The 11th InteRussia Fellowship Programme Opens at MGIMO

30 October 2026

On 27 October, the Institute for International Studies (IIS) hosted the opening ceremony of the 11th InteRussia Fellowship Programme for international specialists in international relations, political science and area studies. The programme is organised by MGIMO in cooperation with the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. The project is implemented with the financial support of the MGIMO Endowment and the Presidential Grants Foundation. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Programme.

During the six-week fellowship in Moscow, the invited researchers will work on individual projects under the supervision of leading MGIMO scholars. Upon completion of the Programme, participants will publish their research findings in leading Russian and international academic journals.

This year, the Programme received 198 applications from 55 countries worldwide. Eleven researchers from Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Spain, China, Pakistan and Serbia were selected. The theme of the autumn session is “A Divided World? Current Trends in Military-Political Alliances and Economic Integration.”

InteRussia Fellowship Programme Participants

• Umaima Ali (Pakistan), PhD candidate in Defence and Strategic Studies; Research Fellow, Quaid-i-Azam University
• Parsa Ahlaghi (Iran), Researcher, Institute for Iran and Eurasia Studies (IRAS)
• Adri Arlan (Indonesia), PhD candidate in International Relations; Researcher, School of International Relations, University of International Business and Economics (UIBE)
• Bawna (India), Founder and Executive Director, International Council for Human Rights, Peace and Politics
• María Puertas García (Spain), Junior Trainee Lawyer, Aydesa Abogados
• Seyed Amirbahador Hashemi (Iran), PhD candidate in Russian Studies, University of Tehran
• Yize Huang (China), PhD, Independent Researcher
• Mohammed Tangna Kataba (Ghana), Member and Policy Lead, UNESCO AI Ethics Initiative Groups
• Radhiy Sham (India), PhD candidate in International Relations, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Research Fellow, Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
• Veronika Vasilich (Serbia), PhD candidate in Cultural Studies, University of Belgrade; Junior Research Fellow, Institute of Political Science
• Liting Wang (China), PhD candidate in International Relations, Fudan University

MGIMO Vice-Rector for Research A.A. Baikov addressed the participants with welcoming remarks. He emphasised the relevance of the theme chosen for the new session of the Programme: “Today, we are witnessing a reconfiguration of international relations, and economic integration lies at the very heart of this process.”

He noted that the value of the fellowship lies, on the one hand, in the exchange of experience and research practices and, on the other, in the generation of new academic knowledge. In conclusion, A.A. Baikov expressed his hope that cooperation between InteRussia participants, their research institutions and their Russian colleagues would continue after the fellowship.

M.A. Suchkov, Director of the Institute for International Studies, noted that InteRussia contributes to professional development and provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Russia and its culture: “Over the next six weeks, you will not only have the opportunity to meet leading Russian experts in international affairs, but will also take part in a rich cultural programme.” He also introduced the participants to the IIS research programmes and the academic opportunities available to them at MGIMO.

L.A. Dymova, Coordinator of Research Programmes at the Gorchakov Fund, thanked the partners for their fruitful cooperation and noted that, over the five years since its launch, the Programme had become an effective instrument of scientific diplomacy. “In today's environment, it is particularly important for international affairs professionals from different countries to hear one another, and our Programme provides them with this opportunity. InteRussia enables participants not only to exchange experience but also to build strong personal connections,” L.A. Dymova emphasised.

L.A. Dymova also thanked MGIMO for its contribution to the academic component of the fellowship and introduced the participants to the InteRussia Programme. “Under current circumstances, humanitarian and academic cooperation helps maintain channels of communication even when political dialogue is difficult. InteRussia gives international specialists an opportunity to engage directly with Russia's expert community, exchange perspectives and establish long-term professional ties,” L.A. Dymova stressed.

Following the ceremony, the guests were given a guided tour of the MGIMO History Museum.

The participants of the 11th session will be supervised by the following MGIMO scholars: M.A. Suchkov, Director of the IIS; I.V. Bolgova, Deputy Director of the IIS and Head of the IIS Historical Politics and Identity Programme; I.A. Guliev, Dean of the Faculty of Financial Economics; E.V. Koldunova, Director of the IIS ASEAN Centre; S.M. Markedonov, Head of the IIS New Political Role of Post-Soviet States Programme; V.V. Vorotnikov, Head of the IIS Relations with the West in a Changing World Order Programme; M.V. Nikolskaya, Head of the IIS Africa in the Focus of Russian Interests Programme; I.Yu. Zuenko, Leading Research Fellow at the IIS; A.A. Gabarta, Senior Research Fellow; A.R. Margoev, Research Fellow; and N.S. Lipunov, Junior Research Fellow.

The InteRussia Programme has been running since November 2021. Since its launch, 89 young scholars, experts and diplomats from 39 countries have completed fellowships at MGIMO. Their research has focused on current trends and key challenges in the CIS region; the policies of major and middle powers in Eurasia; emerging centres of power in world politics; new global challenges and threats; the changing landscape of international security; the political dynamics of the Global South; and knowledge, technology and resources as emerging areas of interstate competition.

Institute for International Studies