The year 2025 has brought numerous shifts to global politics, while preserving the prevailing trend of growing political and economic influence among non-Western states that make up the 'World Majority,' alongside the continued erosion of the political West’s global dominance.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House marks an attempt to rewrite the rules of the game—shifting the U.S. strategy away from inertia-based leadership within traditional alliances and multilateral governance structures toward the maximization of trade, economic, political, and technological advantages in favour of the United States. The success of this course is far from certain, yet the turbulence generated by 'Trump 2.0' has become a major driver of ongoing global change.
The liberalization of trade regimes and the mechanisms of the WTO have been largely overturned by a new wave of protectionism. Institutions of global governance, never known for their high efficiency, are now deteriorating much faster or losing their universal character altogether. Efforts to achieve peaceful settlements in international conflicts have so far failed to yield breakthrough results. The collective West is facing an acute crisis of unity and mutual trust.
At the same time, the countries of the World Majority—while maintaining their commitment to building a more just and inclusive international order—are compelled to respond to mounting pressure from the United States. The successful development of BRICS, the SCO, ASEAN, and other non-Western frameworks for international cooperation does not imply the absence of internal challenges or contradictions. Against this backdrop, the rapid progress of artificial intelligence technologies—viewed through the lens of great-power rivalry—is generating a new set of threats of civilizational magnitude.
These issues and trends will be the focus of the 7th International Conference 'The World Majority and the West amid Geoeconomic and Civilizational Transformations,' organized by the Department of International Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University (Moscow, December 9, 2025).
Organizer
School of Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Conference Partners
Conference Programme
Venue:
HSE University
11 Pokrovsky Boulevard
Buildings A, F and G
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10:00 – 11:00 (Rus-Eng) A201 (White Hall)
Welcoming Speeches
Moderator: Dmitriy Efremenko
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11:00 - 11:20 А 210 (Red Hall)
Coffee Break
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11:20 – 12:30 (Rus-Eng) A201 (White Hall)
Programme Report
Dr Sergey Karaganov, DSc, Academic Supervisor, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University, Honorary Chairman, Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy
Moderator: Dmitriy Efremenko
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12:30 – 13:30 А210 (Red Hall)
Lunch
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13:30 – 15:30 (Rus-Eng) A201 (White Hall)
Section 1. The Middle East: Potential and Nature of Influence on Geopolitical Processes
In partnership with IOS RAS
Moderator: Andrey Baklanov
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13:30 – 15:30 (Rus) A209 (Green Hall)
Section 2. Geoeconomic Features of the Emerging World Order
In partnership with School of Financial Economics MGIMO University and Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology
Moderator: Igbal Guliyev
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13:30 – 15:30 (Rus) G203
Section 3. The World Majority and the West in the Context of Geo-Economic and Civilizational Transformations
In partnership with Institute for International Defense Economy and Strategy, HSE University
Moderator: Dmitri Trenin
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13:30 – 15:30 (Rus) F201
Section 4. Northeast Asia: Lines of Confrontation and Competition Between the West and the World Majority
In partnership with ICCA RAS
Moderator: Sergey Luzyanin
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13:30 – 15:30 (Rus) F301
Section 5. The Expanded BRICS: Initial Outcomes and Prospects
In partnership with INION RAS
Moderator: Alexey Kuznetsov
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13:30 – 15:30 (Eng) A208 (Blue Hall)
Section 6. Southeast Asia: Between the Collective West and the World Majority
Moderator: Evgeny Kanaev
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13:30 – 15:30 (Rus) G303
Section 7. The World Majority: A Perspective from South Asia
Moderator: Mariia Antasheva
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15:30 – 16:00 А210 (Red Hall)
Coffee Break
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16:00 – 18:00 (Rus) F201
Section 8. Politics of Memory in Russia and Beyond
In partnership with Institute of Russia’s Regional History Faculty of Humanities HSE, Faculty of Political Science MSU and Institute of International Relations of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI
Moderator: Daniil Anikin, Ekaterina Boltunova and Anastasia Ponomareva
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16:00 – 18:00 (Span) F301
Round table "Quo vadis, Iberoamerica? The Ibero-American World in the Context of Global Transformation and Transition to Multipolarity"
In partnership with Institute of Europe RAS
Moderator: Olga Volosyuk
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16:00 – 18:00 (Rus-Kurd) A208 (Blue Hall)
Round table "The Kurdish question in the context of civilizational transformations"
In partnership with Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Moderator: Tatyana Odintsova -
16:00 – 18:00 (Rus) A209 (Green Hall)
Round table "Interests and role of the World Majority countries in shaping the security system in Eurasia"
In partnership with Institute for International Studies MGIMO University and The Russian International Affairs Council
Moderator: Julia Melnikova
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16:00 – 18:00 (Rus) G203
Roundtable discussion "Interests and Role of World Majority Countries in Forming a Security System in Eurasia"
In partnership with ANO Directorate of International Transport Corridors
Moderator: Dmitri Trenin, Ekaterina Degtereva
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10:00 – 12:00 (Rus) online
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16:00 – 18:00 (Rus) А201 (White Hall)
Registration of participants for the main sections is closed.
Registration of attendees is open until December 5, 2025.
Venue:
HSE University
11 Pokrovsky Boulevard, Moscow, Russian Federation
Working Languages: Russian and English (simultaneous interpretation provided)
Formats of Participation: On-site and online
Travel and accommodation expenses are not covered by the organizers.
Honorary Chairs of the Organizing Committee
Sergey A. Karaganov
DSc, Academic Supervisor, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University; Honorary Chairman, Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy
Anastasia Likhacheva
PhD, Associate Professor, Dean, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Organizing Committee
DSc, Professor, Head, School of Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University; Chairman of the Organizing Committee
DSc, Professor, Scientific Supervisor, School of Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
PhD, Professor, Head, Middle Eastern and North African Centre, School of Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
DSc, Professor, Head, CCEIS Asia-Pacific Centre, School of Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
DSc, Professor, Head, Сhina and East Asia Centre, School of Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Lecturer, School of International Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Lecturer, School of International Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Lecturer, School of International Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Lecturer, School of International Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Lecturer, School of International Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University
Contacts
For all organizational inquiries, please contact Murad Sadygzade at msadygzade@hse.ru