The prerequisites for the formation of a multidisciplinary educational institution for the training of specialists of international relations were outlined long before the official opening of its prototype in 1934.
The first steps of the new government after the October Revolution of 1917 identified, among the key problems, the acute shortage of personnel in the field of foreign relations and diplomacy. In 1920, the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin sent a letter to V.I. Lenin, in which he noted: "We have now begun to engage in the political education of young forces, we are organizing courses..." A rather lengthy and complex search for forms of training of qualified personnel for diplomatic work began with the organization of the courses.
By the beginning of the 30s, the USSR was already quite deeply involved in the system of international relations. Most countries recognized the Soviet Union and the number of Soviet overseas representations increased sharply. Under these conditions, the task of training of qualified personnel became especially important.
The "Institute for the training of diplomatic and consular workers with a two-year study period" is created at the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs. The task of the Institute is to train secretaries of plenipotentiary representations, vice consuls, attaches and referents.
The Institute is renamed the Higher Diplomatic School (HDS). Two departments are created: the western and the eastern with a training period of 2 and 3 years.
Despite the difficulties of wartime, the HDS continues to work, the range of languages studied is expanding: in 1943 - 1944 23 foreign languages are taught at the HDS.
At the HDS, permanent advanced training courses for senior diplomatic workers of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs are created. Annual enrollment is 30 people, the duration of training is 9 months.
The HDS starts training senior diplomats - secretaries, consuls and counselors.
Students from Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, East Germany, Cambodia, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, and Czechoslovakia are accepted for study.
The HDS is transformed into the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and functions as a closed special higher educational institution of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is entrusted with the task of training and systematic retraining of senior diplomatic personnel. In the field of the scientific and research work, the Academy is focused on the preparation of specialized educational and methodological literature, the study and generalization of the experience of international diplomacy.
Postgraduate study is opened at the Academy.
Creation of the Scientific and Research Department, which has been subsequently repeatedly transformed and renamed, the specialization of which is the preparation of reference and analytical materials and the conduct of scientific research for the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An editorial and publishing department is created, producing thousands of different publications - from monographs, textbooks, collections of articles and materials of major conferences to manuals on foreign languages.
The faculty of advanced training of diplomatic workers is created and begins to work actively in the Academy. Higher diplomatic courses, as well as courses for senior diplomatic workers, become regular at the Academy.
The Academy opens a free enrollment for students.
Department of evening studies is opened.
The current Academy Charter is adopted.
The Academy receives a Certificate of state accreditation and a new license for the right to conduct educational activities in the field of professional education.
In connection with the intensive development of foreign economic relations, the faculty of World Economy is opened at the Academy.
The Academy receives a new Certificate of state accreditation (Series A No. 001425 dated March 9, 2004) and a new License for the right to conduct educational activities (Series A No. 001753 dated March 2, 2004).
The Academy starts enrollment for the first higher education at the faculty of World Economy" for the main specialty: bachelor of world economy and the additional specialty "Hotel and tourism management". Training for an additional specialty is carried out jointly with the Hotelconsult Colleges Institute "Cesar Ritz" (Switzerland).
The Academy solemnly celebrates its 70th anniversary. The anniversary is celebrated in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on December 17.
The Academy, jointly with the Danube University (Austria, Krems), launches an educational project for the preparation of Masters of European Studies for the specialization "Law and law enforcement practice of the European Union".
The Academy opens a master's program of "Economics".
The Academy opens master's programs of «Law» and «Management».
The Academy holds an open competition for applicants to bachelor programs of "Economics" and "International Relations" (first higher education) on a compensatory basis.
The federal budget allocates funds for the training of bachelors in the programs of "Economics" and "International Relations" as the first higher education.
The Academy celebrates its 80th anniversary. The celebration takes place at the State Academic Bolshoi Theater.
The Council of Young Scientists of the Diplomatic Academy is established, representing the interests of students, undergraduates, teachers, researchers, postgraduate students and doctoral students under the age of 35 years.
The Diplomatic Club at the Diplomatic Academy resumes its work - it is an intellectual platform for communication of Russian and foreign diplomats, scientists, representatives of international organizations, business, education and culture in a confidential atmosphere. S. V. Lavrov is the Head of the Guardian Council.
The Academy solemnly celebrates its 85th anniversary. The anniversary is celebrated in the Assembly Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
The Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia today is a departmental higher educational institution, one of the most famous and prestigious centers for the qualified training and retraining of diplomatic personnel, specialists of international relations, economics, political science and law for the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, far abroad and the CIS countries. Over the years, more than 7 thousand professional diplomats graduated from the Academy, of which more than 700 people received the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
The training program and scientific research pay great attention to such issues as forecasting and modeling international relations in the context of globalization, building of a multipolar, stable and fair world order, a dialogue of cultures and civilizations, usage of an external factor to modernize Russia, studying foreign policy and the internal situation of leading countries of the world, the very important current problem of cybersecurity and the formation of a relatively new direction - digital diplomacy.
The Diplomatic Academy directs all its efforts to ensure that our students and graduates master the latest research tools and skills to create an international environment, study two or more foreign languages at a high professional level, and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, as the founder of our university, receives competent personnel and high-quality relevant analytical materials from the Diplomatic Academy.