Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Celebrates its 60^th Anniversary

By

Eng. (Dr.) Gamini Padmaperuma

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (Rosiskiy Universitet Drushba Narodov (RUDN)), a renowned, world-class educational and research institution, celebrated its 60^th anniversary grandiosely at the prestigious Kremlinsky Palace in Moscow on 5-6 February, 2020 with a special representative of the President Vladimir Putin as Chief Guest. This celebration has great significance to graduates from many developing countries throughout the world including those from Sri Lanka. There are over 1500 graduates from Sri Lanka who have received high quality tertiary education from this unique University, which is one of a kind.

The Peoples’ Friendship University or Janatha Mithrathva Vishva Vidyalaya (ජනතා මිත්‍රත්ව විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) in Sinhala, was established on 5 February 1960 by the then Soviet Government with the support many trade, professional and non-governmental bodies. It is cited that the objectives of the formation of the Friendship University were multiple. Among the major objectives for the formation of the university include the Soviet Government’s desire to provide support to many newly independent Asian, African and Latin American countries to develop their own professional cadres to rapidly develop their countries, expand friendship and cultural and economic collaboration with those countries and the Soviet Union, and to showcase and share the great achievements the latter has made in the field of science and technology, particularly in space explorations.

An unprecedented gift of Higher Education to Sri Lanka and beyond

There were many cultural and scientific agreements between the Soviet Union and the governments of Sri Lanka which made provisions for training and education of Sri Lankans in the Soviet Union and subsequently in the Russian Federation, after the collapse of Soviet Union in early 1990s.

Accordingly, over 4500 Sri Lankans have received Higher Education in the Soviet Union and Russia during last 60 years at various institutions there. Of these, over 1500 graduates are from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, referred to as RUDN University based on the Russian acronym for the University.

Since its inception, the University has produced over 150,000 graduates in different specialties for over 150 countries in the world, of which Sri Lanka has received a significant share despite its relatively small size in the world map, thanks mainly to the cordial relationships between the two governments. Even today, the Russian Federation offers around 60 scholarships annually to Sri Lankan citizens through the Ministry of Higher Education, of which about half of the scholarships is for the Friendship University. Many other Sri Lankan students today join this and other Russian universities as fee paying international students.

Graduates from the Friendship University, similar to graduates from other Soviet and Russian Higher Educational Institutions, have returned to Sri Lanka and contributed to the national economy significantly, in the fields of medicine, engineering, agriculture, economics, etc. Graduates from the friendship university and other institutions have held high ranking positions in the government such as secretaries to the ministries, departmental heads, heads of various government bodies, and the private sector.

Worldwide, graduates from the Friendship University have become national leaders of many developing countries: Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of the PLO; Michel Djotodia, President of Central African Republic; Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua; Hifikepunye Pohamba, Former President of Namibia; Bharrat Jagdeo, former President of Guyana; Porfirio Lobo Sosa, former President of Honduras; Yousuf Saleh Abbas, former Prime Minister of Chad; Karim Masimov, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to name a few.

Graduates from the former Socialist Countries have formed an Alumni Association upon their return to Sri Lanka. The Association of Sri Lankan Graduates from Socialist Countries   (ASLGSC) was formed in 1966 by a few graduates who obtained degrees from Socialist Countries including Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Cuba, Romania, East Germany, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, China, etc. The Association still continues to unite the graduates from the socialist countries and their current successors, and meet and socialize regularly. ASLGSC is very proud to own its valuable premises at Battaramulla that is used not only for its Association matters but also for it's friendly gatherings.

An international University with high global rankings

The training and education obtained from the Friendship University is very unique. At present, the university has around 35,000 students registered on its campuses from around 160 countries, which is over 75% of the total number of countries in the world. The graduates from the University not only received the best theoretical knowledge and practical experience in their respective fields but also had the rare opportunity in meeting and collaborating with students from all over the world. This has really helped graduates develop their personalities and professional outlook to a level by which they could work in any international organization or any part of the world with ease as they have become familiar with a large spectrum of cultures and languages during their university life.  Very aptly, the University’s Mission is: Uniting people of different cultures by knowledge RUDN University creates leaders to make the World better. The Friendship University is very unique this way and is considered as a Mini United Nations or Mini UN. When other major universities in the world have recognized the importance and started converting their institutions to be international only about 30 years or so ago, the Peoples’ Friendship University has recognized its importance from its very inception and has made a truly international university from the outset, sixty years ago.

The University enjoys high rankings based on many international university ranking systems. The University occupies 50 hectares (125 acres) and consists of 27 academic and hostel buildings, sport facilities and stadia, a medical and diagnostic centre, hundreds of scientific laboratories, a library, an International Club, a shopping centre and 32 multinational cafés — all resembling a cosmopolitan city within the city of Moscow.

Today, the University employs 2,800 highly qualified faculty members, including more than 600 doctors of sciences (D.Sc.) and 1,400 candidates of science (PhD), and about 150 highly qualified foreign teachers. The training of specialists at the university is carried out according to 472 programmes of various levels of education, including 74 programmes in foreign languages (English and Spanish) at the various faculties, institutes and academies of the University.

If education is the ultimate gift one can give a child, then, the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia has given that gift of education to more than 150,000 deserving young men and women from many countries around the world – who otherwise would never have had the opportunity to receive a higher education — especially in a foreign country.

The Friendship University has recently come up with a 10-year Strategic Plan (true to Soviet Union’s tradition of long term planning) for taking the University to a much higher level as a world-class educational and research institution in the world academic arena. A young, energetic and highly reputed academician (also an Alumni of the University) has been appointed as Rector (Vice Chancellor) of the University to take the University to the next highest level.

The ASLGSC and the Russian Cultural Centre are planning to organize a formal celebration of the 60^th Anniversary of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia at the Russian Cultural Centre in the end of March 2020 with the presence of the Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.

I take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the alumni and well-wishers of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia on this significant milestone of its history.

(Writer, Eng. (Dr.) Gamini Padmaperuma, is a Chartered Professional Engineer and an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka who has graduated from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia with an MSc (First Class Honours) in Mechanical Engineering in 1975. He is also a Past-President of the Association of Sri Lankan Graduates from Socialist Countries (ASLGSC).