25 September 2019
September 25th, the thirteenth session of the Diplomatic Module started at MGIMO, at the decision of the Russian Foreign Ministry, with a solemn ceremony. The event was kicked off by a guest of honour, the Director of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Eleonora Mitrofanova.
The Director of Rossotrudnichestvo was greeted by MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov. Eleanor Mitrofanova then gave a talk to an audience of students and faculty members.
MGIMO’s Vice-Rector for Human Resources, Vladimir Morozov, introduced the guest to the audience, explaining that she is a diplomat of great experience, who served as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, as Russia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO and as Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Vice-Rector noted the importance of the Diplomatic Module, which is taught by Heads of the main departments of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who directly influence the country’s foreign policy. Vladimir Morozov also remarked that MGIMO and Rossotrudnichestvo have expanded their collaboration in different fields, including student internships. MGIMO students have had the opportunity, starting this academic year, to intern in the agency’s central office and in its missions abroad. «Last year, five graduate students went on placements at the Russian centres of science and culture in Peru, the Czech Republic, Israel and France. We hope that next year, our students will be able to intern in more countries, thus expanding the geography of placements» said the Vice-Rector.
Eleonora Mitrofanova, beginning her lecture, remarked with enthusiasm that there were many women students in the lecture hall, a sure sign that Russian diplomacy is acquiring a female face. The Director of Rossotrudnichestvo described the main activities of the Federal Agency and underlined the importance of promoting the Russian language and Russian education abroad, and supporting Russians living abroad.
For this purpose, Rossotrudnichestvo runs programs such as «Hello Russia!» and the annual World Games of Young Compatriots. The guest also spoke about the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students, which attracted 20 thousand people from 150 countries, and the «RUSSIA 2018 Fans’ Houses» based in the Russian Centres for Science and Culture in 35 different countries worldwide.
Eleonora Mitrofanova noted that Rossotrudnichestvo is continuing the mission started by its predecessors: the All-Russian Society of Cultural Relations and the Union of Soviet Friendship Societies, which communicated with those countries with which the USSR had severed diplomatic relations. Today Rossotrudnichestvo has contacts with NGOs, educational associations and other entities.
At the end of the meeting, the guest took questions from the audience about Rossotrudnichestvo’s activities in Afghanistan, Transnistria and Ukraine, the possibility of reviving the Friendship Societies, as well as the possibility of popularizing the Russian language.
— See the MGIMO web-site for russian version
