On February 17, 2025, the application process opened for international students seeking admission to undergraduate programs at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MGIMO), a leading global university that prepares specialists in 18 international fields. The university has been accepting international students since 1946, and over the past years, more than 4,800 international students have graduated from the university, many of whom have become prominent statesmen and political figures, diplomats, scientists, businessmen, and journalists. Today, MGIMO has over a thousand international students from 82 countries.

The MGIMO International School Olympiad, which is being held for the third time, also provides an opportunity to enroll in a state-funded program at this prestigious university. The final stage of this competition will take place in January-February 2025, and the results are scheduled to be published in March. Schoolchildren who are citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, India, Serbia, and African countries can participate in the Olympiad. At the same time, the winners and runners-up are determined separately for each country.

Over the two years of the competition, more than 4,000 participants were able to test their knowledge, and dozens of them are now studying at MGIMO. This year, the Olympiad will be held in Russian and English, depending on the citizenship of the participants. Knowledge of Russian and English, as well as general erudition in the fields of geography, world history, and international relations will be tested. The competition is held in two stages: during the qualifying round, participants will complete test assignments online, and the final round will be held in a blended format.

The winners of the Olympiad, by the decision of the University Rector, are given the opportunity to study for free at MGIMO in undergraduate programs or at the preparatory faculty for international citizens, and the runners-up are given the opportunity to enroll on a priority basis in places with tuition fees based on a portfolio competition. In addition, schoolchildren who demonstrate the best results will be able to take part in an in-person event for the winners and prize winners of the Competition at MGIMO.

Among the finalists and winners of the first competition who entered the university in the summer of 2024 is Altyn Ashyrova, a 1st-year student of the International Law Faculty of MGIMO. She graduated from secondary school No. 27 in Ashgabat, and MGIMO was her dream since childhood. In an interview on the competition website int-olymp-mgimo.com, she said that she learned about this Olympiad thanks to her parents, who insisted that she apply for participation. According to her, this project gives foreigners really huge bonuses and a unique opportunity to enter one of the best universities in Russia. Moreover, this Olympiad is a great chance not only to test your strength, but also to gain confidence before the admission campaign.

"When I found out that I had become a winner, I was very surprised at first, but then I felt happiness, joy, satisfaction, relief and even more confidence in myself and motivation to work on myself and study further. It is pleasant that efforts and efforts are transformed into a worthy result, and this meant that everything worked out, and I can enter MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia without entrance examinations. I am satisfied with the direction I have chosen, because my faculty prepares not just qualified lawyers, but international lawyers. I especially like the foreign language learning program. At the moment I am learning German. I have been learning it since school" Ayna shared.

The Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia was established in 1944 to train diplomatic personnel. Over the past three quarters of a century, MGIMO has firmly established itself as one of the world's leading centers for training international specialists. In addition to the traditional areas of educational and research activities, the university is actively developing new programs related to public and corporate governance, information and financial technologies. On February 25 at 16:00 (Moscow time), an Open Day for international citizens will be held in an online format.

ORIENT