Department of Diplomacy

The Department of the Diplomatic Service (original name) was founded in 1973. The specifics of the subject implied the necessity of joining the efforts of senior scholars, research fellows and experienced professionals. Vladimir S.Lavrov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Dr. Sci. (Hist.), became the first head of the Department. He was succeeded by a number of outstanding diplomats (I.Usachev, V.Vinogradov, A.Stepanov, I.Melikhov) and prominent theoreticians (V.Matveev, T.Zonova). Since 2015 the Department has been headed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Honored Member of the Russian Diplomatic Service, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Alexander N.Panov.

The main aim of the Department consists in training specialists in International Relations able to work for the MFA, State bodies, international organizations and private companies. Thus, its principal task is to deal with fundamental and applied problems, elaborate textbooks and manuals on a wide range of diplomacy issues. Alongside dealing with theoretical aspects of the problematics, it specializes in teaching instrumental disciplines necessary for practical diplomatic work and civil service. The Department is constantly working on updating curricula and preparing new courses both compulsory and facultative.

The Department works in tight cooperation with the MFA of Russia chairing the «Diplomatic Module» with participation of the Ministry’s high-ranking officials, which tends to be very popular with the students. Diplomats are also invited to hold special lectures in the framework of particular courses. In collaboration with MFA structures, the Department supervises internships of students preparing themselves to work there. The staff takes part in evaluating the results of the students’ internships on a regular basis.

The Department is widely engaged in extracurricular activities, among others through the Churkin Moscow International Model of the United Nations and the Diplomatic Club named after A.G.Karlov.

Different types and forms of research work are also an integral of the Departments’ activity. Research results produced by the Department members and post-graduate students are published in leading Russian and foreign peer-reviewed scientific journals (some of them included in international databases, i.e. Scopus and Web of Science) as well as in monographs, conference materials etc. Many PhD theses in Historical, Political, Sociological and Economic Sciences are being prepared. Professors and lecturers of the Department actively participate in conferences, meetings of experts groups, round tables and others scientific events both in Russia and abroad.

Staff