Today, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) celebrates its 82nd anniversary. Founded on October 14, 1944, on the basis of Moscow State University’s School of International Relations, MGIMO began training diplomats for a country that would help shape the postwar world order. Welcoming international students has been part of its identity almost from the outset: in 1946, exactly 80 years ago, MGIMO admitted its first students from abroad.As international relations evolved, so did the institute. In 1954, it incorporated the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies, whose roots reach back to the Lazarev School of Oriental Languages, founded in 1815. The Institute of Foreign Trade followed in 1958. These mergers united diplomatic training with in-depth study of world regions, foreign languages and international economics. In 1994, MGIMO gained university status while retaining its historic name.
Over the decades, MGIMO has developed from a specialist institute for training diplomats into a multidisciplinary centre for education and research. Its core mission, however, has endured: to prepare professionals who can understand a changing world and help shape its future.
MGIMO’s alumni include heads of state and government, foreign ministers and leaders of international organisations:• Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (MGIMO ’75), President of Kazakhstan
• Ilham Aliyev (MGIMO ’82), President of Azerbaijan
• Irina Bokova (MGIMO ’76), Director-General of UNESCO from 2009 to 2017
• Talatbek Masadykov (MGIMO ’84), Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
• Saleumxay Kommasith (MGIMO ’92), unanimously confirmed as Prime Minister of Laos on October 5 of this year
Today, MGIMO is home to students from more than 90 countries.For international students, studying at MGIMO offers an opportunity to discover Russia through its language, history and culture. This diverse university community brings different perspectives into the classroom, helping students understand global issues in their wider historical and cultural context. The relationships formed along the way often grow into lasting friendships and professional partnerships.
MGIMO also holds a distinctive place in international relations scholarship.
Its scholars explore the forces shaping global affairs, the ways historical experience informs contemporary policy, and the varied interests and visions of the future that guide societies. Through their own theoretical perspectives and approaches, Russian scholars contribute to international academic debate and offer new ways of understanding how the world is changing.
Congratulations to MGIMO’s students, alumni, faculty and staff — all those who carry its traditions forward, advance Russia’s rich tradition of international relations scholarship and deepen our understanding of global affairs. May the years ahead bring new discoveries, bold ideas and fruitful international collaboration.
Happy Birthday, MGIMO!
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