Gubkin University at the International Forum of Foreign Alumni of Soviet and Russian Universities
From October 28 to 31, 2025, an international forum of foreign alumni of Soviet and Russian universities was held. Forum participants visited Gubkin University and learned about its history, educational, and research potential. The event brought together over 100 representatives of foreign alumni associations from 50 countries, as well as government officials, rectors of leading universities, and ambassadors of Russian education and science from various countries.
The forum was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the World Alumni Association. It was held to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Institute of Public Diplomacy.
Opening the forum, Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov noted that foreign alumni play an important role in building sustainable dialogue and strengthening friendship between countries.
"Many foreign graduates of Russian universities form the scientific and teaching elite of their countries. They hold senior positions in government, education, and business. We are proud that leaders of foreign countries trained in Soviet and Russian universities are today building a common future with Russia – a new multipolar world," said the head of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
Gubkin University alumni include Wang Tao, a founder of China's oil industry and Honorary Doctor of Gubkin University; Anicet Gabriel Kochofa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Benin to the Russian Federation from 2012 to 2016; Ural Akchulakov, one of the pioneers of Kazakh geological exploration; and others.
Gubkin University has expanded its international cooperation from 74 to 93 countries from 2022 to the present, demonstrating the prestige of Russian education abroad. "The university trains oil and gas specialists for leading Russian and international companies and is also developing promising technologies for the industry," noted Alexander Maksimenko, Vice Rector for International Affairs at Gubkin University, at a meeting with forum participants.
Currently, approximately 415,000 international students from 185 countries are studying at Russian universities.
Professional associations and unions serve as an important tool for supporting former students and their connections with their alma maters. Currently, there are 232 alumni associations of Russian universities operating in Russia and abroad. The associations have a combined membership of over 530,000 people, and their geographic reach spans over 80 countries.
One of the priorities of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science is the creation of an effective system for interaction with holders of Russian education abroad.
The minister also called on participants to create joint initiatives, which will ensure a comprehensive and balanced approach to strengthening political, industrial, scientific, and economic ties between countries.
Following the forum, a resolution was adopted outlining recommendations for improving approaches to joint work with international alumni associations. The initial results of these pilot projects will be discussed next year at an expanded global forum, which will bring together over two thousand international participants.
