The article is devoted to the study of the development of the Department of Political Science of the East, the analysis of its scientific, pedagogical and research activities. The efforts of the department staff since its establishment were aimed at the development and implementation of high-quality new curricula, programs, lecture courses, textbooks and teaching aids so that students could get an adequate idea of ​​the real processes in the socio-economic and political development of the countries of Asia and Africa. Global upheavals of the late 20th century, the process of formation of the young Russian state and its role in the international arena, the problems of reforming higher education and, in parallel with this, the establishment of political science – all this was reflected in numerous discussions of that period, then duly developed in theoretical and applied research by employees and graduate students of the department.
Key words: Moscow University, political science, international relations, oriental studies, political development.