and operators, especially SMEs, to manage variable costs and losses moving forward. Hotels competing for the same segment in the same district, such as a beach strip, could have an incentive to pool revenues and losses while operating at reduced capacity. Instead of having all hotels operating at 20 to 40 percent occupancy, a subset of hotels could operate at a higher occupancy rate and share the revenue with the remainder. This would allow hotels to optimize variable costs and reduce the need for government stimulus. Non-operating hotels could channel stimulus funds into refurbishments or other investment, which would boost the destination’s attractiveness. Governments will need to be the intermediary between businesses through auditing or escrow accounts in this model.

Joint equity funds for small and medium-size enterprises

Government-backed equity funds could also be used to deploy private capital to help ensure that tourism-related SMEs survive the crisis (Exhibit 2). This principle underpins the European Commission’s temporary framework for recapitalization of state-aided enterprises, which provided an estimated €1.9 trillion in aid to the EU economy between March and May 2020. 5 See “State aid: Commission expands temporary framework to recapitalisation and subordinated debt measures to further support the economy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak,” European Commission, May 8, 2020, ec.europa.eu. Applying such a mechanism to SMEs would require creating an appropriate equity-holding structure, or securitizing equity stakes in multiple SMEs at once, reducing the overall risk profile for the investor. In addition, developing a standardized valuation methodology would avoid lengthy due diligence processes on each asset. Governments that do not have the resources to co-invest could limit their role to setting up those structures and opening them to potential private investors.

3. Ensuring transparent, consistent communication on protocols

The return of tourism demand requires that travelers and tourism-sector employees feel—and are—safe. Although international organizations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) have developed a set of guidelines to serve as a baseline, local regulators are layering additional measures on top. This leads to low levels of harmonization regarding regulations imposed by local governments.

Our surveys of traveler confidence in the United States  suggests anxiety remains high, and authorities and destination managers must work to ensure travelers know about, and feel reassured by, protocols put in place for their protection. Our latest survey of traveler sentiment in China  suggests a significant gap between how confident travelers would like to feel and how confident they actually feel; actual confidence in safety is much lower than the expected level asked a month before.

One reason for this low level of confidence is confusion over the safety measures that are currently in place. Communication is therefore key to bolstering demand. Experience in Europe indicates that prompt, transparent, consistent communications from public agencies have had a similar impact on traveler demand as CEO announcements have on stock prices. Clear, credible announcements regarding the removal of travel restrictions have already led to increased air-travel searches and bookings. In the week that governments announced the removal of travel bans to a number of European summer destinations, for example, outbound air travel web search volumes recently exceeded precrisis levels by more than 20 percent in some countries.

The case of Greece helps illustrate the importance of clear and consistent communication. Greece was one of the first EU countries to announce the date of, and conditions and protocols for, border reopening. Since that announcement, Greece’s disease incidence has remained steady and there have been no changes to the announced protocols. The result: our joint research with trivago shows that Greece is now among the top five summer destinations for German travelers for the first time. In July and August, Greece will reach inbound airline ticketing levels that are approximately 50 percent of that achieved in the same period last year. This exceeds the rate in most other European summer destinations, including Croatia (35 percent), Portugal (around 30 percent), and Spain (around 40 percent). 6 Based on IATA Air Travel Pulse by McKinsey. In contrast, some destinations that have had inconsistent communications around the time frame of reopening have shown net cancellations of flights for June and July. Even for the high seasons toward the end of the year, inbound air travel ticketing barely reaches 30 percent of 2019 volumes.

Digital solutions can be an effective tool to bridge communication and to create consistency on protocols between governments and the private sector. In China, the health QR code system, which reflects past travel history and contact with infected people, is being widely used during the reopening stage. Travelers have to show their green, government-issued QR code before entering airports, hotels, and attractions. The code is also required for preflight check-in and, at certain destination airports, after landing.

4. Enabling a digital and analytics transformation within the tourism sector

Data sources and forecasts have shifted, and proliferated, in the crisis. Last year’s demand prediction models are no longer relevant, leaving many destinations struggling to understand how demand will evolve, and therefore how to manage supply. Uncertainty over the speed and shape of the recovery means that segmentation and marketing budgets, historically reassessed every few years, now need to be updated every few months. The tourism sector needs to undergo an analytics transformation to enable the coordination of marketing budgets, sector promotions, and calendars of events, and to ensure that products are marketed to the right population segment at the right time.

Governments have an opportunity to reimagine their roles in providing data infrastructure and capabilities to the tourism sector, and to investigate new and innovative operating models. This was already underway in some destinations before COVID-19. Singapore, for example, made heavy investments in its data and analytics stack over the past decade through the Singapore Tourism Analytics Network (STAN), which provided tourism players with visitor arrival statistics, passenger profiling, spending data, revenue data, and extensive customer-experience surveys. During the COVID-19 pandemic, real-time data on leading travel indicators and “nowcasts” (forecasts for the coming weeks and months) could be invaluable to inform the decisions of both public-sector and private-sector entities.

This analytics transformation will also help to address the digital gap that was evident in tourism even before the crisis. Digital services are vital for travelers: in 2019, more than 40 percent of US travelers used mobile devices to book their trips. 7 Global Digital Traveler Research 2019, Travelport, marketing.cloud.travelport.com; “Mobile travel trends 2019 in the words of industry experts,” blog entry by David MacHale, December 11, 2018, blog.digital.travelport.com. In Europe and the United States, as many as 60 percent of travel bookings are digital, and online travel agents can have a market share as high as 50 percent, particularly for smaller independent hotels. 8 Sean O’Neill, “Coronavirus upheaval prompts independent hotels to look at management company startups,” Skift, May 11, 2020, skift.com. COVID-19 is likely to accelerate the shift to digital as travelers look for flexibility and booking lead times shorten: more than 90 percent of recent trips in China  were booked within seven days of the trip itself. Many tourism businesses have struggled to keep pace with changing consumer preferences around digital. In particular, many tourism SMEs have not been fully able to integrate new digital capabilities in the way that larger businesses have, with barriers including language issues, and low levels of digital fluency. The commission rates on existing platforms, which range from 10 percent for larger hotel brands to 25 percent for independent hotels, also make it difficult for SMEs to compete in the digital space.

