Professor of the Political Sciences Department at MGIMO-University,
Director of the MGIMO Center for Euro-Atlantic Security of the Institute for International Studies,
Director of the Center for Political and International Studies,
Professor of the State Management Department of the Lomonosov Moscow State University,
Professor of the Public Policy Department of the Research University — Higher School of Economics,
President Emeritus of the Russian Political Science Association (RPSA) and Chairman of the RPSA International Cooperation Council
Subject area: International Security, Peacekeeping, Conflict Resolution, International Relations, NATO Policy and Russia-NATO Relations, International Organizations (UN, OSCE, NATO, CSTO, SCO), Nuclear Policy and Non-Proliferation, Regulation of Private Military and Security Companies, Civil-Military Relations.
Born in 1958, graduated from the Department of Philosophy of Moscow State University in 1979. Ph.D. (International Relations) in 1983 and 2000.
Research work for 10 years (1979-1989) in the USA and Canada Studies Institute (Senior Research Fellow, Head of Section).
From 1989 to the present day Dr. Nikitin has been teaching in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (from 1996 to the present day — Professor of the Department of Political Sciences).
From 2004 to the present day — Director of the Center for Euro-Atlantic Security of the Institute for International Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Center specializes in research in the spheres of international security and international relations.
From 1989 to the present day — Director of the Center for Political and International Studies — non-governmental research institution involved in analytical work, publishing, organization of conferences and research projects.
Elected member of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences.
Elected President of the Russian Political Science Association (2004-2008), since 2008 — elected Honorable President of the Association.
Executive Board member of the Russian Academy of Political Sciences.
Vice-Chairman of the Russian Pugwash Committee of Scientists for International Security and Disarmament, elected member of the International Pugwash Council (Nobel Peace Prize winner) and of the International Pugwash Executive Committee.
Member of the Expert Council of the PIR-Center on nuclear studies.
Since 2004 — member of the Scientific-Expert Council of the Organization for Collective Security Treaty.
Since 2005 — official external expert of the United Nations, nominated by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights.
Since 2012 — official scientific expert of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Prof. Nikitin initiated and authored Model law on «Parliamentary Control over State Military Organization», which was adopted by the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in 2001, Model law «On Participation of a State in Peace Support Operations», adopted in 2004, and Model law «On Counter-Acting Mercenarism», adopted in 2005; in 2011, co-authored the draft of the UN Convention on Regulation of Private Military and Security Companies.
Prof. Nikitin organized more than 50 international scientific and academic conferences and workshops, in Russia as well as abroad. Recently organized conferences include Moscow Conference of the European Leadership Network — ELN (former European ministers of foreign affairs and of defense) (2011), 6th Russian Congress of Political Science (2012), section at the Convent of the Russian Association of International Studies (2012).
Prof. Nikitin is the author of four individual monographs (including «Conflicts, Terrorism, Peacekeeping», Moscow: Navona, 2010), chief editor and principal author of 11 collective monographs (including books published in London, New York, Berlin, etc.) and author of more than 100 articles and chapters in academic periodicals, journals and books published in Russian, English, French, Korean, Punjab, Spanish, German languages.
Activities of Prof. Nikitin are commemorated by the Order of Honor «Sodruzhestvo» of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Medals of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
