OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2009. Philology, economy and law are the most popular major among foreign students at Francysk Skaryna Gomel State University (GSU), head of the GSU international relations department Ludmila Protchenko announced.

Foreign citizens can apply to the university till August-September 2009. According to Ludmila Protchenko, the interest of Turkmenistan students in the GSU has sharply increased this year. The GSU admission board used to get one or two applications from Turkmenistan citizens. This year the university has received 100 applications.

Enrolment procedure of students from foreign countries differs from that of Belarusian entrants. The university can admit only a limited number of students. It depends on a number of conditions, including the possibility to provide foreign students with a place in a hostel.

The most important condition of admitting foreign citizens to the GSU is fluent knowledge of Russian and high educational level which is defined during an interview. Those who cannot speak Russian or speak it poorly, have an opportunity to take a one-year course at the preparatory department. After finishing it, students get a standard certificate, which enables them to apply to the universities of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Yet, having spent a year at the GSU, foreign students tend to stay at this very university. In 2009 fourteen foreign students received preparatory department certificates.

At present 122 foreign students from Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, China, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen, India and Germany study at Francysk Skaryna GSU.