Governments are well-positioned to overcome the digital gap within the sector and to level the playing field for SMEs. The Tourism Exchange Australia (TXA) platform, which was created by the Australian government, is an example of enabling at scale. It acts as a matchmaker, connecting suppliers with distributors and intermediaries to create packages attractive to a specific segment of tourists, then uses tourist engagement to provide further analytical insights to travel intermediaries (Exhibit 3). This mechanism allows online travel agents to diversify their offerings by providing more experiences away from the beaten track, which both adds to Australia’s destination attractiveness, and gives small suppliers better access to customers.

Governments that seize the opportunity to reimagine tourism operations and oversight will be well positioned to steer their national tourism industries safely into—and set them up to thrive within—the next normal.

Download the article in Arabic  (513KB)

Margaux Constantin is an associate partner in McKinsey’s Dubai office, Steve Saxon is a partner in the Shanghai office, and Jackey Yu  is an associate partner in the Hong Kong office.

The authors wish to thank Hugo Espirito Santo, Urs Binggeli, Jonathan Steinbach, Yassir Zouaoui, Rebecca Stone, and Ninan Chacko for their contributions to this article.

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World Tourism Organization Leads Discussion on “Tourism Financing for the 2030 Agenda” at Aid for Trade Conference in Geneva

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PR No. : PR 19047

Geneva, 9 July 2019 - Tourism’s unique potential as a tool for driving the global sustainable development agenda has taken center stage at a special event hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ministers, development partners and financing institutions need to better understand and recognize how tourism can contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Agenda. Tourism is explicitly mentioned as a target in three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (8, 12 and 14), though, as speakers at the Geneva session noted, for the sector to really realize its enormous potential, the amount of aid and development financing directed towards tourism needs to be increased significantly. Unlocking Tourism’s potential for realizing the 2030 Agenda requires a combination of effective and robust policy frameworks, enhanced private sector action, and an innovative approach to partnerships for development cooperation.

“This is an important time for both the tourism and the international development sectors,” said Mr. Pololikashvili. “Strengthening and unlocking aid flows for tourism will help the sector be a driver of job creation, as well as of social and economic development and economic diversity. UNWTO welcomes the opportunity to join ministers, tourism leaders and our partners for these important talks here in Geneva. Working together we can harness the power of the new aid architecture and ensure that nobody gets left behind as tourism transforms lives around the world.”

Also joining Mr Pololikashvili for the session were Ms. Arancha González, Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC), H.E Dr. Rania Al- Mashat, Minister of Tourism, The Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr. Toshiyuki Nakamura, Director General, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Ms. Caroline Freund, Director of Trade, Regional Integration and Investment Climate, World Bank.

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Guide on EU funding for tourism

This online guide highlights the wide range of funding programmes relevant for the Tourism sector and financed under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, and Next Generation EU.

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This online guide highlights the wide range of funding programmes financed by Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, and Next Generation EU. The guide aims to support the move towards a more digital, sustainable and inclusive EU.

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ICCS 2020: Comprehensible Science pp 70–80 Cite as

Financial Instruments for Tourism Development: Challenges and Opportunities

• Aleksandr Gudkov   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4006-4522 10 ,
• Elena Dedkova   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3392-2952 10 &
• Elena Rozhdestvenskaia   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8235-0060 10  
• Conference paper
• First Online: 19 January 2021

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 186))

Currently, the development of tourism faces many challenges that make this industry extremely unstable due to political, medical and economic fluctuations. All the ups and downs are usually outside the control of tourism. One of the most important economic problems associated with tourism is the lack of investment and financing. This is a serious problem, considering that tourism is one of the largest employers of labor in the world, and its development has huge benefits for the economy. The purpose of this article is to consider the problems and opportunities in the field of tourism financing. For the purposes of the study, we have achieved a substantial and relevant analysis and research on the main areas of financial support of tourism.

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Gudkov, A., Dedkova, E., Rozhdestvenskaia, E. (2021). Financial Instruments for Tourism Development: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Antipova, T. (eds) Comprehensible Science. ICCS 2020. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 186. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66093-2_7

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Moscow courts UAE to bump up inbound tourism

• Moscow targetting UAE tourism
• International visitors 10% of total
• Gulf tourists spend more

Moscow aims to double the number of annual visitors from the UAE this year, to expand its international tourist base amid headwinds such as the war with Ukraine. 

Bulat Nurmukhanov, head of the International Cooperation Division at Moscow City Tourism Committee (MCTC), told AGBI that while the Russian capital’s domestic tourism has broadly recovered since the pandemic, international tourism has yet to do so. 

Moscow received 24.3 million visitors in 2023, he said, of which 2.3 million were international and the rest were from elsewhere in Russia. In 2019, Moscow recorded 25 million visitors, of which four million were from overseas.  

• In Dubai, it looks like the Russians are staying
• Moscow still a key destination for Middle East tourists
• UAE-Russia trade grows as Putin arrives in Gulf

“Despite the challenges Moscow faces today, it has almost recovered its pre-Covid visitor flow of 2019 – our best year for the industry, helped by the effect of hosting the Fifa World Cup in 2018,” Nurmukhanov said.  

“But most of these are domestic tourists. We hope that by working with new markets such as the UAE, we can restructure the international tourism base and attract more visitors from the Emirates and wider GCC.”

Moscow has yet to calculate the number of visitors from the UAE last year, but it is a small proportion of the overseas total, according to Nurmukhanov. However, it is an important source market because of its higher-than-average spend per visit. 

“They’re helping load Moscow’s five-star hotels”, he said. These are not as popular among domestic tourists and other nationalities as three and four-star hotels. 

Last summer, MCTC revealed that tourists from the Middle East accounted for more than 30 percent of Moscow’s total tourist flow from outside the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2022. 

“Middle Eastern countries are among the most promising markets for inbound tourism,” the committee noted. 

In the UAE, the number of Russian tourists and investors leapt in the year after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as Russian businesses sought a safe haven free of sanctions imposed on them by the West. 

