№ 36, 2024. On September 4, an organizational meeting for the students of the Master’s program in «International Security» took place

MOSCOW. SEPTEMBER 6, 2024. PIR PRESS. On September 4, 2024, an organizational meeting for the students of the Master’s program in «International Security,» a new educational initiative by MGIMO University and PIR Center, was held. The program aims to educate specialists to staff foreign policy-oriented organizations.

Dr. Andrey A. Baykov, MGIMO Vice-Rector for Science and Research, welcomed the students with an introductory speech: “First of all, I would like to thank you for choosing this program! It is a new, creative experiment, and we are pleased to see our expectations fulfilled. This year, we have 25 students enrolled in the Master’s program in “International Security,” including many international students and representatives from other universities. I have found that such diverse groups contribute to more productive learning, as higher education involves not only a vertical transfer of knowledge from teacher to student but also horizontal interactions among the students themselves. In many cases, the quality of education is significantly enhanced by this exchange of knowledge and perspectives. This program retains the best features of its predecessor, the International Dual Degree M.A. Program “Global Security, Nuclear Policy, and WMD Nonproliferation,” such as the involvement of a wide range of experts, a discussion-based format, and seminars where students tackle practical cases and discuss current challenges in the field with experienced professionals.”

Dr. Vladimir A. Orlov, Director and Founder of PIR Center and Academic Director of the program, addressed the students after Dr. Andrey A. Baykov’s speech. He spoke in detail about the goals of the new program, with an emphasis on its practical orientation. For example, the students will study the methods of open-source intelligence and will calculate the Global Security Index. Dr. Orlov also touched upon the employment prospects of the program’s graduates, stressing the importance of the skills acquired for working in leading organizations in the field of international security. He also shared important information about the General Vyacheslav Trubnikov Scholarship, which will be awarded to the highest-performing student at the end of the first semester.

Dr. Orlov also informed the audience about the PIR Center’s recent research accomplishments. In particular, he highlighted the recent presentation of the Security Index Yearbook 2024-2025 and the PIR Center’s Report “Assessing Nuclear Proliferation Threats in the World: A New Nuclear Nine?”

In addition, the program’s teaching staff members participated in the organizational meeting. Among them were Dr. Dmitry G. Evstafiev, Professor of the Department of Theory of Law and State at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN); Dr. Elena V. Chernenko, Member of PIR Center Executive Board and Special Correspondent of the Kommersant Daily; and Dr. Mikhail N. Lysenko, Deputy Director of the International Law Department at MGIMO University and Member of PIR Center Advisory Board.

The program is implemented within the framework of the «Global Security, Strategic Stability, and Arms Control» Project under the auspices of the «Priority-2030» Strategic Academic Leadership Program.

Key words: Education; Global Security

ISMA

F4/SOR – 24/09/06