| Anatoly Torkunov | |
| Native Name: | Анатолий Торкунов |
| Native Name Lang: | ru |
| Birth Date: | 26 August 1950 |
| Birth Place: | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Nationality: | Russian |
| Field: | International relations |
| Work Institution: | Moscow State Institute of International Relations |
| Alma Mater: | Moscow State Institute of International Relations |
| Known For: | Diplomat, IR Scholar, Rector of Moscow State Institute of International Relations |
Anatoly Vasilyevich Torkunov (Russian: Анатолий Васильевич Торкунов; born 26 August 1950) is a Russian diplomat and international relations scholar.
The rector[1] of Moscow's State Institute of International Relations, Torkunov is a member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Collegium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. He is the President of MGIMO Endowment Fund.[2] He serves as chairman of the United Nations Association of Russia. He was a co-president of the Trianon Dialogue, Russian-French civil societies forum (2017-2022).[3]
Torkunov is a Russian Orientalist, focused on international relations, regional subsystems in Asia-Pacific Region and North-Eastern Asia, modern history of Korea, diplomatic history and practice. His research interests are historical and political factors of foreign policy-making; international conflicts; regional studies.[4]
After graduating from MGIMO University (the Moscow State Institute of International Relations) in 1972, Torkunov began teaching at the institute, while carrying out post-graduate research related to Africa and Asia. He was awarded the degree of candidate of sciences in history for a PhD thesis on the installation and consolidation of bureaucratic military rule in South Korea in 1977. His administrative career included working on positions of the rector's assistant, dean of the international office, vice-rector for international cooperation. He was in diplomatic service in Pyongyang and Washington.[5] [6]
Upon returning to the Soviet Union, he resumed his work at MGIMO, where he was elected dean of the School of international relations (1986), then promoted to the position of the first vice-rector (1989). In 1991, he was granted the title of professor. In 1992, Torkunov was elected as rector of MGIMO (re-elected in 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012). In 1993, he was awarded the rank of Ambassador, in 1995, he received the degree of doctor of political sciences (thesis: "Korean Peninsula Security Challenges: International and intra-Korean aspects"). In 1999, A. Torkunov was elected president of the Russian International Studies Association. Elected corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2003, he became a full member of the Academy in 2008.[7] In 2022, he was elected member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences.[8]
Torkunov holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary since 1993.[9]
He is also foreign member of Polish Academy of Sciences, honorary professor of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, honorary citizen of Seoul, honorary doctor of a number of universities.
Torkunov is the author of more than 150 research papers, including 9 individual monographs. Several of them were published in the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and other countries. Among them are «Mysterious War: Korean Conflict of 1950–1953» (Moscow, 2000; was published in Russian, Korean and Japanese), «The War of Korea: Its Origin, Bloodshed and Conclusion» (Tokyo, 2001). His works made great contribution to historical analysis and Korean studies, research of international relations in Asia-Pacific Region in 1950s and later. He wrote a «History of Korea» (Moscow, 2003, in Russian).[10]
He is one of the authors, editors and project leaders of a collective monograph “Russian–Korean relations. Parallel History” (published in 2022 in Korean and Russian). https://english.mgimo.ru/news/book-presentation-russian-korean-relations-parallel-history
Torkunov is co-author and editor of monographs, dedicated to theoretical and methodological issues of international studies («Contemporary International Relations» — 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2012 in Russian; «History of International Relations» (in 3 vol.) — 2012, in Russian; «Foreign Policy of Russia» — 2000, 2013, in Russian; «China in World Politics» — 2001, in Russian, etc.), co-author and editor of the first Russian textbook on «Diplomatic Service» (Moscow, 2002) and the second volume of «History of Russian MFA» (Moscow, 2002). He also chairs an international research project «Gorchakov’s Readings», which is focused on studying diplomatic history and practice. He is the co-editor of a two volumes of "History of International Relations and Russian Foreign Policy in the 20th Century" published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in 2020.https://www.cambridgescholars.com/history-of-international-relations-and-russian-foreign-policy-in-the-20th-century-volume-ii
Torkunov participated in several international research projects and is a member of editorial boards of a number of Russian and international academic journals.[11]
Anatoly Torkunov
He has received state awards of Russia, France, Italy, Poland, Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan. Distinguished Scholar Award (Post-Communist Systems in International Relations Section), International Studies Association, 2018.