Bilateral trade between the two countries has also risen sharply , by 63 percent between January and September 2023 to $9 billion, according to Russia’s government. 

Nurmukhanov said: “We’re already receiving a decent amount of tourists from the UAE and want to make sure that now, we adapt our infrastructure and design new hospitality products, entertainment and offerings that will be in their interest.” 

The strategy includes enhancing relationships between Moscow and UAE hotels, travel agents and tour operators; improving restaurants’ halal offerings; translating menus and other literature to Arabic, and promoting popular activities such as bear hunting, helicopter trips and horse riding.  

Some Moscow hotels even help GCC tourists to purchase warm clothing for their trip, Nurmukhanov said. Gulf visitors can obtain visas on arrival in Russia, and in November a rapid e-visa service was extended to other countries.  

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Virginia Tech to send financial aid packages to admitted out-of-state students

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Virginia Tech will begin sending email notifications regarding financial aid packages for admitted out-of-state students on Monday.

According to the school, admitted in-state students can expect a notification on Friday, April 26.

Students are encouraged to check their applicant portal regularly for information from the Office for University Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Current students will not receive financial aid notifications until after final grades are posted for the spring semester.

The Office for University Scholarships and Financial Aid is extending office hours 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, but will not be available for in-person meetings. Starting Saturday and continuing each Saturday through May 11, office hours will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Those with questions can contact the office at [email protected] or by phone at 540-231-5179.

Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.

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House Approves $95 Billion Aid Bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

After months of delay at the hands of a bloc of ultraconservative Republicans, the package drew overwhelming bipartisan support, reflecting broad consensus.

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By Catie Edmondson

Reporting from the Capitol

The House voted resoundingly on Saturday to approve $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as Speaker Mike Johnson put his job on the line to advance the long-stalled aid package by marshaling support from mainstream Republicans and Democrats.

In four back-to-back votes, overwhelming bipartisan coalitions of lawmakers approved fresh rounds of funding for the three U.S. allies, as well as another bill meant to sweeten the deal for conservatives that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok.

The scene on the House floor reflected both the broad support in Congress for continuing to help the Ukrainian military beat back Russia, and the extraordinary political risk taken by Mr. Johnson to defy the anti-interventionist wing of his party who had sought to thwart the measure. Minutes before the vote on assistance for Kyiv, Democrats began to wave small Ukrainian flags on the House floor, as hard-right Republicans jeered.

The legislation includes $60 billion for Kyiv; $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. It would direct the president to seek repayment from the Ukrainian government of $10 billion in economic assistance, a concept supported by former President Donald J. Trump, who had pushed for any aid to Kyiv to be in the form of a loan. But it also would allow the president to forgive those loans starting in 2026.

It also contained a measure to help pave the way to selling off frozen Russian sovereign assets to help fund the Ukrainian war effort, and a new round of sanctions on Iran. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation as early as Tuesday and send it to President Biden’s desk, capping its tortured journey through Congress.

“Our adversaries are working together to undermine our Western values and demean our democracy,” Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Saturday as the House debated the measure. “We cannot be afraid at this moment. We have to do what’s right. Evil is on the march. History is calling and now is the time to act.”

“History will judge us by our actions here today,” he continued. “As we deliberate on this vote, you have to ask yourself this question: ‘Am I Chamberlain or Churchill?’”

The vote was 311 to 112 in favor of the aid to Ukraine, with a majority of Republicans — 112 — voting against it and one, Representative Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, voting “present.” The House approved assistance to Israel 366 to 58; and to Taiwan 385 to 34, with Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, voting “present.” The bill to impose sanctions on Iran and require the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner or ban the app in the United States passed 360 to 58.

“Today, members of both parties in the House voted to advance our national security interests and send a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage,” Mr. Biden said. “At this critical inflection point, they came together to answer history’s call, passing urgently needed national security legislation that I have fought for months to secure.”

Minutes after the vote, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine thanked lawmakers, singling out Mr. Johnson by name “for the decision that keeps history on the right track.”

“Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to protect it,” he wrote on social media. “The vital U.S. aid bill passed today by the House will keep the war from expanding, save thousands and thousands of lives, and help both of our nations to become stronger.”

Outside the Capitol, a jubilant crowd waved Ukrainian flags and chanted, “Thank you U.S.A.” as exiting lawmakers gave them a thumbs-up and waved smaller flags of their own.

For months, it had been uncertain whether Congress would approve new funding for Ukraine, even as momentum shifted in Moscow’s favor. That prompted a wave of anxiety in Kyiv and in Europe that the United States, the single biggest provider of military aid to Ukraine, would turn its back on the young democracy.

And it raised questions about whether the political turmoil that has roiled the United States had effectively destroyed what has long been a strong bipartisan consensus in favor of projecting American values around the world. The last time the Congress approved a major tranche of funding to Ukraine was in 2022, before Republicans took control of the House.

With an “America First” sentiment gripping the party’s voter base, led by Mr. Trump, Republicans dug in last year against another aid package for Kyiv, saying the matter should not even be considered unless Mr. Biden agreed to stringent anti-immigration measures. When Senate Democrats agreed earlier this year to legislation that paired the aid with stiffer border enforcement provisions, Mr. Trump denounced it and Republicans rejected it out of hand.

But after the Senate passed its own $95 billion emergency aid legislation for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan without any immigration measures, Mr. Johnson began — first privately, then loudly — telling allies that he would ensure the U.S. would send aid to Kyiv.

In the end, even in the face of an ouster threat from ultraconservative members, he circumvented the hard-line contingent of lawmakers that once was his political home and relied on Democrats to push the measure through. It was a remarkable turnabout for a right-wing lawmaker who voted repeatedly against aid to Ukraine as a rank-and-file member, and as recently as a couple of months ago declared he would never allow the matter to come to a vote until his party’s border demands were met.

In the days leading up to the vote, Mr. Johnson began forcefully making the case that it was Congress’s role to help Ukraine fend off the advances of an authoritarian. Warning that Russian forces could march through the Baltics and Poland if Ukraine falls, Mr. Johnson said he had made the decision to advance aid to Kyiv because he “would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.”

