MOSCOW. MAY 22, 2026. PIR PRESS. PIR Center announces the extension of the competitive admission for participation in the 24th International School on Global Security until June 5, inclusive.
The start of the competitive admission for the 24th International School on Global Security, implemented jointly with MGIMO under the “Priority 2030” program, was announced by Dr.Vladimir Orlov, Founder and Director of PIR Center, ahead of the Center’s 32nd anniversary.
The key themes of the School-2026 will be:
- “The Future of Nuclear Nonproliferation” (including issues of nuclear weapons and peaceful atom);
- “Artificial Intelligence and Other Advanced Technologies: Between New Opportunities for Russia and Threats to Security”.
When?
- In-person part of the School (mandatory attendance for all sessions): July 6-9, 2026, inclusive;
- Remote (online) part of the School: June 23, 2026 (introductory sessions and debate preparation, mandatory for all participants) and July 15, 2026 (final testing and awarding of MGIMO University professional development certificates; thus, the total duration of the School will be 6 days.
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Where? Zvenigorod, Moscow Region (https://travel.yandex.ru/journal/zvenigorod/) Hotel “Tatiana-Provence” (https://tatiana-provence.ru/ )
A mandatory requirement for all participants is fluency in Russian, including on issues of international security (foreign applicants who are shortlisted will undergo preliminary testing in Russian)
Audience: young diplomats, military personnel, government officials, senior undergraduate students, master’s students (those specializing in international security will be given preference), graduate students, young researchers and academics, young journalists and bloggers.
Geographic scope: the competition is open to youth from Russia and foreign countries. (Visa matters, where applicable, are to be handled by the foreign participants themselves based on the invitation from PIR Center to participate in the School).
Age: from 20 to 35 years old inclusive.
Requirements for participants: A desire to broaden and deepen knowledge of international security. Focus on career growth in the field of international relations, to become part of the PIR Community, recognized in 2025 as Community No. 1 in Russia in the field of international relations and one of the Top-20 best communities in Russia. Willingness to participate in all sessions, both remotely and in-person, and to demonstrate professional qualities and ambitions by providing a strong portfolio.
The portfolio includes:
- CV in Russian (mandatory);
- Motivation letter (1-2 pages) in Russian (mandatory);
- Letter of recommendation (in Russian or English, depending on your country of residence; at least one letter is mandatory; if you are nominated by your government, ministry, university, etc. – from the head of the department; recommendations from members of the PIR Community will give you an advantage in the selection process);
- Other supporting documents and appendices (in Russian or English; optional).
Additional requirements: if the application is submitted under existing partnership agreements (“partnership package”) between PIR Center and the general and strategic partners of the School-2026, this must be specifically indicated in the application and in the letter of recommendation. Portfolios should be sent to secretariat@pircenter.org with the subject line: “Application for School-2026” or “Application for PIR School-2026”.
Application deadline: extended until 12:00 PM on June 5, 2026.
The Selection Committee is chaired by Evgeny Buzhinsky, Lieutenant General (Ret.), Chairman of the PIR Center Council. Evaluation is conducted on a 100-point scale. The passing score will be determined during the competition depending on the number and quality of applications received. It will be different for those applying individually and for those applying under partnership agreements (“partnership package”) existing between PIR Center and the general and strategic partners of the School-2026. Interns and trainees of PIR Center, as well as volunteers for the “Current Issues of International Security” seminar series at MGIMO and PIR Center, receive a bonus of +5 points.
Head of the Organizing Committee of the School-2026: Aleksandra Zubenko (zubenko@pircenter.org ).
The list of winners will be announced by June 17, 2026. Shortlisted candidates should be prepared for additional remote interviews.
Participation conditions for competition winners.
- Winners scoring 94 points or more will be offered the “Winner’s Package”, which includes accommodation and meals during the in-person sessions in Zvenigorod, including participation in gala and extended events on the sidelines of the School (Maslin-Fest, meeting of the Trialogue International Club) and 100% of the sessions (both in-person and remote);
- Other competition winners who score below 94 points but above the passing score will be offered the “Participant’s Package” with a base cost of 75,000 rubles, which includes accommodation (in a double room) and meals during the in-person sessions in Zvenigorod, including participation in gala and extended events on the sidelines of the School (Maslin-Fest, meeting of the Trialogue International Club) and 100% of the sessions (both in-person and remote). An upgrade to this package (single room accommodation, etc.) is possible;
- Participants scoring between 90 and 93 points may be offered a discount. Winners selected for the School under partnership agreements (“partnership package”) participate in the School according to the terms of the partnership agreements (“partnership package”) with the organizations (agencies) that nominated them.
Travel expenses are covered by the participants or the nominating organizations (agencies), with the understanding that all participants must be at the venue in Zvenigorod by 14:00 Moscow time on July 6.
The School program will be published later. Part of the cultural program will include a walking tour of Zvenigorod with a visit to the historical gem of the city – the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, founded in the 14th century.
We are also pleased to announce that on July 8, the 4th Maslin-Fest will take place on the sidelines of the School, with participants of the School and members of the PIR Community taking part. Registration link and information about the event will be published later.
Please find more details about the PIR Center International School on Global Security here (In Russian).
Keywords: International School
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E16/SHAH – 26/05/22
