MGIMO University

MGIMO University

MGIMO University is a university in Russia. Part of their mission is to serve as "a mechanism for promoting the long-term interests of Russia in the international arena."

About

From the MGIMO University website:

MGIMO is Russia’s most revered educational institution with a wide range of educational programs and specializations. Enjoying the excellent reputation and high positions in academic ratings the University has built up a wide net of international contacts. The development of bilateral and multilateral contacts continues to be a key priority of the MGIMO strategy today.

Mission

From the MGIMO University website:

MGIMO’s mission, as an academic center and a think-tank, is to promote its potential on the Russian and global scale as:

• an advanced university of a “new generation” where strategies are developed for enhancing the development of education, research, international relations and corporate governance;

• a leading university in Eurasia, Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, continental East Asia, the Middle East among the universities of socio-economic, legal and language studies, as well as in the field of international fundamental and applied research;

• one of the main hubs of university networks of such multilateral institutions as CIS, SCO, BRICS, the Eurasian Economic Union and the CSTO;

• a widely recognized center of postgraduate education in international competences for creating advanced innovative knowledge by lifelong learning;

• a center that creates the standards and promotes the best practices of global think-tanks among Russian and post-Soviet universities, as well as promotes Russian higher education in the global academic and research environment;

• the main university for academic diplomacy, a mechanism for implementing bilateral and multilateral initiatives by expert review and consulting thus integrated into the system of implementing foreign policy in Russia and abroad;

• a mechanism for promoting the long-term interests of Russia in the international arena.

'A Changing Balance of Power in the Emerging Multipolarity'

From the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) website:,

"Moscow, December 2024 – Vuk Jeremic, President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), delivered a speech at the IX Moscow International Conference on Political Risks and Foresight at the MGIMO University titled “International Uncertainty 2025.” Speaking at the opening panel “A Changing Balance of Power in the Emerging Multipolarity,” Jeremić provided a comprehensive analysis of the ongoing geopolitical shifts and the challenges facing the global order.

Jeremić introduced the concept of a geopolitical recession, comparing it to economic recessions but highlighting its longer, more profound cycles that tend to last for decades. He emphasized that this era is marked by declining international cooperation and the inability of multilateral organizations to deliver solutions to pressing global issues.

“The rules of the game in international relations no longer reflect the balance of power among key players,” said Jeremić, calling attention to the dysfunction of existing multilateral frameworks. He outlined three potential responses to this crisis: reforming existing institutions, such as the United Nations, which he argued must begin by addressing India’s underrepresentation in the Security Council; building new institutions, citing the rise of alternative organizations like BRICS; and going to wars, which he described as an unfortunate but increasingly common trend.

“So your can try to fix institutions, build new ones, or go to war. And I think that we’re currently seeing all three being tried by different actors, with different amounts of energy being invested in them,” Jeremić noted.

Looking ahead, Jeremić stressed the importance of dialogue between global powers to resolve conflicts and build a more stable future. “A big hope for emerging from the geopolitical recession and ending conflicts lies in the forthcoming dialogue between Russia and the United States. This dialogue will face significant obstacles and will not be easy, but it remains our best chance and hope for global peace and stability,” Jeremić concluded.

The panel was moderated by Andrey Sushentsov, Dean of the School of International Relations at MGIMO University. Alongside Jeremić, it featured Dmitry Simes, Professor at MGIMO University; Major General S. B. Asthana, Director of the United Service Institution of India; Andrey Denisov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to China (2013–2022) and Senator of the Russian Federation; Alexander Dugin, Russian philosopher and political scientist; and many other distinguished scholars and academics.

Natalia Burlinova Connection

Verbatim from Eventbrite invitation for November 15, 2018 by Fletcher Russia at Tufts University:

Please join the Russia and Eurasia Program at The Fletcher School for a panel discussion on the role of NGOs in Russian public diplomacy. The panelists include Natalia Burlinova, Founder and President of Creative Diplomacy, and Oleg Shakirov, Program Coordinator at Creative Diplomacy. They will also present Meeting Russia, a public diplomacy program for young leaders from the United States and Europe. Refreshments will be provided. Attendance is by registration only on Eventbrite.

"Natalia Burlinova is Founder and President of Creative Diplomacy, a Moscow-based nongovernmental organization committed to developing and supporting civil initiatives in public diplomacy and foreign affairs. She is the author and host of Meeting Russia. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. from MGIMO University and a Ph.D. from the National Research University Higher School of Economics. She worked as an Analyst at the Russian News and Information Agency RIA Novosti (2006-2010) and as Program Director of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund (2010-2014). She has also worked as an expert at the The Foundation for Historical Outlook and hosted the analytic radio programs on Russian domestic and foreign policy. She has also taught courses on the "Practice of Russia Contemporary Public Diplomacy" and "Soft Power." She was awarded the Collective Security Treaty Organization medal and has served as a member of Youth Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.