“I think this is an important moment and important opportunity to make that decision,” Mr. Johnson told reporters at the Capitol after the votes. “I think we did our work here and I think history will judge it well.”

Mr. Johnson structured the measures, which were sent to the Senate as one bill, to capture different coalitions of support without allowing opposition to any one element to defeat the whole thing.

“I’m going to allow an opportunity for every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will,” he had said.

In a nod to right-wing demands, Mr. Johnson allowed a vote just before the foreign aid bills on a stringent border enforcement measure, but it was defeated after failing to reach the two-thirds majority needed for passage. And the speaker refused to link the immigration bill to the foreign aid package, knowing that would effectively kill the spending plan.

His decision to advance the package infuriated the ultraconservatives in his conference who accused Mr. Johnson of reneging on his promise not to allow a vote on foreign aid without first securing sweeping policy concessions on the southern border. It prompted two Republicans, Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona to join a bid by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia to oust Mr. Johnson from the top job.

Ms. Greene claimed the Ukraine aid bill supported “a business model built on blood and murder and war in foreign countries.”

“We should be funding to build up our weapons and ammunition, not to send it over to foreign countries,” she said before her proposal to zero out the money for Kyiv failed on a vote of 351 to 71.

Much of the funding for Ukraine is earmarked to replenish U.S. stockpiles after shipping supplies to Kyiv.

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Congress has appropriated $113 billion in funding to support Ukraine’s war effort. $75 billion was directly allocated to the country for humanitarian, financial and military support, and another $38 billion in security assistance-related funding was spent largely in the United States, according to the Institute for Study of War , a Washington-based research group.

Hard-right Republican opposition to the legislation — both on the House floor and in the critical Rules panel — forced Mr. Johnson to rely on Democrats to push the legislation across the finish line.

“If Ukraine does not receive this support that it requires to defeat Russia’s outrageous assault on its sovereign territory, the legacy of this Congress will be the appeasement of a dictator, the destruction of an allied nation and a fractured Europe,” said Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “Gone will be our credibility, in the eyes of our allies and of our adversaries. And gone will be the America that promised to stand up for freedom, democracy, and human rights, wherever they are threatened or wherever they are under attack.”

Thirty-seven liberal Democrats opposed the $26 billion aid package for Israel because the legislation placed no conditions on how Israel could use American funding, as the death toll in Gaza has reached more than 33,000 and the threat of famine looms. That showed a notable dent in the longstanding ironclad bipartisan backing for Israel in Congress, but was a relatively small bloc of opposition given that left-wing lawmakers had pressed for a large “no” vote on the bill to send a message to Mr. Biden about the depth of opposition within his political coalition to his backing for Israel’s tactics in the war.

“Sending more weapons to the Netanyahu government will make the U.S. even more responsible for atrocities and the horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza which is now in a season of famine,” said Representative Jonathan L. Jackson, Democrat of Illinois.

Carl Hulse , Annie Karni , and Kayla Guo contributed reporting from Washington and Marc Santora from Kyiv.

Catie Edmondson covers Congress for The Times. More about Catie Edmondson

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

The authorities in Poland and Germany have arrested at least five of their citizens  and accused them of spying for Russia or of offering to help Moscow commit violence on European soil, including a “possible attack” on the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

The drone combat in Ukraine that is transforming modern warfare has begun taking a deadly toll on one of the most powerful symbols  of American military might — the tank — and threatening to rewrite how it will be used in future conflicts.

At least 17 people were killed and scores more injured when three Russian missiles struck a busy downtown district of Chernihiv , north of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.

Resuming U.S. Military Aid: Much-needed munitions like artillery shells could start arriving relatively quickly , but experts say it could take weeks before U.S. assistance has a direct impact on the war . What would $60 billion buy ?

A Race to Hold the Line: The days of lightning battlefield breakthroughs  may be over. With Russia preparing to make a big push, the Ukrainians can do little but dig in.

Life in Ukrainian Villages: Russian assaults have all but destroyed the factories and plants that were the economic lifeblood  of the towns and cities in Ukraine’s east.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

'It's a stressful time': Financial aid delay has college decisions on hold in Michigan

Issues with the new fafsa have prompted some colleges to push back their enrollment deadline to june 1 as officials across the state encourage more students to fill out the form..

Howell — Howell High School senior Jack Johnston has aspirations of a career in environmental engineering so he applied to several colleges and filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which unlocks federal, state and institutional financial aid to college students based on their family's income.

In January, Johnston filled out the form, known as FAFSA, which was revamped in the past year to make it simpler and increase financial aid access to more students. But the form was released in late December, three months later than usual, a delay that college leaders across Michigan say led to a shorter FAFSA season this year and significantly fewer students filling out the form so far when compared to last year at this time.

The U.S. Department of Education's late rollout is just one issue that has plagued the search for financial aid this spring for graduating high school seniors and their families. It's also created uncertainty and delays for some students in knowing how much financial aid for which they will qualify to make paying for college more affordable. Without aid information, most students say they can't decide where they plan to go to college — causing college administrators to scramble to meet regular enrollment projections.

Among them is Johnston, who is still waiting to hear about his financial aid. On Friday, he participated in Howell High School's decision day, undecided. But he had a little fun by declaring his two top college choices: carrying a flag representing Massachusetts Institute of Technology, then later walking with friends declaring they will go to University of Michigan.

"Schools are expecting us to have an answer about where we want to start the rest of our lives and I don’t know how much it’s going to cost, which is a huge deciding factor," said Johnston, 18. "It’s a stressful time. ... But we are living with it. It will be OK in the end.”

As the traditional College Decision Day looms on May 1, many students like Johnston are still waiting to hear about their financial aid after filling out the FAFSA months ago.

The Department of Education has said delays in financial aid decisions were due, in part, to problems with tax information for families of prospective college students being transferred from the Internal Revenue Service and miscalculations, leading to incorrect financial need information for several thousand students that needed to be reprocessed.

"We are working hard to address these challenges and ensure schools have the information needed to package and make aid offers as quickly as possible," Richard Cordray, chief operating officer for DOE's Office of Federal Student Aid, wrote in an April 1 blog post .

