Educational projects

We believe that by facilitating access to education we can help to build a better society.  For more than two decades ICF has been actively supporting MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations), Russia’s leading university and alma mater of its founder, Dr Chodiev. 

In 2019, the Foundation sponsored the Festival of Intellectual Games in Tashkent, bringing the sports version of the famous game ‘What? Where? When?’ to Uzbekistan for the first time.  And in 2020, ICF partnered with SMIrotvorets journalism competition in Russia, supporting special ‘Children and Youth-Focused Media’ nomination. 

In 2021, ICF signed a memorandum of cooperation with MGIMO-Tashkent until 2025. As part of this agreement, ICF has already funded the purchase of technical equipment and transport for the university, and the opening of a language lab. ICF also runs two scholarship programmes for MGIMO-Tashkent students.

In 2022, ICF supported Young Diplomats Club of the Diplomats of the Future, Russia’s public children’s movement, and organised the trip of their members to Uzbekistan. That year, ICF also supported first All-Russian conference ‘Education Initiative: School of the Future’, which was held at the MGIMO and addressed the issues of modern school education in Russia. 

Our educational projects

Supporting The Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)

Moscow State Institute of International Relations, or MGIMO, is one of Russia’s most prestigious universities and is run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.  The University has two campuses, ten faculties and three institutes.  It offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programmes – from international law, political science, and economics, to journalism, business management, and energy policy.  Each year about 8,000 students from Russia and abroad study at the University.  

The International Chodiev Foundation began its collaboration with MGIMO since its establishment in 1996.  Today, we actively cooperate with five Schools: Political Science, International Journalism, International Relations, International Economic Relations and Law, as well as the department of Japanese language.  ICF runs scholarship and trainee schemes, internships at international universities, and academic research programmes.  ICF also established MGIMO’s publishing programme that have produced thousands of scientific papers, textbooks, and almanacs on international affairs, economy and law.

We have also been supporting MGIMO academic staff, professors, and faculty members by providing accommodation and sponsoring their scientific endeavours.

Our main programmes with MGIMO are as follows:

  • Scholarship programme
  • Internship programme
  • Publishing programme

Scholarship programme

The Scholarship programme was launched in 1997 when the International Chodiev Foundation created monthly scholarships for top students of the International Law School. In 2011, this programme was extended to five further Schools within MGIMO: Political Science, International Journalism, International Relations, International Economic Relations as well as the Faculty of Japanese language.

Since then more than one hundred students have received grants from us.

Marina Vatrasova, MGIMO student: “I was born in Podolsk and got a place at the International Law School in MGIMO, where I had excellent marks and the highest rating over my four years. In my third and fourth years, the ICF granted me a scholarship based on my performance and my active role in the University’s political life. I’m currently doing my final year in the double Master’s programme of MGIMO and the University of Reading (UK) in Financial Law, and am preparing for a job interview at a British law firm.”

Internship programme

We organize study placements for students and academic staff of the International Law School in the UK, Spain, Japan, France, and other countries. Thus, students can obtain a qualification which combines fundamental education and practical skills, thereby increasing their value in the employment market.

The Foundation sponsors student and teaching staff participation in international competitions and conferences, supports scientific activities at the University, including student conferences, round tables, workshops, and so on. We have held numerous academic and research conferences around the world.

As of today, the Foundation has organized study placements abroad for more than 100 MGIMO students.

Gennady Tolstopyatenko, Dean of the International Law School, MGIMO, said:  “Guided by the University’s teaching staff, our student team has more than once successfully participated in the biggest international law competitions, beating champions from the US, France, China, Germany and others in all formats – written and oral. We are grateful to the International Chodiev Foundation for the opportunity to participate in these contests, they are very important for future lawyers. We appreciate the financial support our students receive from Dr Chodiev. Among other things, this aid also has a major educational effect. The whole School knows the grant holders’ names, and the kids can see how excellent academic performance, dedication and hard work are rewarded. Such students have a good life and will in the future get a great job.”

Publishing programme

From its inception, the International Chodiev Foundation has supported MGIMO’s publishing house, as proper academic research is impossible without publishing monographs, articles, and textbooks.

In 1996, we started to issue grants for writing basic textbooks and sponsored the publication of scientific papers, dictionaries, and almanacs on international, legal and economic issues. 

