On October 15, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, visited MGIMO. H.E. Anatoly Torkunov, Rector of MGIMO, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences welcomed the guest. It was followed by a solemn ceremony at which the Secretary-General received an Honorary Doctorate from MGIMO. The ceremony was held as part of the opening of the annual international conference of the ASEAN Centre "Russia and ASEAN in the Asia-Pacific". Later in the day, the Secretary-General took part in an expert roundtable and met with students of the M.A. program "Political Economy of the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership".

The ceremony was preceded by a working meeting between MGIMO Rector, Academician Anatoly Torkunov, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn. During the discussion, the Secretary-General noted MGIMO’s contribution to cooperation between Russia and ASEAN, emphasizing that the university currently serves as an "intellectual factory that shapes the societies of our nations."

The opening ceremony was moderated by H.E. Anatoly Torkunov, Rector of MGIMO, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. H.E. Evgeny Zagaynov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to ASEAN, also took part. Russian Embassies in Southeast Asian countries joined the event online.

On the ASEAN side, the ceremony was also attended by the Ambassador of Cambodia to Russia, H.E. Iem Puthviro; the Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Russia, H.E. Pengiran Husaini Alauddin; the Ambassador of Malaysia to Russia, H.E. Datuk Cheong Loon Lai; the Ambassador of Myanmar to Russia, H.E. Myo Moe Aung; and the Ambassador of the Philippines to Russia, H.E. Igor Bailen. Representatives of the Embassies of Viet Nam, Laos, Singapore and Thailand were also in attendance.

In his welcoming remarks, the Rector noted that MGIMO was founded more than 80 years ago as a school of diplomacy and continues this mission today. He said the University shares with ASEAN the values of dialogue and diplomacy, as well as a vision of global development based on equal cooperation among states, peoples, cultures and civilizations. H.E. Anatoly Torkunov particularly highlighted the Secretary-General's contribution to strategic planning and the vision of the ASEAN Community, to energy connectivity and the green transition, to digital and economic integration, and to expanding ASEAN's dialogue with its partners.

The Rector recalled that this year marks the 35th anniversary of ASEAN–Russia relations. He stressed MGIMO's special role in the partnership. The ASEAN Centre has operated at MGIMO since 2010. Since 2023, under the Centre's auspices, the University has run the MA Degree Program "Political Economy of the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership", which currently has 48 students from ASEAN countries, Russia, France, Nigeria and elsewhere.

Speaking on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Evgeny Zagaynov thanked MGIMO and the ASEAN Centre for their support of ASEAN–Russia cooperation. He described the strategic partnership with ASEAN as one of the key priorities of Russian foreign policy. The Ambassador recalled the commemorative summit in Kazan and reaffirmed Russia's support for ASEAN centrality. He spoke about the widening agenda of cooperation. Alongside energy and food security, growing attention is being paid to digital transformation, science, technology and innovation, and youth exchanges.

H.E. Anatoly Torkunov then announced the decision of the Academic Board of MGIMO to grant H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn the title of Honorary Doctor of MGIMO for his contribution to regional integration, the strengthening of the ASEAN–Russia partnership and friendly ties between peoples.

In keeping with good tradition, the Secretary-General, already in a capacity of Honorary Doctor of MGIMO, delivered a lecture titled "ASEAN in the evolving regional and global developments". He spoke about the Association's approach to preserving unity and ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture at a time of global change. H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn also highlighted the significance of 35 years of Russia–ASEAN partnership, the outcomes of the Kazan summit and the new Plan of Action for 2026–2030.

After the lecture and a Q&A session with MGIMO students, the Secretary-General took part in an expert roundtable with leading Russian researchers from major research centres and institutes working on ASEAN and Asian studies. The roundtable was moderated by Prof. Dr. Andrey Baykov, MGIMO Vice-Rector for Research Affairs, and Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, Director of the ASEAN Centre and Associate Professor at the MGIMO Department of Asian and African Studies. The participants exchanged views on current regional and international issues, assessed the outcomes of ASEAN–Russia interaction over the past 35 years, and discussed the tasks and prospects of the strategic partnership. The discussion was substantive and productive. 

In the afternoon, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn met with first- and second-year students of the M.A. program "Political Economy of the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership". The Secretary-General was delighted to talk with the young people who are studying Southeast Asia and will help to build ASEAN–Russia ties in the years ahead. The visit concluded with a tour of the MGIMO New Building and the ASEAN Centre.