While the federal agency scrambles to fix problems in the financial aid system, scores of other students still haven't filled out the form that can unlock thousands of dollars in need-based aid to make going to college more affordable. Some Michigan college officials worry about potential dips in enrollment in the state if fewer students complete the FAFSA.

A FAFSA is required to obtain several forms of federal funding, including the Pell Grant, which will award up to $7,395 in the 2024-25 school year for qualifying students.

FAFSA also makes forms of several state financial aid available to college students, including the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which awards up to $27,500 over five years to attend a four-year Michigan public university or college; up to $20,000 over five years to attend a Michigan private college or university; and up to $8,250 over three years to attend a Michigan community college. The FAFSA form also helps universities and colleges award students financial aid awarded by the institution.

Colleges push back deadlines

Some colleges and universities have a May 1 deadline for students to make a decision and put down a deposit so they can focus on going to orientation, registering for classes and taking care of other issues before the fall semester starts.

But the lingering issues of FAFSA have led some schools, such as the University of Detroit Mercy, to push back the deadline to June 1.

The private Catholic college in Detroit said it hasn't been able to put one financial aid package together for prospective students because of the delays with the new FAFSA form, and school officials know many students can't make a decision without that information. So they gave prospective students another month before committing.

"There has been a litany of issues," said Debbie Stieffel, UDM vice president for enrollment and student affairs.

Stieffel and other officials have heard from scores of students that their FAFSAs have been rejected when typically only a handful get rejected each year, she said. Many have had to make corrections and when they do, they have had difficulty because the FAFSA site has only been sporadically open and then students have heard that their financial aid award won't be recalculated until May.

"There's not enough time," Stieffel said. "... We are talking about a week and a half (before May 1) for families to make monumental decisions without having all the facts in front of them. We want to give students the opportunity to really review their financial packages before they were required to make a decision. Until students know how they can pay for it, they really can't tell us they are going to attend and submit a deposit."

Wayne State University and Central Michigan University have pushed back enrollment deadlines to June 1, also citing the FAFSA delays.

"Attending college is a major decision, and you need time to work with these students, and now you are cutting that window in half," said Ahmad Ezzeddine, WSU vice president for academic student affairs and global engagement. "It’s a concern because some students may decide to do something else besides attending college."

Push to fill out FAFSA

A push was underway last week nationwide and in Michigan to encourage graduating seniors to fill out the FAFSA after the Department of Education and the White House called for a National FAFSA Week of Action.

The call came as 29% of the national Class of 2024 have completed the FAFSA as of April 12, significantly less than the 47% of the Class of 2023 that completed the form at this same time last year, according to National College Attainment Network's  FAFSA Tracker . 

NCAN's tracker shows a similar trend in Michigan: Only 27.9% of high school seniors have turned in a FAFSA, ranking the state 29th in the nation for completion. At this same time last year, 17,231 more students had completed the form.

"High schools throughout the state, virtually every college and university, many nonprofits and the state of Michigan are working heavily to promote FAFSA completion in order to ensure that high school students that have a desire to enter postsecondary education this fall fully tap the vast amount of financial aid available to them," said Daniel Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities.

Some worry the slower pace of filling out FAFSA applications might decrease college attendance this fall as higher education was beginning to emerge from an enrollment dip during the pandemic and Michigan, like many states, is working to shore up the number of residents with a post-secondary education.

Out of all the issues with FAFSA this year, the significantly fewer number of students who have filed a FAFSA is the foremost concern, said Katie Condon-Martin, vice president, enrollment management at Eastern Michigan University.

"Ample evidence exists that completing the FAFSA is a leading indicator of a high school student's likelihood of attending college," said Condon-Martin. "There's been a notable decrease of over 17,000 Michigan high school seniors filing FAFSA this year compared to the previous one. This represents a 34% year-to-year decline, and the decline is even more dramatic for students representing minority and lower-income backgrounds."

"Despite ongoing efforts by colleges, universities, and high schools to encourage FAFSA completion since January, progress has been minimal over the past four months," Cordon-Martin continued. "FAFSA filing is crucial for students to access affordable education and pursue their academic aspirations."

Filling out FAFSA

Among the graduating seniors who have not filled out the FAFSA is Nicole Ragnone, a senior at Grand Ledge High School, near Lansing. She said she doesn't think she will get much financial aid because of her parents' income.

"I probably will fill it out just to see if anything will come out of it, but I don’t have high hopes," said Ragnone, who plans to start college at Lansing Community College then transfer to a four-year university. "I don’t know a whole lot about it, and neither do my parents."

This week, the Michigan College Access Network called on schools to get at least 15 students per school to fill out the FAFSA. A small goal per school would make it less overwhelming and put the state back on track in FAFSA completion, said MCAN Executive Director Ryan Fewins-Bliss.

On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist kicked off a competition in Michigan to encourage students to fill out the FAFSA by announcing a year of free pizza to 100 students who fill out the form and register by June 30. Filling out the FAFSA would only take 15 minutes, he said, and open the door to potential aid.

"This is important for the whole state of Michigan," Gilchrist told a group of students at Grand Ledge High School, near Lansing. "I want every one of you who decides you want to continue your education to be able to actually afford it."

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Moscow-City: 7 surprising facts about the Russian capital’s business center

1. Guinness World Record in highlining

The record was set in 2019 by a team of seven athletes from Russia, Germany, France and Canada. They did it on September 8, on which the ‘Moscow-City Day’ is celebrated. The cord was stretched at the height of 350 m between the ‘OKO’ (“Eye”) and ‘Neva Towers’ skyscrapers. The distance between them is 245 m. The first of the athletes to cross was Friede Kuhne from Germany. The athletes didn't just walk, but also performed some daredevil tricks. Their record is 103 meters higher than the previous one set in Mexico City in December 2016.

2. Domination of Europe's top-10 highest skyscrapers

7 out of 10 Europe’s highest skyscrapers are located in Moscow-City. Earlier, the  ‘Federation Tower’ complex’s ‘Vostok’ (“East”) skyscraper was the considered the tallest in Europe.

Left to right: the lower of the ‘Neva Towers’ (296 m), Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt (300 m), Gorod Stolits (“City of Capitals”) Moscow tower (302 m), Eurasia tower (309 m), The Shard’ skyscraper in London (310 m), Mercury City Tower (339 m), Neva Towers (345 m).

