Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, universally known as RUDN University, was established on 5th February 1960 by the Government of the USSR. It was founded with a singular and explicit purpose: to provide higher education to students from developing nations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America and to foster international cooperation through education and science. On 5th February 1992, the Russian government renamed it the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. In March 2023, it was formally elevated to public research university status. The university was originally named after Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader, a name that reflected its founding mission of openness and solidarity with the developing world.
Today RUDN operates as one of the most internationally diverse universities on earth. It has 28,000 students from 155 countries, 20 teaching blocks, and 14 dormitories across its campus in south-western Moscow. Every year it is the only institution in the world that brings together students from more than 140 nations in a single cohort. The Faculty of Medicine at RUDN runs the MBBS programme that Indian students are eligible for. More than 6,500 professionals who trained at the Institute of Medicine now work across 110 countries, and total RUDN graduates working globally number over 77,000 across 170 countries. The Faculty of Medicine has faculty members who have published over 10,000 scientific papers in international journals.
RUDN is ranked 367th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, 9th in Russia, and 5th in Russia for Medicine by EduRank. It is in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education Rankings for international student numbers and is a member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), which RUDN joined in 1964. The university has partnerships with over 2,500 foreign universities and research centres, making it one of Russia's most globally connected institutions. The RUDN campus has won the Moscow Mayor's Prize for Best Campus and the all-Russian contest for Best Student Hostel.
The MBBS programme at RUDN is recognised by NMC India, WHO, WDOMS, FAIMER, ECFMG, WFME, and MCC Canada. That breadth of recognition means RUDN graduates are eligible for FMGE/NExT in India, USMLE in the USA, PLAB in the UK, and MCC pathways in Canada. Programmes are offered in English, Russian, and French, one of very few Russian medical universities to offer French-medium instruction alongside English. The FMGE pass rate for RUDN graduates in 2024 stood at 45.45%, one of the highest among Russian medical universities, reflecting the quality of clinical and exam preparation built into the programme.
Tuition at RUDN is approximately USD 6,000 to 8,000 per year, reflecting its position as a top-ranked global research university rather than a regional medical institution. The campus library system holds over 2 million books in 60 languages across five faculty libraries. Students have access to the university's own polyclinic, a fully equipped on-campus medical centre. The 14 dormitories have cozy furnished rooms, shared kitchens, and internet in every room. Laundry, dry cleaners, beauty salons, and ateliers are all available on campus. Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow connections mean clinical placements are at top Moscow hospitals.
For Indian students who want to study at the most internationally recognised and globally diverse Russian university available, with a medical degree that opens licensing pathways in India, the USA, the UK, and Canada, RUDN University is in a category of its own.
