— Mr. Rector, we are witnessing an era of tectonic shifts. Once again, as often happens during major crises, the world is fragmenting and the regional dimension is growing stronger. But an international region is not just a line on a map. What holds states together today in stable macro-regions?
— You are absolutely right to draw attention to the cyclical nature of history. Yes, during periods of global instability, the world returns to regional architecture. But if we look at the history of political thought, the idea of civilizations emerged precisely as a response to the end of the Cold War, as an attempt to make sense of the emerging multipolar—or, more precisely, multicultural—world. There was a brief period when the unipolar model proposed by the United States tried to blur this process, to suggest that all of us would live according to a single template. That period has ended. And today we are seeing a renaissance of regionalism, one inseparably linked to the idea of civilizations. Why is this important? Because unity based on economic interests is a pragmatic but fragile foundation. Customs unions and joint infrastructure projects can collapse under shifting conditions if they are not underpinned by a unity of values. It is precisely the civilizational framework that binds international regions into something greater than a free trade area—into a spiritual and value-based community.
— And within this framework, Russia and Kazakhstan occupy a special place. We often speak of brotherhood, but how can that be translated into the language of modern international relations?
— Without question, Russia and Kazakhstan are the core of a single Eurasian civilization. This is not just a metaphor. It is evident in everything, from similar models of social behavior to perceptions of justice and sovereignty. We are part of the broader framework of the Greater Eurasian Partnership, an idea that has received support at the highest level. But for that partnership to be genuine, it requires the constant strengthening of humanitarian ties. And this is where our university has a unique mission.
— What exactly is MGIMO University’s mission today?
— Our graduates work in foreign ministries, in the largest corporations, and lead states. In that sense, we do more than simply impart knowledge. We transmit a certain code; one might say we participate in shaping the social architecture of Eurasian civilization. Through education, through academic traditions, through informal interaction among students from different countries, and through our alumni, we create that very “symphony of values” of which the classical Eurasianists spoke—a symphony of the individual, society, and state that is organic to our peoples.
— But for a long time, this mission was carried out primarily within the walls of the university in Moscow. Is anything changing today?
— Today we are entering a new stage.
Whereas before we waited for the future elite to come to us in Moscow, now we are going to them at home to provide a world-class education without uprooting young people from their native cultural environment
Whereas before we waited for the future elite to come to us in Moscow, now we are going to them at home to provide a world-class education without uprooting young people from their native cultural environment. Since 2019, we have launched a large-scale program to open overseas branch campuses. And this is our response to the demands of the times: to train personnel directly within the emerging regional centers of power.
— One of the most significant recent developments has been the opening of the MGIMO branch campus in Astana.
— This is a historic step. The idea voiced by the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Kassym-Jomart Kemelovich Tokayev (a 1975 MGIMO University graduate), has taken concrete form. As early as September 2025, the branch campus began operations. We launched it on the basis of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, and that is deeply symbolic. Gumilyov is a philosopher of the Eurasian idea. We are grateful to our Kazakhstani partners for their support. Today, the branch campus offers bachelor’s and master’s programs that are most relevant to the Republic’s economy and development: “Analysis and Modeling of Socio-Economic and Business Processes,” “Global Mineral, Raw Materials, and Energy Markets,” “Financial Economics and Financial Technologies,” and “Multilateral Institutions and Governance of Global Technological Development.” The first cohort totaled 100 students, including some studying on scholarship. The faculty has been assembled as a combination of Moscow’s academic tradition and Kazakhstani professional expertise. Required “Moscow modules” guarantee students full immersion in the MGIMO University environment and access to unique research resources. A large group of students has already arrived in Moscow. In this way, Astana is becoming another hub of attraction for talented youth in Central Asia, and MGIMO University’s presence here is a contribution to our shared future.
— But you mentioned that the branch campus in Astana is not the only one.
— Absolutely. Our branch campus in Tashkent has already established itself as a full-fledged university—we are seeing excellent results and high scores among graduates. The Tashkent campus has already built its own educational ecosystem: on its basis, we have opened not only higher education programs; our own lyceum is also operating successfully there, and a Unified State Exam test center has been opened. In May of last year, in the presence of the leaders of both countries, we signed an agreement with Vietnam National University to create a branch campus in Hanoi. The process, I will say frankly, is labor-intensive, so this year we are beginning with joint network programs. So MGIMO University’s international branch campus network—from Central Asia to Southeast Asia—is already a reality. This is “soft power” in the highest, intellectual sense of the term, contributing to the development of a common humanitarian space across Greater Eurasia.
— Thank you very much for the interview!