However, in 2018, the construction of the 462 meter tall ‘Lakhta Center’ in Saint-Petersburg was completed, pushing ‘Vostok’ (374 m) into 2nd place. The 3rd place is taken by OKO’s southern tower (354 m).

3. The unrealized ‘Rossiya’ tower

If all the building plans of Moscow-City were realized, the ‘Lakhta Center’ in St. Petersburg wouldn't have a chance to be Europe's highest skyscraper. Boris Tkhor, the architect who designed the concept of Moscow-City, had planned for the ‘Rossiya’ tower to be the tallest. In his project, it was a 600 meter tall golden cylindrical skyscraper ending with a spire that was inspired by traditional Russian bell towers. Then, the project was reinvented by famous British architect Sir Norman Foster. He had designed ‘Rossiya’ as a pyramid ending with a spire. The skyscraper itself would have been 612 meters tall, and the height including the spire would have reached 744,5 meters (for comparison, the ‘Burj Khalifa’ in Dubai, UAE, would have been just 83,5 meters taller). Unfortunately, the investors faced a lot of economic problems, due to the 2008 financial crisis, so the ‘Rossiya’ skyscraper was never built. A shopping mall and the ‘Neva Towers’ complex was constructed at its place in 2019.

4. Changed appearance of ‘Federation Tower’

In its first project, the ‘Federation Tower’ was designed to resemble a ship with a mast and two sails. The mast was to be represented by a tall glass spire with passages between the towers. It was planned to make a high-speed lift in it. The top of the spire was going to be turned into an observation deck. But the ship lost its mast in the middle of its construction. Experts at the Moscow-city Museum based in the ‘Imperia’ (“Empire”) tower say, that the construction of the spire was stopped, firstly, due to fire safety reasons and secondly, because it posed a threat to helicopter flights – the flickering glass of the spire could potentially blind the pilots. So, the half-built construction was disassembled. However, an observation deck was opened in the ‘Vostok’ tower.

5. Open windows of ‘Federation Tower’

We all know that the windows of the upper floors in different buildings don’t usually open. Experts say that it’s not actually for people’s safety. Falling from a big height is likely to be fatal in any building. The actual reason is the ventilation system. In a skyscraper, it’s managed with a mechanical system, and the building has its own climate. But in the ‘Zapad’ (“West”) tower of the ‘Federation Tower’ complex, the windows can open. The 62nd and last floor of the tower are taken up by a restaurant called ‘Sixty’. There, the windows are equipped with a special hydraulic system. They open for a short period of time accompanied by classical music, so the guests can take breathtaking photos of Moscow.

6. Broken glass units of ‘Federation Tower’

The guests of the ‘Sixty’ restaurant at the top of the ‘Zapad’ tower can be surprised to see cracked glass window panes. It is particularly strange, if we take into consideration the special type of this glass. It is extremely solid and can’t be broken once installed. For example, during experiments people threw all sorts of heavy items at the windows, but the glass wouldn’t break. The broken glass units of ‘Zapad’ were already damaged during shipment . As each of them is curved in its own way to make the tower’s curvature smooth, making a new set of window panes and bringing them to Russia was deemed too expensive . Moreover, the investors had financial problems (again, due to the 2008 financial crisis), so the ‘Vostok’ tower even stood unfinished for several years. Eventually, the cracked window panes were installed in their place.

7. The highest restaurant in Europe

‘Birds’, another restaurant in Moscow-City, is remarkable for its location. It was opened at the end of 2019 on the 84th floor of the ‘OKO’ complex’s southern tower. Guests at the restaurant can enjoy an amazing panoramic view at a height of 336 meters. On January 28, the experts of ‘Kniga Recordov Rossii’ (“Russian Records Book”) declared ‘Birds’ the highest restaurant in Europe, a step toward an application for a Guinness World Record.

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25 Best Universities In Moscow For International Students 2024

Moscow is surely one of the places you should be considering if you’re looking to study in Russia . This location has a lot to offer for international students, including world-class universities and exciting student experiences. With more than 59 universities and colleges in Moscow, you’ll surely have a wide range of choices.

Out of 59 universities in Moscow , RUDN University and Moscow State University are the top-performing schools in Moscow. This list covers both public and private institutions in Moscow.

To help you narrow down your school options, we’ve compiled the best universities in Moscow. We based our rankings on academic reputations from reputable sources and the number of international students. By doing this, you’ll have an efficient way of comparing your target universities and choose your host university in Moscow.

How do I get admission to the best universities in Moscow?

Applying to the universities in Moscow involves submitting requirements and following specific admissions procedures set by your chosen university. The requirements often include a student visa, application packages, and language scores. Check out our guide for international students who want to study in Moscow to learn more about applying for admission in this country’s universities!

How much are the tuition fees at the best universities in Moscow?

Tuition fees at Moscow’s universities can vary depending on which university, degree, and program you will be enrolling in. Generally, tuition fees for the bachelor’s level range from 0 RUB to 730,000 RUB , while tuition fees for the master’s level range from 0 RUB to 870,000 RUB. If you are interested, check out the affordable universities in Moscow !

As we cover the best universities in Moscow for international students, feel free to check out the university’s information on Admission, Tuition, Courses, and Language Requirements by looking at the individual university pages.

Top Universities in Moscow for International Students

1 rudn university.

RUDN University is one of the best universities in the capital city of Russia and is known as The People’s Friendship University of Russia. This higher education institution is mostly known for the high number of international students attracted to this university’s high ranking. The university is ranked among the world’s top 500 universities, which speaks volumes about the level of study this university provides.

2 Moscow State University

Moscow State University is one of the largest public universities in Moscow, Russia. This university is the cornerstone of formal higher education, and it provides education to close to 40,000 students. Some of the most attended programs are in the fields of economics, politics, and finance, where students gain real-world experience that may help them in their careers.

