The Independent University of Moscow (IUM; Russian: Независимый Московский Университет, НМУ) is a non-governmental educational institution in Moscow, Russia, focused on advanced study and training in mathematics. Founded in 1991 by a group of mathematicians including Vladimir Arnold (chairman) and Sergei Novikov, IUM now operates as a division of the Moscow Center for Continuous Mathematical Education (MCCME). The founders cited both the École normale supérieure (Paris) and the informal People’s University organized by mathematician Bella Subbotovskaya as organizational models.
Teaching is primarily scheduled in the evenings and lectures are generally open to the public. IUM does not conduct formal entrance examinations; participation begins as an auditor and formal student status (“listener”) is determined by academic performance recorded in IUM examinations. As of 1 January 2026, a licentiate diploma—based on a set of core undergraduate‑level courses—is a prerequisite for graduation.
IUM hosts the Math‑in‑Moscow study‑abroad program, co‑founded the English‑language Moscow Mathematical Journal with the Higher School of Economics, collaborates with the CNRS through the Poncelet Interdisciplinary Research Center, and has organized the annual Möbius competition for student research since 1997.
Location and campus
The Independent University of Moscow is housed at 11 Bolshoy Vlasyevsky Lane in central Moscow, near the Arbat district. The building contains lecture rooms, a conference hall, a library, a computer classroom, and a cafeteria; a mathematics bookshop operated by MCCME is located on the premises.
History
Origins and influences
Plans for an independent mathematics school in Moscow were developed in 1991 by a group of mathematicians and mathematics educators associated with the city’s olympiad and extracurricular circles. In outlining the concept, the founders cited both the École normale supérieure (Paris) and the informal “People’s University” organized by mathematician Bella Subbotovskaya (also known as the Jewish People’s University, 1978–1982) as models for a compact, seminar‑centered institution with open access. In 2002 a joint CNRS–IUM laboratory was opened in Moscow (later the Poncelet Interdisciplinary Research Center). IUM also co‑founded the English‑language Moscow Mathematical Journal; since 2009 the journal has been published jointly with the Faculty of Mathematics at the Higher School of Economics (HSE).
Status changes and affiliation (2007–present)
Following changes in Russian education regulations in the late 2000s, IUM transitioned from issuing state‑recognized higher‑education diplomas to operating under a license for additional professional education and became a division of the Moscow Center for Continuous Mathematical Education (MCCME). It continues to offer an evening, seminar‑driven program in mathematics with open access to lectures.
Former Physical College
A Physical College (theoretical physics stream) operated alongside mathematics in the early 1990s; it has since been discontinued.