«MGIMO Days» in Bishkek
On April 3 and 4, 2026, «MGIMO Days» were held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – a series of events serving as a platform for establishing direct dialogue between official University representatives and international applicants, as well as representatives of the professional educational community.
The program of «MGIMO Days» in Bishkek included two key blocks. On the first day, April 3, a presentation session of MGIMO took place. The event was held with the support of the Lomonosov Scientific and Educational Complex at the Technopark IT Hub and gathered over 200 schoolchildren and students interested in building a career in international relations and planning to apply to MGIMO.
The event was opened by Elizaveta Rudenko, Head of International Marketing at MGIMO, who presented the university. During the presentation, participants learned about the history and traditions of the alma mater of world leaders, as well as detailed information about the educational opportunities and career prospects open to MGIMO graduates. A lecturer from the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Russia, Alexander Chekov, gave a lecture titled «The 21st Century: An Era of Stability or Instability?» and also presented the School of International Relations. Senior Lecturer at the Department of Comparative Political Science, Daria Solovyova, gave a lecture on «Politics as a Vocation and as a Profession» and introduced the audience to the educational programs of the School of Governance and Politics. An analyst from the International Marketing Group, Yulia Popel, and a second-year student at the School of International Relations, Evgenia Aboymova, conducted interactive sessions on «Strategic Partnership of Russia and Kyrgyzstan» and «Sorting Hat: Which MGIMO School Suits You Best?» The most active participants in the discussions and interactive activities received memorable prizes from the «MGIMO International» souvenir collection. At the end of the event, Zhanara Turdubekova, 7th-grade student from the Lomonosov Scientific and Educational Complex, performed the song «Longing for Issyk-Kul» in the Kyrgyz language.
On April 4, a project-based scientific game titled «Kyrgyzstan – Russia: Trajectories of Interaction» was held at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU) named after B.N.Yeltsin. The event was organized by the International Marketing Group, in collaboration with the Center for Science Diplomacy and Youth in Science at the MGIMO Institute for International Studies. About a hundred schoolchildren and students interested in international relations and strengthening interaction between Russia and Kyrgyzstan took part in the game.
Opening the event, Elizaveta Rudenko, Head of International Marketing at MGIMO, thanked colleagues from KRSU for their assistance in its organization and expressed hope that the project-based game would become the first step towards implementing large-scale joint projects between the two universities. Sergei Volkov, Rector of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, noted that his university is actively increasing interaction with leading Russian universities and is interested in strengthening ties with MGIMO. «We do not compete, we are partners. Such interaction provides students with additional opportunities, including for continuing their education and professional growth,» he emphasized.
Particular interest among the participants was sparked by the address of Ekaterina Chistova, Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, who shared her personal experience working in diplomacy. «Diplomacy is a multifaceted activity. It includes politics, economics, and humanitarian cooperation. But the main thing is working to achieve a balance of interests and preserve peace,» she noted.
A lecture on contemporary integration processes was delivered by Sergei Markedonov, Leading Research Fellow at the MGIMO Institute for International Studies, Editor-in-Chief of the journal «International Analytics», Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Russia, and Head of the program «The New Political Role of Post-Soviet States.»
During the game, participants were divided into three groups, within which they worked on potential projects in the global, regional, and post-Soviet dimensions of Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation. The work of the young researchers was coordinated by invited experts – Alikbek Jekshenkulov, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan and former Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Russia; Sergei Markedonov, Leading Research Fellow at the MGIMO Institute for International Studies; Bektygyl Bekturganova, Acting Head of the Department of International Relations and Political Science at KRSU; and Yaroslav Askov, analyst at the Center for Science Diplomacy and Youth in Science at the MGIMO Institute for International Studies. Activists from the MGIMO Student Research Society – Ivan Bolgov, Sofia Udaltsova, Vladimir Yushin, and Anastasia Kurakova – helped the participants develop the projects.
Following the game, project defenses were held before the invited experts. The following were presented: a project for a strategic energy partnership program between the Russian Federation and the Kyrgyz Republic; a project for a virtual map called «Eurasian Bridge,» designed to create a unified cultural space for interaction among youth from different countries; a logistics project for a transit energy hub in the region; and a project for creating a unified tourist route through Central Asia. The invited experts highly assessed the level of preparation and creative thinking of the participants in the project-based game and expressed hope for the realization of the presented projects. The most active participants received gifts from a special joint collection of «MGIMO International», the Student Research Society, and KRSU. All participants were awarded certificates and memorable prizes.
Closing the event, the Head of International Marketing at MGIMO, Elizaveta Rudenko, emphasized that such events serve as a platform for strengthening educational and youth cooperation between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, developing bilateral ties, and promoting Russian education abroad.
The organizers of «MGIMO Days» in Bishkek express their gratitude to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Representative Office of Rossotrudnichestvo in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Lomonosov Scientific and Educational Complex, and the Boris Yeltsin Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University for their comprehensive assistance in organizing and conducting the event.
Center for Science Diplomacy and Youth in Science, Institute for International Studies
School of International Relations