The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (Russian: Российский университет дружбы народов, РУДН) is an educational and research institution located in southern Moscow. It is ranked by the Ministry of Education of Russia as the country's third-best university after Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University. The institution was founded in 1960 as the Peoples' Friendship University (Russian: Университет дружбы народов им. Патриса Лумумбы). Its stated objective during the height of the Cold War was to help developing nations, mainly in Asia, Africa and South America, by providing higher education and professional training.