Doing a post-grad at a Russian university has become easier for students from abroad. In an effort to attract more brain-power, the country has top unis candidates.

The government has just approved a list of 210 foreign universities from 25 countries whose graduates will be able to avoid the bureaucratic hassle involved when applying to a Russian place of higher education.

The complex procedure of foreign diplomas’ nostrification will now be automatic. Those willing to get a degree in Russia will simply need to have their diplomas translated. In the past, it took around $100 and over four months to verify an overseas degree.

The list includes 66 American, 30 British, 13 German and 11 Chinese universities. There are also universities located in Singapour, Denmark, Japan, South Africa, Italy, and other countries. All of them enter the top 300 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities or the QS World University Rankings.

The reform is intended to attract more students to take part in Russian MA and PhD programs.

Another target is to gather highly-qualified foreign specialists, among them lecturers and researchers. Foreign lecturers, education experts say, will bring to Russian universities brand new ideas and teaching approaches. They could also help students prepare for foreign exchanges and business trips.

“The people holding foreign degrees previously could not be employed in public service, join the government, the ministries; they could not participate in decision-making,” Aleskey Sitnikov, from the International Development Department in the Skolkovo research hub, told RT. “Now these opportunities are created, and hopefully, these people will come.”

This is not the first time Russia has eased its red-tape to motivate foreign specialists to come to the country.

First of all, the amendments concern expats who are going to teach at Russia’s institutes and universities.

Back in March 2011, expat lecturers were allowed to teach in Russian universities without special permission. Before that, if an expat came to the country with a business or tourist visa, he had to leave the country and apply again for a work visa.