Plekhanov University is 118 years old! Congratulations from Rector Ivan Lobanov

Dear students, staff, teachers and veterans of Plekhanov University!

Today we celebrate a significant date: the birthday of our Plekhanov University. On this day 118 years ago, the first higher economic educational institution in Russia was founded — the Moscow Commercial Institute, now the Georgy Valentinovich Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

The history of the university is connected with the development of the state and the need for qualified managers in the 20th century. The Moscow Society for the Dissemination of Commercial Education, led by the entrepreneur and benefactor Alexey Semenovich Vishnyakov, who united the trade and industrial elite of Moscow at that time, took on the training of successful businessmen.

Having come a long way in 118 years, today Plekhanov University is one of the leaders in economic education and the largest research center, contributing to the strengthening of the technological sovereignty of the country. The current generation of staff and scientists not only preserves traditions, but also develops the scientific capabilities of the university, which has become a center for leaders and innovators changing the Russian economy. For its merits in scientific and pedagogical activity and training of qualified specialists, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics was the first among Russian universities to be awarded a high state award — the Honorary Badge of the Russian Federation "For Success in Labor".

The world is changing and innovations are becoming a key element of our educational strategy. Within the walls of Plekhanov University, students can master the latest professions that meet the needs of the labor market. We continue to develop our scientific schools, deepen international cooperation and create advanced opportunities for training professionals, fulfilling our main mission — to prepare not just specialists, but real leaders capable of coping with the challenges of our time.

More than a century later, Plekhanov University remains and will continue to be a university of talented people. Many of our graduates have rightfully become outstanding specialists and leaders in their fields. Traditions serve as the basis for our development and implementation of innovations, and I encourage you to be proud of them and boldly step into the future.

I wish the workforce to continue to implement new programs and methods for training highly professional specialists, and students to be proud of their alma mater, make breakthrough discoveries and contribute to the country's economy. Success and forward movement!