3 National Research Nuclear University MEPhI

The National Research Nuclear University MEPhI is one of the world’s most prestigious universities in its field and the perfect place for candidates that would like to specialize in nuclear technology. It focuses on fostering innovation, creativity, and internationalization. The university is known for its wide and highly specialized degree offer and its outstanding research performance. It has multiple institutes that develop studies in areas like nanoengineering, cyber-physical systems, and plasma technologies. These projects are completed in state-of-the-art facilities that include a research nuclear reactor and an accelerator.

4 National Research University Higher School of Economics

The National Research University Higher School of Economics, or otherwise known as HSE University, is one of the best universities of higher education in the capital city of Russia. This institution has one of the largest campuses in the country that houses approximately 50,000 students and can provide them with all the necessary equipment for them to have the best possible experience.

5 National University of Science and Technology MISIS

The National University of Science and Technology MISIS started as a mining academy and then became a steel institute. Over time, it expanded its course offer and modernized its facilities, but it’s still widely known for its programs in metallurgy and mining. Nowadays, the university has six campuses, 8 academic colleges, and multiple research institutes. They also have cutting-edge specialized laboratories in fields such as nanomaterials, cryoelectronic systems, biophysics, casting technologies, and much more!

6 I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University or usually referred to as Sechenov University was founded in 1758, making it the oldest medical school in Russia. It was initially the medical faculty of the Imperial Moscow University and eventually became independent in 1930. At present, the university has more than 18,000 total enrollment and offers undergraduate to Ph.D. programs in Medicine, Sciences, and Professional Education.

7 Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

The Plekhanov Russian University of Economics is a public university with over a century’s history of world-class economics and management education. Programs at the university are strongly focused on practical learning and provide opportunities for students to gain professional and international experience with its numerous partner employers around the world. The university also conducts several initiatives and projects that aim to address different educational, industrial, and social issues. 

8 Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration is a very young institution of higher education located in the capital city of Russia. This university has grown in popularity in the region, and it now has over 46,000 students studying in various fields. Despite its youth, this university is ranked among the top 801 universities in the world by the prestigious QS World University Rankings.

9 Bauman University

Bauman University is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. It specializes in education and research in applied sciences and engineering. The university boasts excellent programs for all levels of higher education and is home to some of the most advanced scientific laboratories and facilities in the country.

10 Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation

Ranked among the best universities in Russia and the world, the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation is a specialized institution that aims at contributing to the country’s economic development and financial transformation. This is a prestigious university known for being the educational home of many important Russian figures including prominent politicians, millionaires, and CEOs of important companies. It focuses on providing hands-on learning and encouraging critical thinking by using methods like case studies, discussions, and financial projects. It also has partnerships with governmental bodies and major businesses in order to offer workshops, academic collaborations, and internship opportunities.

11 N.R.U. Moscow Power Engineering Institute

N.R.U. Moscow Power Engineering Institute is a public technical university in Moscow with a prominent reputation for producing outstanding scientists and engineers for more than 90. It is also one of the most sought-after universities for aspiring engineers from around the world. The university also has numerous cooperation agreements with foreign universities and companies for its students and faculty to participate in different international programs and activities. 

12 Moscow State Pedagogical University

Moscow State Pedagogical University is a Russian higher education institute that offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs. It was established as the Women’s Courses of Higher Education in 1872 and underwent a transformative journey to what it is now. The university is well-recognized with International Partners across the globe, such as the University College of Teacher Education Vienna in Austria, the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic, and the CY Cergy Paris University in France. Accessibility is a forefront advocacy with dedicated institutes for it, such as the Center for Student Disability Services and Psychological Assistance Center.

13 Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia

The Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia is the largest institution that offers education, training, and research in chemical technology in the country. The university was established in 1898 and is dedicated to raising future engineers and specialists who can formulate solutions to the most pressing scientific, industrial, and societal problems. It is also the alma mater of several notable individuals with significant contributions to different branches of science and chemistry.  

14 Russian National Research Medical University

Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RSMU) is a private university specializing in medicine located in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1906 as the Higher Medical Course for Women. Among the programs available at the university are general medicine, pediatrics, biochemistry, dentistry, pharmacy, social work, psychology, neuroscience, and radiology.

15 Moscow State Institute of International Relations

The Moscow State Institute of International Relations is one of the most prestigious and elite universities in Russia and the world, making it the perfect place for studying anything related to diplomacy, economics, international affairs, or languages. This institution strives for internationalization, which is why it has partnerships with multiple universities worldwide with which it offers dozens of double and triple degrees. It has different research institutes that develop studies in diplomacy, governance, energy policy, and global matters. Additionally, it constantly collaborates with international organizations and local governmental bodies.

16 Moscow Aviation Institute

Moscow Aviation Institute is an aviation school that offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Postgraduate level programs. Both the Russian and English languages are used as mediums of instruction. Aside from these university programs, Pre-university and Professional training programs are also offered. Nine dormitory options filled with quality service facilities are present for student residents. Three Metro stations are also near the campus, providing sufficient access for students with no personal vehicles.

17 Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas

The Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas is a specialized institution of higher education. This institution mostly focuses on developments in the field of oil and gas extraction and the safety of this direction. The main attraction for students is the affordable tuition prices for top-of-the-crop programs that are taught by experts in the relevant fields.

18 Russian State Social University

The Russian State Social University is a distinguished university in the country of Russia because it provides all levels of study to both domestic and international students with the opportunity to gain various financial aid through university or state-funded scholarships. This university is located in Moscow and was founded in 1991, but it is making its way slowly toward the ranking of the best universities in Russia.

19 Moscow Polytechnic University

Established in 1865, Moscow Polytechnic University, or Moscow Poly, is one of Russia’s educational institutions that provide technology-related programs. Currently, they deliver education to more than 16,000 local and international students. As they provide top-quality education and research in various fields, they also have various activities on campus to foster diversity.

20 Synergy University

Synergy University was established in 1988 and is one of the top business schools in Russia. The university’s programs are focused on providing strong fundamental knowledge of different principles, theories, and concepts and combining it with experiential learning to develop its students’ skill sets, thereby preparing them for the professional world. Synergy University has a student population of over 65,000 and has international campuses and branches in Dubai, London, United Arab Emirates, and New York.

