School of International Affairs

Publications

• Book

  Sergunin A. A.

  International Trade and Economic Development in BRICS

  The central thesis of this work is that the long-term viability and coherence of BRICS will be determined not by the mere fact of its economic aggregation, but by its capacity to manage the profound tensions between its centripetal objectives and its centrifugal internal dynamics.

  Singapore: Springer, 2026.

• Article

  Sviridov V.

  Russia in Africa: from Minority to Majority

  This article analyzes the current stage of Russia-Africa relations in the run-up to the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit, focusing on the main achievements of recent years, the risks that may limit further progress, and the opportunities for building a more sustainable partnership. It argues that-although Russia has expanded political dialogue with African states, strengthened diplomatic and institutional engagement, and increased trade-Russia’s practical interaction with Africa remains vulnerable because of weak institutionalization, uneven project implementation, and lack of clearly defined strategic priorities. The article calls for a more selective approach to African partners and deeper engagement with states that possess greater regional influence, political stability, and economic capacity. It also argues that a pragmatic and durable Russian strategy in Africa should prioritize cooperation in certain sectors: agriculture; food, energy, digital, and information security; and education and knowledge-sharing.

  Russia in Global Affairs. 2026. Vol. 24. No. 2. P. 142-153.

• Book chapter

  Degterev D. A., Aghazada M., Ramich Mirzet S.

  Essay 49: Re-Evaluation of Contemporary Approaches to Regionalism: In Quest of a Non-western Research Agenda

  In recent decades, the Collective West (Collective West—A geopolitical construct demonstrating the unity of the political, economic, and social systems and the foreign policy approaches of the states of the Euro-Atlantic region. The concept unites the US and its allies: the member states of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (except Türkiye), as well as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.) has been the driving force behind the development of regionalism, both in theory and in practice. In practical terms, this is primarily constituted by a network of economic partnership agreements, association agreements, enhanced partnerships, including the EU-ACP, which cements neo-colonial centre-periphery relations (Bokeriya et al., 2022), a phenomenon that is reinforced by other elements of the structural power of the Collective West, including the WTO (trade), the Bretton Woods institutions (finance), the OECD (economics), and NATO (security) (Strange, 1988).

  In bk.: Essays on Global Regionalism I. Cham: Springer, 2026. P. 495-508.

• Working paper

  Romain D.

  NAVIGATING COMPLEXITIES: THE EU'S PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA'S ROLE IN THE UKRAINIAN CONFLICT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EU-CHINA RELATIONSHIP

  The EU-China relationship has evolved from a mere economic partnership to a multifaceted relation, with the EU perceiving China as a cooperation partner, economic competitor, and systemic rival since 2019. In 2022, the eruption of armed conflict in Ukraine prompted a significant response from the EU, including sanctions against Russia and indirect measures like capping Russian oil prices for third countries. This event triggered a shift in EU foreign policy, with China maintaining neutrality while facing assertive European demands. This article examines the EU's view of China's response to the Ukrainian conflict, analyzing China's peace principles and their potential impact on the broader EU-China relationship.

  International Relations. IR. Издательский дом НИУ ВШЭ, 2023