Business programme 2023

In order for Russia to develop its scientific and technological potential, people must form their own view and reference point in matters concerning national identity and goal setting, and determine Russia’s place and role in the modern world order, which is increasingly tending towards polycentricity. The Strategy for Russia’s Scientific and Technological Development enshrines the role of scientific diplomacy as a key tool for developing international scientific cooperation and protecting the identity of the Russian scientific sector. The session will bring together leading young scientists from Russia and other countries in order to jointly figure out new approaches to the science of international relations, while overcoming Eurocentrism in the theory of international relations, and also outline specific aspects of joint research in this regard. Different national approaches to the theory of international relations and the practice of teaching it will be compared as part of the discussion, which will ultimately provide a more holistic view of the study of world politics, taking into account the civilizational features of various countries and regions, and bring us closer to establishing a multipolar world order. What does the concept of a multipolar world order mean for today’s young scientists? How is this concept perceived in different countries? What are some of the main aspects of how non-Western countries perceive the scientific understanding of international relations? What kind of threats does neocolonialism pose in terms of its worldview and how can scientists respond to them? How is the modern theory of international relations changing as a multipolar world order emerges? What are the national approaches to the theory of international relations today? What are some of their common and unique features?

Training skilled professionals has been and remains a traditional focus of Russian-African relations. At present, almost 35,000 students from Africa study at Russian universities, and this number is growing each year. The quota for Africans to study at the expense of Russia’s federal budget has increased two and a half times over the last three years and will amount to more than 4,700 people for the next academic year. Today, it is crucial to form new stable ties between universities and organizations in Russia and African countries and expand the areas in which personnel are trained for the sustainable development of African countries and priority sectors of their economy. Universities in the Russian-African Network University Consortium are not only intensifying educational cooperation with their African partners, but are also implementing major infrastructure projects involving industrial partners in various areas of sustainable development, for example, natural resource management, environmental protection, new natural resource management and protection systems, clean energy, the preservation of cultural heritage, and much more. How are major infrastructure projects developing in the current conditions? What experience has been gained from their implementation, and what are some promising areas for further cooperation?

There is a growing dangerous shortage of human capital amidst rapid global changes in technology, demographics, instability, and climate. In the current conditions, developing human potential and searching for new forms of strategy to engage in international scientific and educational cooperation is the key to technological independence, financial sovereignty, and ensuring the country’s national security and sustainable development goals. At the same time, the changing nature of global political and economic competition raises a number of important questions for Russian political and business elites, as well as the academic community. Which countries and regions are becoming new poles of human capital development and generators of innovation? How can we build international scientific and technical cooperation in the face of new challenges, and what forms and tools of scientific and educational diplomacy are most needed today? What best practices of young scientists, company leaders, government officials, and experts in sustainable development could become a precedent for exchanging experience and replication?