Page 19 - DIVA_No.24_2006

The Association of Moscow State Institute of International Relations
(MGIMO) Alumni in Switzerland is looking for former students.

The five "founding fathers" or "four /oundingJathers and one founding mother", to be correct, are, from right to left, Sergei
Kossenko, Tatiana Romanova, Yuri Nazarkin, Pave! Skomorokhin and Vladimir Gratchev.

ver since its creation in graduated from MGIMO in are planning to organize parties, one-third of its members are for-
1944, the Moscow State 1956 and it has expanded quite a workshops and round-tables and mer MGIIvIO students, so our
Institute of International lot since then. Since it was set up a web-site so that people Institute (actually having the
Relations (MGIMO) has been established some sixty years can get information about our status of a University) is an
one of the most-or perhaps we ago, more than 30,000 students goals, different activities, and important institution both in the
can say that it is the most- have graduated from MGIMO. our association's development. political and economic sphere in
famous and oldest university in We want to get together and our country. One of the reasons
Russia. Numerous politicians, In the SOs young people tended strengthen our links, recall our for establishing this association
diplomats and businessmen to prefer technical universities, younger days and, not least, be here in Switzerland is to be in
have graduated from this whereas today the university has of use to newcomers. In other contact with our country and
university. Let us simply become extremely popular. So it words, we want to become a friends through this association.
mention the name of Serguei was not so difficult then to enter useful resource for others. The core association in Moscow
Lavrov, actually Foreign the institute. I just passed my is very active; they have a web-
Minister of Russia examination in English, sat for Our graduates are not only site (www.mgimo.ru) and a lot of
an interview that was how it Russians. There are quite a lot of events are taking place.
Last October five former took place. (Editor's note: Let us foreigners who graduated from
students of MGIMO decided to merely say that Ambassador our institute. We will also esta- Some graduates in former socia-
set up an alumni association in Nazarkin received a medal blish links to other alumni asso- list countries, such as Bulgaria,
Geneva and today they have got when graduating from high ciations, such as HE! graduates, Mongolia, etc., have established
more than eighty members, and school, so perhaps it was not so and we intend to arrange joint their own alumni associations
their number is growing. The easy to enter MGIMO after all.) round-tables. involving nationals of their
Association would like to get in countries. We who established
touch with other former In Switzerland there are quite a Q: So you are planning to beco- this association here in Geneva
students, so if you know some- lot of former graduates from me a kind resource for others? are mostly Russian nationals,
body who graduated from MGIMO. We think that there but we have about a dozen gra-
MGIMO, you know what to do are more than 100 of them, but SK: We would, of course, be duates from other countries who
we do not know the exact num- most honoured if we can be of are members of our association.
ber. We would like to know all use to others. Let me stress the We would like to get more
We asked the President, our alumni graduates and not fact that we are not a commer-
Ambassador Yuri Nazarkin, and only those working in the cial association, but we would So if you are graduated from
the Executive Secretary, Serguei diplomatic missions and the be delighted to serve as a MGIMO you can contact either
Kossenko, to tell us more about international organizations. That connection for those who would Ambassador Yuri Nazarkin,
their institute and what they is the reason why we decided to like to establish links with either President, or Serguei Kossenko,
would like to achieve. set up the Association of research or other fields within Executive Secretary Association
MGIMO Alumni in Russia and MGIMO. of MGIMO Alumni in
YN: Let us first say that every- Switzerland. It happened on 14 Switzerland on E-mail:
body who graduated from October 2005. Our association is a wing of the mgimoalumnibluewin.ch
MGIMO is very proud of the core association in Moscow
institute. For my part, I can only We are at the very initial stage of which was established more
say that I did the right thing our existence. Our first task is to than ten years ago. In the current
when I started to study there. I locate former students. Then we governmental structures about

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