School of World Politics

Acting Dean: Andrei A. Sidorov

The Faculty (School) of World Politics was founded in 2003 with the support of the Russian President Vladimir Putin by the decision of the MSU Academic Council in March 2003. It has followed the tradition of the former MSU International Faculty which existed as a University division until 1944 and later set the basis for Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

The School provides training for Russian and foreign students in INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (41.03.05 – Bachelor’s programme, 41.04.05 – Master’s programme, 41.06.01 – Postgraduate programme) with strong focus on national and international security, integration and cooperation, conflict management, international information exchange, public diplomacy and communication as well as regional aspects of world politics.

Currently, the President of the School of World Politics is Leonid Eduardovich Slutsky, Doctor of Economics, Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee on International Affairs. The Dean of the School is Andrey Anatolievich Sidorov, Associate Professor, PhD in History.

Education at the School of World Politics is based on an interdisciplinary integrated approach to the study of a wide range of world politics issues and is aimed at developing students' abilities of analytical and critical thinking, as well as identifying cause-effect relations in various historical contexts.

For the first two years of Bachelor Programme, students follow the same curriculum, and starting from Year 3 they opt for a focused training within one of four fields of study with the relevant chair:

• CHAIR OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
  
• CHAIR OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND WORLD POLITICAL PROCESSES
  
• CHAIR OF REGIONAL ISSUES OF WORLD POLITICS
  
• CHAIR OF INFORMATION SUPPORT FOR FOREIGN POLICY

Master's programmes at the School of World Politics are aimed at training highly qualified specialists in international relations with a wide range of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Foreign citizens can enroll in one of the five programmes:

• INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
• REGIONAL ISSUES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS (a collaborative programme with the University of Lorraine, France, NEW 2019)
• ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY (NEW 2020)

Also, students choose among 9 foreign languages starting in the first term of Year 1 and running till the end of the programme. Usually a combination makes Russian plus a European language of a student's choice. In exceptional cases of advanced command of the Russian language, a student is free to choose from all 9 languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese.

During their studies, students of the School of World Politics undertake internships at a wide range of institutions and private companies, including but not limited to research centres and think-tanks, international organizations and information and news agencies, leading Russian and foreign companies, and multinational corporations.

One of the most important activities of the School of World Politics is participation of our students and staff in joint educational and scientific projects with various international centres and organizations.

The School regularly hosts roundtable discussions, discussion clubs and conferences on the most significant current events in the world politics with the participation of foreign specialists, scholars, teachers and students.
Students’ meetings with representatives of diplomatic services and international organizations are organized.

Priority areas of international cooperation for SWP are:
1) student and professor exchange within the frameworks of preliminary and acting agreements
2) enlarging an international student community at the School;
3) organizing international events on the SWP venue;
4) cooperating with international partners in education, research and science

The School undertakes comprehensive research in a wide range of areas. Our research and scientific priorities include, however not restricted to the field as follows: History of international relations and military history, Integrated complex studies in international security, Political and economic issues of modern international relations, Public diplomacy and intercultural communication in the digital era, Main aspects of developing regional systems of world politics, World politics system transformation and Russia’s strategic interests, risk forecasting and management, Interdisciplinary studies in the issues of peace, conflict and sustainable development, etc.

We are doing everything possible to make it easy and interesting for international students to study at our School, so that they feel part of a large student family.
1) The school runs ‘Friendship’ volunteer club to support international students. The Club members are engaged in arranging and holding various cultural events: festivals and quizzes, visits to museums, walking tours around Moscow, trips to Moscow region.
2) An individual learning consultancy scheme has been developed for international students at our School. In addition to studying the Russian language, special attention is paid to the study of Russian culture and history. Additional seminars are held for international students, where they are introduced to the methods of writing and presenting their academic year projects and a graduation project. Additional classes are held for international students where professional terminology in politics and economics is explained.
3) The School is famous for its diverse student life. It was our School that founded and annually conducts the Model UN of MSU, an exciting role-play game for students of international relations, bringing together students from different regions of Russia and foreign cities.

Admission