On April 21–22, 2026, MGIMO University hosted the III GR&Lobbying Case Championship — the first case competition in Russia and the CIS fully dedicated to government relations and lobbying. The event was organized by the MGIMO Law Club and Baikal Lobridge.
In the qualifying stage of the Championship, 180 students participated in 84 teams from leading Russian universities, including MGIMO University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, HSE University (Moscow and St. Petersburg campuses), Kutafin Moscow State Law University (Moscow and Orenburg branches), RANEPA (Altai branch and Ural Institute of Management), St. Petersburg State University, the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, RUDN University, MEPhI, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Russian State University of Justice, Nizhny Novgorod State University, Ural State Law University, Khakass State University, Penza State Technological University, Mari State University, and others.
The teams represented different cities across Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Barnaul, Penza, Yoshkar-Ola, Abakan, Orenburg, and others.
The qualifying round focused on analyzing the regulatory environment of the video game industry. Teams assessed key initiatives for 2025–2026 and evaluated potential regulatory, fiscal, and competitive risks for businesses. Based on the results of the online stage, 15 teams advanced to the semifinals.
In the next stage, participants worked with a draft bill on the development and distribution of video games in Russia. They analyzed its provisions, the broader political and social context, and mapped key stakeholders. Teams developed strategies to mitigate regulatory risks and prepared written policy recommendations. Five teams advanced to the final round.
In the final, participants acted as consultants representing companies in the gaming industry. They developed positions on the draft legislation, prepared targeted arguments for relevant stakeholders, and proposed alternative regulatory models balancing the interests of both business and the state.
The final jury included Eduard Voytenko, CEO of Baikal Lobridge, and Valery Afanasiev, Director of GR and Risk Assessment Practice at Baikal Lobridge.
Following the final presentations, the winners were:
1st place — “Publikany” (HSE University) 2nd place — “Region 22” (Altai branch of RANEPA) 3rd place — “Walter Lippmann” (Kutafin Moscow State Law University)
The GR&Lobbying Case Championship continues to serve as one of the key educational platforms in the field of government relations and lobbying. The format allows students not only to work with real regulatory cases, but also to step into the role of GR consultants, tackling challenges closely aligned with real professional practice.