Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University)

MGIMO is Russia's most prestigious educational institution for young people with international interests. For international students, MGIMO is that and more: a modern, welcoming, and intellectually stimulating place to study in Russia’s greatest city. MGIMO’s diverse student body of 6,000 is drawn from the top ranks of Russian students and from partner universities around the world. MGIMO offers a broad range of courses at undergraduate and graduate levels — from international law, political science, and economics, to journalism, business management, and energy policy. International undergraduates can pursue intellectually challenging and exciting coursework alongside their Russian peers. Students seeking a Master degree can apply for one of MGIMO’s groundbreaking double-degree programs, offered in partnership with international institutions, or seek a place in one of more than thirty MA programs taught in Russian.

For all its history, MGIMO is continuing to remake itself. In the last five years, the university has formed numerous new partnerships with leading institutions around the world. MGIMO is integrating fully into the Bologna accords, spelling out strict standards for European higher learning institutions. The University is also committed to fostering an ever-evolving student body, curriculum, and campus life that continues to reflect its reputation as Russia’s most prestigious and most advanced place for understanding international affairs.

MGIMO was founded on 14th of October 1944 by a special decree of the Soviet Government on the basis of the recently established School of International Relations of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The new university, initially headed by Ivan Udaltsov, a famous Soviet economist and former Moscow State University Rector, represented an exceptional type of higher school from its very outset. Despite its proximity to political elites, MGIMO always maintained the spirit of intellectual freedom encouraging independent thinking in its students.

By early 1950s, MGIMO comprised three schools, since its ancestor, the School of History and International Relations was added by the School of International Law and the School of International Economic Relations. In 1955, the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies was integrated into MGIMO. The range of taught languages and country studies was significantly extended to include those of China, India, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, and states of the Middle East. In 1958, MGIMO incorporated one more university — of Foreign Trade — and became the national leader of education and expertise in International Relations. In 1967 the School of Journalism was added to the scope of education and research fields.

The profound social changes in the second half of 1980s affected MGIMO by making it a fully open institution. In 1989, admission on a commercial basis started and first students from Western countries began to arrive. In 1991, the MGIMO Alumni Association was founded under the leadership of Rostislav Sergeyev, the Ambassador and one of the first MGIMO graduates.

1992 saw the creation of the School of International Business and Business Administration, reflecting the substantial changes that the Russian economy was undergoing. In 1994, MGIMO started providing training services in the area of state and public administration based on international practices through a newly established International Institute of Administration. The same year a Department of Politics was introduced within the School of International Relations and evolved into the separate School of Political Science in 1998.

The next decade saw the further buildup of reforms and improvement of educational quality, including newly opened schools and Master programs with the number of partnering universities abroad. In 2000, two educational divisions were established - Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy and School of Applied Economics and Commerce. In 2005, the Russia–EU Summit passed resolution for creating the European Studies Institute on MGIMO basis to provide Master training of the European politics, economics and law. The new division was aimed at providing Russian and European officials with comprehensive knowledge and competencies to promote Russia-EU relations.

In 2006, the MGIMO Board of Trustees was established with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, as its Chairman. The Trustees are Russian high-ranking officials and prominent public figures, as well as Russian and foreign leaders of business and philanthropic community (such as Ingvar Kamprad, the IKEA founder, and Frederik Paulsen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Ferring Pharmaceuticals”, Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Lausanne). A year later, the MGIMO Board of Trustees established the Russia’s first university Endowment designed to secure the long-term financial standing of the University.

In 2013 The School of Governance and Global Affairs was launched as the first Russian school to train international students in English at Bachelor’s level. In 2016 the Odintsovo Branch of MGIMO-University was established and officially opened in accordance with the MGIMO 2014-2020 Strategic Development Plan.

MGIMO is the best Russian university for international students who are interested in studying foreign affairs. Its courses are modern, exciting and intellectually challenging. The University offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs — from international law, political science, and economics, to journalism, business management, and energy policy. MGIMO is also committed to fostering an ever-evolving student body, curriculum, and campus life that continues to reflect its reputation as the most advanced place in Russia for understanding foreign affairs.

MGIMO was the first in Russia to join the European Universities Association, to fully integrate into the Bologna process, spelling out strict standards for European educational institutions. The University has been a Russian home for students from around the world for nearly 60 years, providing more than 6,000 international graduates the education to flourish as leaders in private and public sectors. In addition, MGIMO has close ties with the world’s leading educational centers, across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

MGIMO provides tuition for Bachelor and Master degree programs recognized around the world, with students gaining qualifications which are the keys to employment and academic opportunities internationally. When it comes to providing students with a context for understanding the contemporary world – be it through diplomacy, public administration, business, economics, law or journalism, not to mention the 53 languages it teaches each term – MGIMO is unique.

MGIMO incorporates the best aspects of a classical university with those of a research center. This approach provides students with close access to more than 1200 faculty members, including 20 full members and members of the renowned Russian Academy of Sciences, a further 113 with senior doctorate degree and 400 Ph.D. MGIMO’s academia always takes pride in its students.

MGIMO community is traditionally welcoming to foreign students. Moreover, the University is constantly expanding its partnership network. Today MGIMO is successfully cooperating with more than 170 universities and institutions from more than 50 countries. We are able to offer programs that are taught in English full-time. The students may also choose from a wide range of dual-degree programs thus gaining two diplomas in their field of study.

MGIMO consistently ranks highly in university ratings. «2015 Global Go To Think Tank» report issued by University of Pennsylvania represented MGIMO among worldwide research leaders, e.g. № 30 in Think Tanks with the Most Significant Impact on Public Policy and № 12 in Top Think Tanks in Central and Eastern Europe. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MGIMO is an esteemed policy think-tank and forum for debate and analysis of international developments and current affairs, with its contributions to global analysis highly sought after.

The University is renowned for its academic excellence, meaning the brightest of Russia’s future leaders are studying there now, with an increasing number of their counterparts from abroad. Each year Russia’s best high school graduates compete for enrollment. At some programs – especially economics, law, and international relations – the contest reaches up to 50 applicants per student’s position.

MGIMO alumni community represents presidents, prime ministers, a few UN Deputies Secretary-General, the UNESCO Director-General, the OSCE Chairman, EU Commissioners, over 900 Russian and foreign ambassadors, 10 ministers of foreign affairs, over 30 fellows of the Russian and foreign academies of sciences.

MGIMO offers its students the broadest opportunities for creative self-accomplishment. Various student organiza­tions fill the calendar with additional social and sport events. Of course, MGIMO is in Moscow, one of the world’s great cities, with an array of cultural and historical treasures, vibrant cul­ture and dazzling lifestyle events. It offers easy access to the diversity and energy of contem­porary Russia, and its epic cultural heritage. MGIMO is a wonderful life experience for in­ternational students.