Nikitin, Alexander I.

Doctor of Political Sciences.

Born on June 11, 1958.

Alexander I. Nikitin graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Lomonosov Moscow State University and earned PhD at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies. Back in the Soviet years, he completed a diplomatic internship at the USSR Mission to the UN. Since 1989, he has been working at MGIMO University. Since 2004, he has been the Director of the Center for Euro-Atlantic Security at MGIMO University. In 2006-2012, he represented Eastern Europe and the CIS countries in the Expert Group at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, participated in numerous projects at the UN New York and Geneva Centers. He worked as a visiting researcher at the European Union Institute for Security Studies, Paris, France, and at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, UK.

Over the years of his scientific activity, Alexander I. Nikitin has created a scientific school for research on UN peacekeeping operations and other international organizations. The research conducted by him and under his leadership is directly implemented in the practice of the UN structures, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. Alexander I. Nikitin is the main developer of the adopted CIS Model Law “On state participation in peacekeeping operations”. He played the key role in drafting a new UN Convention on regulating the activities of private military and security companies.

Alexander I. Nikitin is the author of more than 200 scientific papers, including 7 monographs, 3 textbooks. More than 40 works have been published in foreign languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Tamil, Korean, etc., including in leading foreign publishing houses like Oxford University Press, MacMillan Press, and leading foreign journals “Strategic Analysis”, “The Futurist”, “Business and Contemporary World”, “Low Intensity Conflict”, etc .

Alexander I. Nikitin participated in more than 200 international scientific conferences and seminars, organized international scientific forums in Russia and abroad. He has spoken at meetings of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He organized the CSTO Scientific and Expert Council. He headed the Russian delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum in Kazakhstan. Represented Russia at the events of the Asian Regional Forum in New Zealand. On behalf of MGIMO University Alexander I. Nikitin participated in the creation of the League of Universities of the BRICS countries. He headed the delegation of UN experts in Afghanistan. He formed and led sections at Conventions of the Russian International Studies Association (RISA) and Congresses of the Russian Political Science Association (RPSA). He has made presentations at the world Congresses of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) held in the USA, the Republic of Korea, Chile, Spain, and at the World Philosophical Congresses held in the Republic of Korea, Greece, etc.

Alexander I. Nikitin is active in scientific and organizational activities. In 2004–2008, he was the President of the RPSA. He heads the RPSA Council for International Cooperation. He is a member of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Pugwash Committee at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is full member of the Academy of Political Science, full member of the Academy of Military Sciences. He was awarded Honorary diplomas of the President of Russia and the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the Order of the CIS “Commonwealth”, the CSTO Medal, the Medal of Appreciation of the Republic of Armenia, and also the medal of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly for his contribution to the development of three Model Laws adopted on his initiative.

PIR Center Advisory Board Member since 1994. 

Publications: 

• Никитин А.И. Конфликты, терроризм, миротворчество. М.: Навона, 2009. — 232 с.
• Никитин А.И. Миротворческие операции: концепции и практика. М., 2000. — 188 с.
• Nikitin A. International Security: World Order, Conflict Resolution, Arms Control, Counter-Terrorism: Textbook. M.: MGIMO University, 2020. — 339 p.
• Nikitin A. Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons: Definitions, Arsenals, Cuts, Prospects // Arms Control in Europe: Regimes, Trends and Threats / Edited by T.Koivula and K.Simonen: National Defense University Series 1: Research Publications No.16. Helsinki: National Defense University, 2017. — 202 p.
• Nikitin A. Armed Interventions in Conflicts on a Post-Soviet Space and Russian-Western Contradictions over Peace Operations // Gerechte Intervention? / Edited by S.Fenkart, H.Gartner, H.Swoboda. Wien: Lit Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 2017. — 379 p.
• Nikitin A. CSTO: Evolution of Functions and Structures //Russia: arms control, disarmament and international security. IMEMO supplement to the Russian edition of the SIPRI Yearbook 2016 / Edited by A. Arbatov and S. Oznobishchev. Moscow: IMEMO, 2017. — 205 p.
• Nikitin A. Peacekeeping issues and the conflict in Ukraine // Russia: arms control, disarmament and international security. IMEMO supplement to the Russian edition of the SIPRI Yearbook 2015 / Edited by A. Arbatov and S. Oznobishchev. Moscow: IMEMO, 2016. — 203 p.
• Nikitin A. Russia’s participation in international peacekeeping // Security Index. 2011. Vol. 17. № 3 (96). P. 43–48.

F11/MIN – 03/23