The Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University) is one of the oldest universities in Russia that prepares specialists in various aspects of international relations. The founding day of MGIMO is believed to be October 14, 1944, when the USSR Council of People's Commissars reorganized the School of International Relations of the Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov into an autonomous Institute. The first MGIMO admission comprised 200 students. Since 1946 MGIMO has enrolled foreign students. Initially MGIMO consisted of three Schools: The School of International Relations, The School of Economics and The School of Law. In 1954 MGIMO was integrated with one of the oldest Russian institutes — the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies, the successor of the famous Lasarevsky College. As the result the Department of Oriental Studies was established. The Library of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations was greatly enriched as it included a famous Lasarevskaya Library that was unparalleled in Moscow at the moment.

In 1958 MGIMO incorporated the Institute of Foreign Trade of the USSR Ministry for Foreign Trade. This led to an expansion of the School of Economics that focused on training specialists for foreign trade and external economic activities. In 1969 the School of International Law and the School of International Journalism were established.

In 1991 a new School was founded within the structure of MGIMO — The School of International Business and Business Administration. The year of 1998 was marked by founding the School of Political Science.

Following the decision of the Russian Government, since 1994 the University has offered supplementary training in governmental and municipal management for government officials. Nowadays this training is provided by a new division of the University — The International Institute of Administration.

In February of 2000 in compliance with the initiative of the leading Russian oil, gas and energy companies the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy was established within the framework of MGIMO-University. The mission of the Institute is to train senior staff that will promote international energy cooperation.

In 1994 the Moscow State Institute of International Relations was granted the status of University.

Over six decades of development MGIMO has became a well known University and research center offering a variety of courses in 12 fields: international relations and diplomacy, regional studies and world politics, world economy and commerce, international public, private and finance law, EU law, political science, governmental and municipal government, journalism and public relations. The University's structure comprises 8 Schools, 4 Institutes. 53 languages are taught in MGIMO-University.

MGIMO currently enrolls more than 5,000 students from 60 Russia's areas and 64 foreign countries. Over the years MGIMO-University has trained more than 30,000 students including 5,000 foreign students. Many high-ranking officials, political leaders, diplomats, scholars (20 Members and Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences), businessmen and journalists graduated from MGIMO-University. More than two thirds of the diplomatic personnel have been trained in the University. The President of Azerbaijan Ilham G. Aliev, Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Mongolia are well known alumni of MGIMO.

The academic staff of MGIMO was presented by outstanding scholars from the very beginning. The University gave rise to many schools of thought that continue to be enriched in Russia and abroad. Such academicians as E. V. Tarle, L. N. Ivanov, V. G. Trukhanovskiy, S. L Tikhvinskiy, N. N. Inozemtsev, U. P. Frantsev and others spent years working in MGIMO-University. Nowadays the University is famous for its distinguished professors like E. M. Primakov, N. P. Laverov, N. A. Simonia, V. K. Pivovarov. The overall number of academic staff exceeds 1,000 professors and assistant professors (including 122 professors holding the degree "Doctor of Sciences", more than 400 assistant professors holding the degree "Candidate of Sciences" and 20 academicians and Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences). MGIMO professors made an important contribution to the development of expertise in international relations, regional studies, international law, international economic relations, political science. The authority of MGIMO professors is proved by hundreds of manuals and thousands of scientific works published.

Basic works of MGIMO outstanding scholars translated into many foreign languages became widely known abroad. Many professors for their works on history, economics, law, culture, literature and foreign languages were awarded honorary titles and rewards by foreign states for their contribution to the development of scientific and cultural ties between nations.

MGIMO-University keeps in touch with numerous foreign universities and schools. The University serves as coordinator for universities in Russia and CIS countries as for the following academic branches: international relations, regional studies, public relations and publicity. The cooperation with foreign universities of the USA, France, Germany, Japan, India, China aims to create common education area, to collaborate within the framework of Bologna process. Several foreign eminent scholars, statesmen and public leaders were granted the title "Doctors Honoris Causa of MGIMO". MGIMO-University actively cooperates with Russian research institutes in particular with the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and with the Schools of International Relations of Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University and Kazan State University.

• Center for Global Issues, MGIMO