Moscow State Institute of International Relations (Russian: Московский государственный институт международных отношений (Университет) МИД России, often abbreviated МГИМО, MGIMO) is an academic institution run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, which is widely considered the most elite university in Russia.It was dubbed the "Harvard of Russia" by Henry Kissinger, because it educates so many of Russia's political, economic, and intellectual elite. Currently, it has the lowest acceptance rate and the highest test scores of any university in the country.
MGIMO is the oldest and the most renowned school in Russia for preparing students for careers in international relations and diplomacy. Many of the current professors were ambassadors or ministers. Since the 1990s, MGIMO has expanded its academic programme, now offering degrees ranging from journalism to economics and management. Today, the majority of alumni no longer pursue a career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instead becoming civil servants in other parts of the state apparatus or joining large corporations.
It is the only university ever included in the Guinness Book of World Records, as its 56 languages are the most taught at any academic institution in the world.