21 National Research University of Electronic Technology

The National Research University of Electronic Technology is a public university that offers undergraduate and graduate-level education. In total, there are 40 Bachelor’s programs and 42 Master’s programs. It was founded in 1965 and was only officially renamed to its current title in 2011. Annual enrolment is estimated to be 4500 students, and over 600 academic staff are present to handle them. Not only do other universities partner with the National Research University of Electronic Technology, but over 131 corporations also cooperate with it.

22 Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism

Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sport, and Tourism is a leading sports university in Russia. It was established in 1918 and is known for producing over 200 outstanding athletes that have made their marks in prestigious international competitions such as the Olympics. The academic and research programs at the university are conducted by highly qualified and reputable coaches, experts, and scientists to further enhance athlete training and prepare future sports champions and professionals. 

23 Moscow City Teachers’ Training University

Moscow City Teachers’ Training University is a public university in Moscow, Russia. The Ministry of Education established it in 1995 as a pedagogical university, with only 1300 students in its first year. The university currently has over 18,000 students and offers degree programs in the humanities, natural sciences, sports technology, law, business, and language studies.

24 New Economic School

The New Economic School (NES) is a private institution located in Moscow that focuses on teaching and research in the field of economics. It takes pride in having a faculty made up of established professionals from the field, most of them holding a Ph.D. NES aims to train students who will be able to make valuable contributions to the growth of Russian society and business.

25 State University of Management

The State University of Management has been a frontrunner in providing management education in Russia for over 100 years. The university offers practice-oriented management education and training in different specializations such as business informatics, hotel management, and advertising. The State University of Management also conducts intensive research and innovative projects aimed at improving its academic programs and responding to the needs of the country’s economy. 

We know that choosing your dream school in Moscow not an easy task. After all, you need to consider other factors like the cost of your education, school background, and population, as it can be overwhelming on your part.

So, to help you out further in weighing your school options for studying in Moscow , make sure to visit our list of the best public and private universities in Moscow! These articles will surely help you in deciding your next study destination!

House passes aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan after months of Republican infighting

WASHINGTON – The House approved a set of long-awaited foreign aid bills on Saturday that would send funds to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region after months of it being stalled by Republican infighting.

Passage of the bills also could cost Speaker Mike Johnson his leadership position and status as second in line to the presidency.

The bills mostly mirror an earlier foreign aid package the Senate passed this year. But this one is broken up into pieces as an attempt by Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to appease his conference by allowing GOP lawmakers to pick and choose what aspects of the bill they support. 

Johnson’s foreign aid plan includes three bills that separately fund Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region, along with a fourth bill that includes various GOP-backed foreign policy priorities as a sweetener to entice Republicans to back the proposal. Those provisions would include seizing frozen Russian assets to fund the Ukrainian war effort along with legislation that could result in a nationwide ban on the popular social media app TikTok.

All bills passed the House on a bipartisan basis, but the legislation funding Ukraine proved to be the most contentious as U.S. support for Kyiv continues to fall among the House GOP ranks. The House passed the bill providing roughly $60 billion in Ukraine by a vote of 311-112.

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The Israel bill also proved to be problematic among progressive Democrats who have called for conditioning aid to the country over its conduct in the war-torn Gaza Strip as international aid organizations warn of incoming famine in the territory. Lawmakers approved more than $26 billion in Israel funding and humanitarian assistance in the region by a vote of 366-58. 

Aid to the Indo-Pacific region aimed at deterring China was far less controversial, and lawmakers passed about $8 billion to the region by a vote of 385-34. The sweetener bill also passed, 360-58. 

All four bills will be compiled into one package to send to the Senate, which is expected to approve the legislation as well. President Joe Biden has vowed to sign the package “immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed.”

The final package was a long time coming and came together after months of dithering by Johnson, who was under intense pressure by leaders from both sides of the aisle to advance foreign aid. At first, Johnson sided with ultraconservative lawmakers who insisted that any assistance abroad must be paired with significant changes to border and immigration policy to address the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

But in recent days, the speaker appeared to have shifted in his views of foreign aid, delivering remarks to reporters on Wednesday about the urgent need for the U.S. to show support for its allies.

“Providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. ... I really do believe the intel in the briefings that we’ve gotten. I believe Xi (Jinping) and Vladimir Putin and Iran really are an axis of evil. I think they’re in coordination on this. I think that Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe if he were allowed,” Johnson said.

“To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,” Johnson continued, adding that his son is entering the U.S. Naval Academy this fall. “This is a live-fire exercise for me as it is so many American families. This is not a game. This is not a joke.”

Passage of the foreign aid package also appears like it will leave Johnson’s speakership in peril. Conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. , along with two other Republicans, are seeking to oust the speaker for working with Democrats to pass legislation. Greene has declined to offer a timeline for when she would move to remove the speaker but has previously suggested she would do so the moment the House passes Ukraine aid. 

Regardless, Johnson said his “philosophy is you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may” and that he was “willing to take personal risk” for his job if it meant Congress could pass foreign aid.

A small group of bipartisan negotiators in the Senate cobbled together a foreign aid package that did include sweeping changes in border and immigration policy that looked ready to clear the upper chamber earlier this year, but at the behest of former President Donald Trump , who opposed the bill, congressional Republicans ultimately killed the deal.

The Senate later passed the foreign aid package completely stripped of changes in border policy and as months went by, Senate leaders from both parties called on Johnson to pass the deal immediately. 

The speaker ultimately opted to split the bill into several different components with slight modifications to win Republican support, including converting direct financial assistance to Ukraine as a loan that can eventually be forgiven by the U.S. 

In an attempt to placate the hard-right who were incensed by the speaker’s decision, a fifth bill that resembled a strict partisan bill Republicans passed last year to address the southern border – referred to as H.R. 2 – was offered a vote on the floor, but failed to garner the support necessary to pass. Conservatives derided the bill which appeared to be a peace offering as an attempt from the speaker to save face.

What happens next in the lower chamber is uncertain, as House lawmakers began a weeklong recess right after passing the foreign aid package on Saturday. Once they return to Capitol Hill, Johnson is expected to enter a political fight for his life as Greene, backed by other conservatives, threaten to supplant him.