At the end of 1940s youth from Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania and Mongolia arrived to study at Lomonosov Moscow State University. They were placed to the same groups as Russian students. But additional learning of the Russian language was required. A new branch of applied linguistics — Russian as a foreign language — gradually developped.

When in 1954 students from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam arrived, regular Courses of the Russian language for foreign youth were established. Major subjects were also taught to provide University connection.

Time passed on. More and more students from greater number of countries were coming to study here. the Courses transformed to a special Pre-University Faculty.

Soon the audience of foreign students extended: there appeared refresher courses for teachers of Russian from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa who would come through the Unions/Societies of Friendship.

Methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language advanced, pedagogical experience was accumulating. Teachers of the Faculty worked out programs, textbooks and manuals which got authorization by Ministry of Education of USSR. These were used by many Pre-University Departments in this country, as well as by foreign students of the Russian language abroad.

In 1991 the Pre-University Faculty was transformed into Center for International Education of Lomonosov Moscow State University (CIE MSU).

In 1997 in CIE MSU Testing Center of Russian as a Foreign Language opened. This was preceded by serious scientific and organizational work: up-to-date test papers were developed, correlating to the system of levels of the Russian language which was brought to accordance with the Common European Network of References.

CIE MSU is one of the founders of ROPRYAL (Russian Society of Teachers of Russian language and literature).

Having passed a long way of evolution and having accumulated significant research potential and pedagogical experience, Center for International Education of Lomonosov Moscow State University gained a strong position and recognition in the international world of education.