In addition, we purchased state-of-the-art printing equipment for the University and most of the literature used in the University is published in-house, with a portfolio of more than 1,000 scientific papers, textbooks, and almanacs on international affairs, economy and law. Today, MGIMO’s publishing programme is considered to be one of the best in Russia.

We also supported the implementation of an internet portal with an integrated system of information and educational resources, and established an intellectual debating society for expert analysis, with the resultant materials being published in nine academic journals.

Some of our publications:

  • The Moscow Journal of International Law
  • Little Bakkun from the Land of Dreams – Her Imperial Highness the Princess of Japan Hisako Takamado
  • Russian-Swahili dictionary
  • Current International Law, three volumes
  • Famous Russian Diplomats. From the Ambassador’s Izba to the Collegium of Foreign Affairs: Dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Russian Diplomatic Service, by Kesselbrener G.L.
  • Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, 1992-1999
  • To Build Bridges – Her Majesty the Empress of Japan Michiko
  • Japan in Contemporary World (Textbook)
  • Contemporary International Relations, Revised Edition
  • International Economic Relations (textbook)
  • Diplomatic Service (Textbook)
  • History of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Essays on the History of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2nd volume
  • Correspondence of Leontiev in 1871
  • Philosophy of Symbiosis by Dr Kisho Kurosawa
  • Famous Russian Diplomats. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire by G.L. Kesselbrenner
  • History of Korea, (Textbook)
  • Contemporary International Relations and World Politics (Textbook)
  • Collection of Documents on Fight Against Transnational Crime.

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Sponsoring the Festival of Intellectual Games (Uzbekistan)

In August 2019, ICF expanded the reach of its educational programmes by sponsoring The Festival of Intellectual Games, which took place in Tashkent.  One of the key events of the festival was the tournament of the sports version of the famous intellectual game ‘What? Where? When?’, which was held in Uzbekistan for the first time. Along with the winning Uzbekistan national team, the games were attended by players from Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Germany, and Latvia.  ICF, together with the festival organisers, aimed to establish Uzbekistan as an equal participant in the international intellectual movement by encouraging the participation of the local teams and by bringing this fascinating game to new audiences. 

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Partnering with SMIrotvorets journalism competition (Russia)

Since 2020, ICF welcomed the new partnership with SMIrotvorets, a long-established journalism competition in Russia.  SMIrotvorets distinguishes the best coverage of the interethnic and ethnoreligious relations and aims at journalists of local, regional, and federal publications. 

Having supported a wide range of programmes for children and youth, as well as the development of intercultural exchanges for many years, ICF sponsors ‘Children and Youth-Focused Media’ nomination.  

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Cooperation with MGIMO-Tashkent and launch of ICF scholarship programmes (Uzbekistan)

Building on our long-term cooperation with MGIMO, in 2021 ICF signed the memorandum of cooperation with MGIMO-Tashkent, the first international branch of MGIMO.

As a result, ICF funded the purchase of technical equipment and transport for the newly established branch and launched its first scholarship programme. 

The ICF scholarship programme is open to applicants from Uzbekistan bearing an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ certificate of secondary education, winners of scientific, creative and sports competitions on the national or international level, activists and community leaders, and applicants with special needs and children without parental care.

In August 2022, ICF announced its second, Nominal scholarship programme, open to existing students of MGIMO Tashkent. This programme offers monthly stipends to 2, 3 and 4-year undergraduate students of Business Informatics and Law. Applicants must be citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan and bear ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ marks in the last two terms preceding application. The preference is given to students with history of winning international and country-level scientific and sport competitions (gold, silver and bronze place) in the past three years, activists and community leaders, applicants with special needs and children without parental care.

In 2022, ICF also supported the opening of language lab. A new convenient, high tech educational space allows the students studying English, French, German, Russian and Uzbek to truly immerse themselves in the language environment, and to make the process more engaging and efficient.

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Support to Young Diplomats Club of Diplomats of the Future organisation

In 2022, ICF started its cooperation with Diplomats of the Future, Russia’s public children’s movement.  As its first project, ICF supported the trip of the club members to Uzbekistan. The trip was organised on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Uzbekistan. It was a part of the extensive educational programme of the Association of Russian diplomats, named ‘Travels of young diplomats in Russia and abroad’. A group of 29 children from Russia, Uzbekistan and Belarus visited the ancient cities of Central Asia: Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara.  

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