Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
RUDN University, along with the rest of the world, is almost upon the threshold of the new year 2026. Looking back on the past year, we have much to remember and be proud of. We're sharing some of the university's achievements in the form of quotes.
The University's International Service and the Department of Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies admitted 5,594 international students from 140 countries to RUDN University in the 2025 admissions campaign, setting a record for the university's history. This year, the Olympiad movement received a powerful boost to identify and attract talented young people from abroad. Over 15,000 international students participated in the RUDN University Open Olympiad, which resulted in the selection of over 1,700 winners and runners-up from 143 countries. Nine hundred foreign students received the right to study at RUDN University under the Russian Government quota.
Moreover, in the year marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, RUDN University gained a new friend – Patrice's daughter, Juliana. Speaking at the international academic conference "Russia and Africa: Legacy of the Past, Opportunities of the Present, Prospects for the Future," Juliana expressed her hope for our university's continued development, so that more Africans could receive an education at our university and spread the fundamental knowledge, values, and ideals of justice and equality acquired in Russia throughout the African continent.
On October 30 of this year, RUDN University hosted an international forum of foreign graduates of Soviet and Russian universities. The event was organized with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science in partnership with MIREA – Russian Technological University. The forum was attended by over 100 leaders of graduate associations of Russian (Soviet) universities from 50 countries. Forum participants developed proposals to enhance cooperation between associations and Russian universities in education, science, promoting the Russian language, and preserving traditional values. The first results of these proposals are planned to be discussed in 2026 at a forum of foreign graduates of Russian (Soviet) universities, which will be attended by over 2,000 international graduates.
Marina Rekets
Vice-Rector for International Affairs at RUDN University
In 2025, RUDN University's research activities reached a qualitatively new level. Total funding from R&D (NTU R&D) amounted to 1,124,291,800 rubles. The university implemented seven major projects within state programs and two projects for regional governments. These projects included breakthrough research in medicine, agricultural science, urban ecology, and plasma physics. University teams implemented three megagrants from the Russian Science Foundation in the areas of smart urban technologies, the development of new antibiotics for agriculture, and personalized therapy for soft tissue sarcomas. For the first time in 2025, we ensured the international commercialization of intellectual property—from enhanced oil recovery technologies to biotechnology for food tech. This confirmed that RUDN University research is in demand by the real economy not only in Russia but also abroad (in Kazakhstan and Iran).
The policy on publications and scientific journals has proven successful. Since this year, 27 of 33 journals affiliated with RUDN University are included in the national "White List." Ten of them have been included in the first, highest tier. From 2020 to 2025, the number of first- and second-quartile publications in the international Scopus database increased almost 50 percent—from 944 to 1,375 articles (a 46% increase). RUDN University authors prepared over 1,000 publications in 2025 in collaboration with international research partners. We have flexibly responded to changes in the national research landscape, resulting in a new version of the R&D and Innovation Development Program through 2030: the number of formal reporting indicators has been reduced, and a stronger emphasis has been placed on creating conditions conducive to the effective work of scientists. At the same time, we have expanded the incentive package for authors of scientific publications by increasing the categories of supported journals and the amounts of compensation for articles.
A significant achievement of the year in student science was the opening of the "Mathematics for Promising Young People" Scientific Development Center at the Physics and Mathematics Faculty. It is focused on developing a mentoring system and training talented young people. The results are already leading to victories in international and national competitions and building a strong pool of expert-level talent. The success of our scientific accelerator is encouraging: this year, 25 RUDN University student startups became finalists. Their projects range from helping people with diabetes, developing mindfulness, and creating quest tours to networking and AI-based digital services. But all the startups share a common mission: to improve people's quality of life, reduce the time spent on routine tasks, and empower them to feel truly alive.
Petr Dokukin
Head of the Scientific Department of RUDN University
RUDN's total endowment (endowment intended for non-commercial use) increased by 133% compared to the same period last year, and more and more donors are joining the project. The largest donation was 2 million rubles, bringing the total endowment to 8.6 million rubles. For the first time in the university's history, endowment income was used to pay stipends to outstanding students at the 50th RUDN University Academic Reunion.
