25 September 2017
September 23rd, the traditional Welcome Day for MGIMO freshmen took place at the stadium of the University. Over a thousand students from all faculties and from the Odintsovo campus gathered for the event.
MGIMO Welcome Day aims at integrating new students in the life of the University and making them truly feel part of this exceptional community, so that they can fully reap the benefits of all MGIMO has to offer, from an academic, social and cultural perspective.
The event was kicked-off by MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov, who noted that this time round the competition to enroll in first year had been tougher than ever and wished the students success, all the while asking them to maintain the traditions of the University. Following the Rector’s talk, members of MGIMO’s military department put up the flag of the University, to the sounds of the hymn.
The Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Alexander Bugayev conveyed his congratulations to the students, underlining the fact that they have joined «one of the best and most prestigious universities» in Russia. Next Alexei Smertin the ambassador of the FIFA World Cup 2018 and Sergey Nalobin from the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry gave the audience some words of advice.
During the traditional oath of the freshmen, two students came to the stand and vowed to uphold the traditions of Russian and of international diplomacy, to be loyal representatives of their country and to promote international cooperation between states. This solemn event was followed by the annual run of first year students, battling for the Rector’s prize, a cup, which was won this year by students from the School of Governance and Politics. The celebrations ended with a musical concert, several sports events, art workshops and the planting of an apple orchard.
— See the MGIMO web-site for more photos and russian version
