Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs

Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs was founded in 1931 in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) at the Institute of Foreign Trade, it was transferred to Moscow in 1942-1943 and in 1958 it became a part of Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

In different periods the Department was headed by distinguished experts in the field of international economic relations — prof. Lopatin G. S. (1954-1958), Hero of Socialist Labor, State Prize Laureate prof. Lubimov N. N. (1958-1975). In 1975-1979 the department was run by prof. L. N. Karpov, prof. E. E. Obminskiy, prof. V. D. Schetinin. Since 1979 the Department is headed by Doctor of Science (Economics) prof. N. N. Liventsev who led the Department till 2006. Since 2006 the head of the Department is Professor I. N. Platonova, Doctor of Science (Economics).

Being affiliated with Institute of Foreign Trade the Department had the original name «Department of International Trade and USSR Foreign Trade» and among others had such disciplines as «Organization and Management in Foreign Trade» (under the guidance of prof. M. G. Shereshevskiy), «Transport operations in Foreign trade» (under the direction of associated prof. G. A. Maslov who combined lecturing with the chief officer position at Ministry of Maritime Transport), «World commodity markets» by prof. F. G. Piscoppel, the author of the first national market research approach manual in the country, were taught at the Department. During this period the head of the Department was a distinguished expert in the field of international financial relations and credit prof. G. S. Lopatin.

After the merger of the Institute of Foreign Trade with MGIMO in 1958 the Department became an affiliate part of the School of International economic relations and was headed by the outstanding economist, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, one of few Hero of Socialist Labor in the field of economics, professor N. N. Lubimov. Further development of the Department and the course «International economic relations» were closely connected with his name. The first edition of the manual on the subject edited by prof. N. Lubimov was published in 1957. Young talented researchers who later became the pride of the national science (prof. S. M. Menshikov, prof. E. P. Pletnev, prof. V. D. Schetinin) were members of the author’s team.

The next stage in the development of the Department starts in 1979 when it was called Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs. Three independent sections originated from the Department of international trade and USSR foreign trade: Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs; Department of Organization and Management in Foreign Trade; Department of International Transportation (later called Department of International Logistics). After its foundation prof. Maslov was the Acting Head of the Department of International Logistics and from 1983 to 2003 the Department was headed by prof. D. S. Nikolaev. In 2003 Department of International Transportation was incorporated into the Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs.

Since 1979 the Department was headed by Doctor of Science (Economics), Honored Higher School Educator of Russia, prof. N. N. Liventsev who led it till 2006. Under his leadership research activities were extended, series of manuals and monographs that became basic for teaching International economic relations were published.

At present the Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs is one of the leading MGIMO departments that provides training of highly qualified professionals specialized in international economic relations. The education is organized at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Post-graduate programs in economics. The courses delivered by the Department’s teaching staff enable the graduates to conduct research, analyze up-to-date tendencies of international economic environment and cooperation.

The Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs is involved in training specialists both at MGIMO economic schools (School of International Economic Relations, School of International Business and Business Administration, School of Applied Economics and Commerce and International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy), as well as at non-economic ones (School of International Relations, International Law School, School of International Journalism, School of Governance and Politics).

The Department has a long-term collaboration with UNCTAD Virtual Institute and WTO. Under the cooperation program videoconferences with UNCTAD and WIPO experts, study tours to Geneva based international organizations (UNCTAD, WTO, ITC) for the students from the School of International Economic Relations are conducted on the regular basis. Professors are participating in UNCTAD reports and joint research projects with experts from foreign universities, WTO representatives deliver lectures and master-classes in MGIMO.

The Department is also active in participating in national and international conferences all over the world.

Staff

Head of Department

Maria Maksakova Maria Maksakova

Ph.D. in Economics, Associate Professor


Contacts

+7 495 229-38-17 (inner 13-22)
Room: 2015
ier@inno.mgimo.ru