From August 19 to 23, 2026, the 4th Russian-Kyrgyz Media Forum was held on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. The forum was organized by the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after B.N.Yeltsin and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The event brought together more than 90 students from 17 universities across Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

The opening remarks were delivered by Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. He emphasized the importance of platforms like the Media Forum for young journalists, media managers and members of student editorial teams, who will play an increasingly important role in shaping the information environment of both countries in the coming years.

As part of the educational programme, participants attended lectures and master classes delivered by experts in media, digital communications, journalism and youth policy, including Vasily Bokov, Director for Regional and International Cooperation at the Russia — Land of Opportunity Presidential Platform; Vitaly Baburchenkov, lecturer at the Russian Knowledge Society, Director of the Poberezhye Research and Education Centre and lecturer at Smolensk State University; Taalai Oroskulov, editor and columnist at Sputnik Kyrgyzstan; Saadat Shermatova, Senior Lecturer at Kyrgyz National University and specialist in communication psychology and educational communications; Filipp Gurov, Head of Regional and International Cooperation at the Russia — Land of Opportunity Presidential Platform; Victoria Fedosova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasting at RUDN University; Dmitry Benemansky, Director of the Media Center at Ural Federal University; Abumalik Ayupov, Head of the Press Service of the Eurasia Kyrgyzstan Public Foundation; Anton Dvorinovich, Head of the Youth Policy Department at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University; and Vladislav Surdin, Associate Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University and author of popular science books.

The programme covered current trends in the media environment and digital communications, information security, text and visual content creation, communication with young audiences, and building trust through effective communication.

MGIMO was also represented in the forum’s educational programme. Yulia Popel, Analyst at the International Marketing Group, together with Let’s Talk activists Lada Obotina and Anastasia Bulanova (School of International Journalism, Year 3) and Student Union activist Sofia Malkova (School of International Relations, Year 3), conducted a master class titled «How a University Becomes a Media Brand.» The participants discussed the principles of university positioning, communication with different audiences, and the creation of contemporary media content. The MGIMO students also shared their practical experience of managing media for student communities.

The practical part of the forum focused on developing original media projects. Participants were divided into teams and spent several days working on projects exploring how information policy can contribute to the development of international cooperation. The teams presented their final projects to a panel of experts and received professional feedback.

Alongside the educational programme, participants had an opportunity to explore Kyrgyzstan’s cultural and natural heritage. They visited the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center named after Chyngyz Aitmatov, located on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, and travelled to the Semyonov Gorge, where they enjoyed the region’s natural landscapes and took part in a horseback riding excursion.

The Russian-Kyrgyz Media Forum provided representatives of Russian and Kyrgyz universities with an opportunity to exchange experience, discuss current issues in youth media and strengthen cooperation between higher education institutions in the two countries.