RUDN University Turns 60

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On February 5, the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, or RUDN, celebrated its 60th anniversary. Around 200,000 professionals who work in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East are graduates of RUDN.

RUDN holds on to its founding principle of equality while developing as an international research university. Over the past four years, RUDN has risen rapidly in QS World University Rankings and now ranks 392.

RUDN is the most international university in Russia, with 33,000 students from 158 countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated RUDN on its 60th anniversary: “RUDN carefully preserves the established traditions and flies high as one of the leading universities in Russia. With its noble mission, RUDN unites talented, proactive, purposeful young people from different countries who are open to progressive ideas and implementation of modern programs and projects”.

For a third of its history, the University has been headed by Vladimir Phillipov who became Rector in 1993 During these years, the number of students has increased fivefold while the number of faculties doubled. Today, RUDN graduates in 170 countries prove the high quality of its education, and it ranks firmly among top 500 universities in the world.

“60 years ago we made a very important decision to establish our University. We have come a long way from a university that was mainly preparing professionals for developing countries to a multi-disciplinary research university, becoming a scientific and educational center widely known and recognized in Russian and world ratings”, said Vladimir Phillipov, Rector of RUDN.

Phillipov graduated from Physics Department of RUDN and served as Russian Minister of Education in 1998-2004. Professor and Dr. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, he speaks French and English languages which helped him become a world expert in higher education. The Rector of RUDN is known for his work on several UNESCO projects: for three years, he worked as the President of UNESCO’s International Organizing Committee for the World Conference on Higher Education, and now he ismember of the Steering Committee of Education 2030 Programme and head of the UNESCO Institute for Comparative Education Policy at RUDN.

The strategic decisions allowed RUDN to develop international cooperation and research initiatives, improve the quality of education and foster social responsibility. RUDN has thousands of friends and partners all over the world, so the celebration of the 60th anniversary took place over several days, during which the conference “University’s Vital Values in a Globalizing World” and the symposium “New Dynamics of Scientific Research in the Development of Society” were held. The main event of the anniversary, a gala night at the State Kremlin Palace on February 8, gathered 6,000 guests including 650 students from 102 countries. The University received congratulations from presidents, ministers and professionals from all over the world.

The 60th anniversary of RUDN proves that the University is both young and experienced, traditional and creative, confident and ambitious. Discoveries are being made here each day, including discoveries that students make about themselves. And the new decade begins with new ideas.

Elena Apasova, Head of Public Relations Department, RUDN
Valeria Antonova, Press Secretary, RUDN