Three students from the University of Ibadan have won Russian Federation government scholarships to pursue master's degree programmes at Southern Federal University in Rostov on Don, Russia, beginning September 2026.

The beneficiaries, Oluwafemi Ilesanmi, Fasanya Deborah Oluwaferanmi, and Oluwasemilore Odekeye, all from the Russian Unit of the Department of European Studies, earned their places through a competitive two stage examination process that tested their knowledge of Philology and academic writing.

The selection process involved an initial online assessment, followed by a second stage comprising both objective questions and essay writing conducted under monitored virtual conditions. Ilesanmi, who scored 77 marks above the 75 cut off, disclosed that a lecturer in the department, Dr Adeola Oluwafemi, guided him through the application.

"The assessment had two stages. The first stage was an online examination with over 30 questions on Philology. The second stage had both objective and essay components. I wrote on 'Strategies for Effective Communication in a Multicultural Environment,'" he noted.

Fasanya, who scored 87 marks, acknowledged the difficulty of the process, revealing she nearly withdrew due to technical concerns during the second stage.

"The second stage was quite challenging and almost made me give up. There was constant fear of network failure, but the result was both surprising and encouraging," she stated.

Odekeye expressed gratitude for the recognition, describing the scholarship as a significant milestone.

"I'm grateful to God for this opportunity and honoured to have been selected among many qualified candidates. This scholarship from Southern Federal University is a rare opportunity and an important step toward my academic and professional goals," he said, adding that the programme would deepen his language proficiency and provide firsthand cultural and international exposure. He also urged the department to revive its immersion programme for future students.

The achievement coincides with notable international engagements by Dr Oluwafemi, who won a Russian language lecturer internship at the State Institute of Russian Language named after Alexander S. Pushkin in Moscow in February 2025 and represented the University of Ibadan in a memorandum of understanding programme with the National Research Technical University, Irkutsk, from July to August 2025.

Russian Programme Coordinator Prof. Kayode Omotade described the development as a milestone, while Head of Department Prof. Amos Igbayilola congratulated the beneficiaries and staff.