The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (Росси́йский Университе́т Дру́жбы Наро́дов, РУДН) is located in Moscow.  It was founded in 1960 as the "Peoples' Friendship University". Its primary goal was to help nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America prepare native specialists and to give poor young people from those countries, particularly those with good relations with Moscow, a possibility to get a university education.

In the first year, 539 foreign students from 59 countries were enlisted (plus 57 Soviet students). In 2004 there were roughly 13000 graduate and undergraduate students from more than 100 countries. The great majority of the student body today, however, is Russian.

In 1961, the university was given the name of Patrice Lumumba and became "Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University". In 1992 the university was renamed the "Peoples' Friendship University of Russia".

In post-Soviet times, black and Asian students have increasingly been subject to violent racist and anti-foreigner attacks, including a number of murders. On the night of 24 November 2003, a mysterious fire in a university student dormitory killed 32. The fire services blame an electrical fault, however students blamed arsonists. The previous night, they said, two skinheads had been chased from the area following an attempted arson attack. There has been no police investigation. [1]

See also

• Racism in Russia
• Patrice Lumumba

External links

• The University's site