The RUDN University Development Fund has become a unique platform for internships for university students. Thirty-six students from Russia and 16 other countries—Armenia, Afghanistan, Haiti, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Belarus, Moldova, Senegal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea—have learned about the fundamentals of institutional philanthropy and the university's endowment. Many of them learned for the first time what an endowment is and how it works.
Among the foundation's key events is the conclusion of an agreement on practical training for RUDN University students majoring in economics and law. The foundation also provided funding for a project to equip the RUDN University eSports club and supported the organization and holding of the IV International Scientific Conference "For the Sustainable Development of Civilization: Cooperation, Science, Education, and Technology."
Maria Zhukova
Advisor to the Rector's Office, Executive Director of the RUDN University Development Fund
2025 was a very eventful and significant year for our university. At the very beginning of the year, RUDN University celebrated its 65th anniversary. As part of this major celebration, over 300 students performed on our country's main stage—the State Kremlin Palace. A separate series of events throughout the year was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. I personally particularly remember the "Victory Waltz" on our university's main square, where 100 students from over 25 countries, dressed in 1940s-style military uniforms, created an incredible atmosphere.
I'd also like to highlight the victories and achievements of our students in significant competitions. Hamza Amro (Syria, Engineering Academy, fourth-year undergraduate student, Architecture) won the "Mr. Student of Moscow 2025" competition. Alexander Mironenko (Russia, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, first-year master's student, History) won the Grand Prix in the "Student of the Year Moscow" competition and first place in the "Patriot of the Year" category. More than 130 RUDN University students have won scholarships from the President and the Government of the Russian Federation.
Speaking of memorable dates, it's impossible not to mention the Rally of Excellent Students—this year marked its 50th anniversary. Finally, I'd like to say how gratifying it is to witness the RUDN University tradition of the New Year's Friendship of Peoples Ball, which has been held for the third year in a row in Pashkov House. This celebratory event near the Kremlin is undoubtedly the best reward for students.
Mikhail Katsarsky
Vice-Rector for Student Affairs
2025 was a truly record-breaking year for RUDN University in terms of admissions and the attention it received from applicants. More than 200,000 applications are not just a number, but a testament to the university's credibility. This year, we enrolled 11,553 people across all levels and modes of study, including secondary vocational education. 642 high-scorers enrolled, and two high-scorers in the 300s enrolled in the Faculty of Artificial Intelligence.
We are particularly pleased with the increase in the number of Olympiad winners admitted: the number of those admitted without entrance examinations has increased by a third, and the number of winners and runners-up of the All-Russian School Olympiad has grown by 52% over three years. Moreover, the range of applicants is expanding—for the first time, we have accepted Olympiad winners in aviation engineering and jurisprudence. We also note RUDN's own Olympiad for school students as an important tool for identifying talent. In the 2024/2025 academic year, more than 6,700 schoolchildren participated in the selection round—more than double the number from last year. While the number of winners and runners-up has remained stable, our most important result has increased: the number of applicants admitted based on Olympiad results has increased from 38 to 51. This means that the Olympiad is increasingly becoming a viable means of admission to university for motivated and strong applicants.
At the same time, interest in targeted training has grown almost 3.5-fold: the number of applications has increased from 255 to 861 over three years. All this points to one thing: RUDN is now perceived as a university of opportunity, where people come for a strong education, prospects, and tangible results.
Interest in RUDN University this year was evident not only in admissions figures but also in live interactions with applicants: over 100,000 people attended our open days. This demonstrates that students are choosing the university consciously—they come, ask questions, and see the campus and educational opportunities firsthand. Furthermore, we value not only the quality of admissions but also the university's presence in the life of the city and the country. In 2025, a branded RUDN University train began operating on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, symbolizing the university's openness and recognition.
Natalia Chesnokova
Vice-Rector for Admissions
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.