Today we address the summit on behalf of MGIMO University which is very young in comparison with Oxford or Moscow State University but which has gained enough positive experience in providing high level knowledge, professional skills and competence in different humanitarian areas. And this experience deserves to be shared with the academic community.MGIMO as the Moscow State Institute of International Relations was founded in 1944. And since then it has focused on delivering highly qualified specialists in different spheres of international activities which have always been employed in government and business structures of high levels. Though MGIMO has never been considered a linguistic higher educational institution, the University can be proud of profound foreign language training which has always been an essential part of professional training of its graduates.The University provides a 52 foreign language training for general, special and academic purposes.A customized approach to foreign language training is implemented by means of professional practice and efficiency oriented educational programs, which focus on professional communication and cultural aspects of education. Language training at MGIMO is based on the European system of language proficiency levels as well as on the criteria and scales of professional competences in foreign languages elaborated by the universities with the consideration of labour market needs and requirements of potential employers.This year the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges. The recent developments in the sphere of health and life security have had a great and irreversible impact on workings of MGIMO as well as all universities and other educational establishments. In order to provide continuous educational process the university was forced to introduce urgent measures. First of all, the organization of distant learning, including provision for adequate information technologies and tools, new e-content of traditional language training courses.Secondly, it was necessary to build up new e-learning environment, which in its turn urged educators to adapt the traditional teaching methods and elaborate new approaches to collaboration and interaction with students in virtual environment. These two challenges caused great concentration of cognitive and emotional abilities of both students and educators. Fortunately, long before the pandemic broke out the leadership of the university had devoted much attention to technological renovation of MGIMO and introduction of digital mechanisms of effective teaching and learning. Now MGIMO University is actively elaborating its educational platform - ed.mgimo.ru. The students and educators have been taught special courses to master their digital proficiency.It’s worth mentioning that MGIMO unites professionals who are conducting active scientific research in the spheres of modern languages, professional communication, foreign language training.