The Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) was established in 1956 as successor to the Institute of World Economy and Politics which existed from 1925 to 1948 and was headed by Academician E.S.Varga.

Since its inception, IMEMO has become one of the world’s leading research institutes, a highly reputed center for fundamental and applied socio-economic, political and strategic research.

For many years, research carried out by IMEMO has served as a reliable basis for political decision-making. The Institute employs over 400 researchers including 6 members of Russian Academy of Sciences: Alexander Dynkin, Alexei Arbatov, Nataliya Ivanova, Vladimir Baranovsky, Nodari Simonia, Revold Entov; 6 corresponding members: Vladimir Avtonomov, Oleg Bykov, Ivan Korolyov, Vasily Mikheev, Gennadi Chufrin, Alexey Kuznetsov; 79 Doctors of Science and 212 Candidates of Science (PhD).

Many members of Russian political elite, journalists and representatives of Media business have been on the IMEMO staff, among them former minister of foreign affairs I. Ivanov, former ambassador and State Duma deputy V. Lukin, State Duma deputies E. Ambartsumov, V. Sheinis, A. Podberiozkin, N. Narochnitskaya; political scientists I. Bunin, A. Migranian, M. Urnov, V. Kuvaldin and many others.

Since 1956, it has been headed by eminent scholars and political figures, Academicians: Anushavan Arzumanyan, Nikolai Inozemtsev, Alexander Yakovlev, Evgeni Primakov, Vladlen Martynov, Nodari Simonia. Since December 2006 the Institute is headed by Academician Alexander Dynkin.