On September 11, 2026, the Communication Force Awards 2026 ceremony was held in Moscow. The Baikal Lobridge and MGIMO School of Business professional development course “GR and Lobbying in Business and Non-Profit Organizations” won in the “Government Relations / GR” category, receiving the “Educational and Outreach Project of the Year” award.
Communication Force Awards is a Russian professional award in communications, marketing, and advertising. It recognizes projects and teams that build effective engagement with key stakeholders and advance modern practices in corporate and strategic communications. Award categories cover PR and marketing communications, internal communications, ESG, Investor Relations, Government Relations, and other areas.
The “GR and Lobbying in Business and Non-Profit Organizations” course has been delivered by Baikal Lobridge in partnership with the MGIMO School of Business since 2018. It is the first professional development course in Russia in the field of Government Relations and Public Affairs built around the “practitioners for practitioners” principle.
The program is designed for GR professionals at different levels, business executives, representatives of investment, legal, financial, economic, and communications functions, as well as government bodies, industry associations, non-profit organizations, and other institutions. The course focuses on practical tools for business–government engagement, including regulatory monitoring and analysis, stakeholder mapping, GR strategy development, support for legislative and regulatory initiatives, engagement with federal and regional authorities during periods of crisis, and assessment of GR function effectiveness.
The program is taught by recognized practitioners working directly in Government Relations and Public Affairs across Russian and international companies, public authorities and supranational institutions, development institutions, industry associations, and business organizations.
The program’s Academic Director is Eduard Voytenko, CEO and Managing Partner of Baikal Lobridge, Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Advertising and Public Relations of the MGIMO School of International Journalism, and Academic Director of master’s-level courses in GR and lobbying at MGIMO University and the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
The 17th cohort of the program was completed in spring 2026, while the 18th cohort is scheduled for October 12–17. Registration is currently open.
Since the launch of the course, 520 participants from Russian and international companies, business associations, public authorities, and supranational institutions have completed the program.
This is the program’s second professional award. In 2021, the course received an IABC Gold Quill Award of Merit in the “Communication Training and Education” category.
The Communication Force Awards 2026 recognition highlights the contribution of the Baikal Lobridge and MGIMO School of Business educational program to the development of Government Relations and Public Affairs in Russia and to the professionalization of the government relations field.
Communication Force Awards is a Russian professional award in communications, marketing, and advertising. It recognizes projects and teams that build effective engagement with key stakeholders and advance modern practices in corporate and strategic communications. Award categories cover PR and marketing communications, internal communications, ESG, Investor Relations, Government Relations, and other areas.
The “GR and Lobbying in Business and Non-Profit Organizations” course has been delivered by Baikal Lobridge in partnership with the MGIMO School of Business since 2018. It is the first professional development course in Russia in the field of Government Relations and Public Affairs built around the “practitioners for practitioners” principle.
The program is designed for GR professionals at different levels, business executives, representatives of investment, legal, financial, economic, and communications functions, as well as government bodies, industry associations, non-profit organizations, and other institutions. The course focuses on practical tools for business–government engagement, including regulatory monitoring and analysis, stakeholder mapping, GR strategy development, support for legislative and regulatory initiatives, engagement with federal and regional authorities during periods of crisis, and assessment of GR function effectiveness.
The program is taught by recognized practitioners working directly in Government Relations and Public Affairs across Russian and international companies, public authorities and supranational institutions, development institutions, industry associations, and business organizations.
The program’s Academic Director is Eduard Voytenko, CEO and Managing Partner of Baikal Lobridge, Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Advertising and Public Relations of the MGIMO School of International Journalism, and Academic Director of master’s-level courses in GR and lobbying at MGIMO University and the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
The 17th cohort of the program was completed in spring 2026, while the 18th cohort is scheduled for October 12–17. Registration is currently open.
Since the launch of the course, 520 participants from Russian and international companies, business associations, public authorities, and supranational institutions have completed the program.
This is the program’s second professional award. In 2021, the course received an IABC Gold Quill Award of Merit in the “Communication Training and Education” category.
The Communication Force Awards 2026 recognition highlights the contribution of the Baikal Lobridge and MGIMO School of Business educational program to the development of Government Relations and Public Affairs in Russia and to the professionalization of the government relations field.
