The Congress of the "Horizons of Opportunity" Program of the best graduates is taking place in Moscow from November 24 to 26. The event is attended by 150 of the best participants from all over the country.

Within the framework of the congress, a plenary session "Working with international graduate students: creating sustainable professional communities" was held, dedicated to strengthening cooperation with foreign graduates of Russian universities and creating effective mechanisms for their career growth in Russia.

Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, spoke at the session. He spoke about the range of measures implemented by the WYFD to maintain long-term ties with foreign graduates of Russian universities and programs.

"In addition to hosting large-scale international youth events, the World Youth Festival Directorate pays great attention to maintaining established contacts and creating new opportunities for graduates and participants. First, it is the implementation of educational programs. In 2025 alone, we held four "Summer Schools": for government officials and parliamentarians, for media specialists, for musicians and designers, for teachers of history and Russian as a foreign language. The second important area is the unification of professional communities. This year we have launched and invite you to join the International Content Center, a permanent community for training, experience exchange and content production for young bloggers. Finally, starting in 2026, we will launch a mechanism for direct support of initiatives of foreign citizens – a grant competition for foreign citizens and organizations," Dmitry Ivanov emphasized.

Dmitry Ivanov also noted that all projects have allowances for international students. According to him, they are important partners. Since they are the ones who can bring the truth about Russia first-hand, honestly, accurately and without intermediaries.

Areg Aghasaryan, First Deputy Director of the RUDN International Youth Center, noted that university graduates are the main ambassadors of Russian education and therefore it is important to create strong ties between foreign students who have returned to their homeland and Russia.

In turn, Alexander Alimov, Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations at the Russian Foreign Ministry, emphasized the importance of creating a stable professional network that would serve as a platform for the implementation of personal and professional goals of foreign graduates.

Pavel Shevtsov, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, spoke about practical support abroad and in Russia: "Our principle is: "Our house is your house." We are ready to help you even after your return to your homeland, whether it is opening a school or an educational center in your country. Rossotrudnichestvo will provide methodological support, successful cases, textbooks and assistance in teacher training," Pavel Shevtsov said.

During the discussion, international students Mensa Coffey Martin, Timur Bekmuradov and Yossr Gazi presented projects that contribute to the consolidation of the "Horizons of Opportunity" graduate group.

Konstantin Malyshev, Head of the Department of International Youth Cooperation and Tourism at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, addressed the participants:

"Your ideas will form the basis for the further development of the program. We will take the projects you have proposed, complete them based on expert opinions, and continue the program next year based on your initiatives," Konstantin Malyshev said.

The event was organized by the International Youth Center of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The program was also implemented with the support of the Center for International Cooperation and Cooperation and the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on preserving and developing the legacy of the World Youth Festival, which took place on the Sirius Federal Territory in 2024 and united 20,000 young people from 190 countries of the world, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030. In 2026, there will be a smaller event, an International Youth Festival with 10,000 participants. In between, the World Youth Festival’s themed Assemblies will be held annually for 2,000 participants.

The first World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod from September 17 to 21, 2025 and brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.