Moscow, May 25, 2026
Photo: blagovest-info.ru
Russia’s Higher School of Economics (HSE University) has announced the launch of a new master’s program in religious diplomacy, developed in partnership with the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies, an academic institution of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The program, Religious Diplomacy in a Multipolar World, will accept its first cohort of students this year, with an open house scheduled for May 28. It has room for 22 students altogether, including room for two international students.
This marks the third collaborative program between HSE and the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Institute, following existing master’s programs in state-confessional relations and religion and society. The partnership between the two institutions began in 2012.
The new program will be the first master’s degree in Russia focused on international relations with a specialization in religious diplomacy. The curriculum is organized into three main areas: foundational training in international relations and diplomatic practice; specialized coursework in religious diplomacy, including strategic communications and media; and studies on churches and traditional religious communities, covering their institutional structures and roles in international processes.
Faculty members include representatives from both institutions, including officials from the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
According to program director Dmitry Kuznetsov, graduates will be prepared to work as international relations specialists in religious organizations, civil servants specializing in international cooperation and state-religious relations, diplomats, analysts, and researchers.
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