VI International Conference “The World Majority towards a New International Order”

On October 29, 2024, the School of Regional Studies at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University, hosted the annual VI International Conference “The World Majority towards a New International Order”.

The conference was held in partnership with The Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the RAS (INION), the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the RAS, and the Institute for International Defense Economy and Strategy, at the HSE University.

Olga Volosyuk, the Chairperson  of the Organizing Committee and Head of the School of Regional Studies at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University, opened the event by reminding participants that the term “world majority” was first introduced at HSE University and has since gained recognition among global politicians and scholars. She highlighted the participation of researchers from 18 universities across 14 countries, along with directors of leading research centers. Olga Volosyuk expressed confidence that the conference would contribute significantly to the study of issues facing the Global South, as well as individual countries and regions.

Notable welcomes to the conference participants were delivered by Sergey Karaganov, Academic Supervisor of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University and Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy; Mikhail Bogdanov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Vitaly Naumkin, Academician of the RAS and Academic Supervisor of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RAS and Head of the Joint Department at the Institute of Oriental Studies, HSE University; Alexey Kuznetsov, Corresponding Member of the RAS and Director of INION RAS; Kirill Babaev, Director of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, RAS, and Head of the Joint Department of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, HSE University; Iqbal Guliyev, Deputy Director of the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy, MGIMO University; Shamkha Dzhabrailov, Vice President for Technological Partnerships at Skoltech; and Abdullah Faraj, Head of the Department at the Center for Interdisciplinary Strategic Studies at the Chamber of Commerce of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and curator of Saudi-Russian business cooperation; Sergey Orlov, Deputy Executive Director of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund.

Sergey Karaganov, Academic Supervisor of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University and Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, emphasized that such conferences have become regular events, covering an increasingly diverse range of topics and attracting new participants. During the conference, he presented a keynote address titled “Eastern Pivot 2.0, or the Siberianization of Russia”.

S. Karaganov noted that it is essential to recognize the obsolescence of the previous model of liberal capitalism and the world order it created. The initial phase of Russia's pivot to the East, initiated in 2011–2012, did not achieve the desired success due to its focus on the Far East and the insufficient involvement of Siberian regions and their intellectual elites. He proposed the concept of Siberianization, which includes the creation of a new spiritual center for the country, a third capital, from which the vast territory could be effectively managed. “The confrontation with the West should not distract us from advancing the second eastern pivot”, S. Karaganov stressed, adding that the discussion of a new capital and its location could expedite the development of the Siberian project.

He pointed out the need to establish new scientific and industrial centers in Krasnoyarsk and the Yeniseisk region that would combine scientific research with deep resource processing. According to S. Karaganov, the labor shortage can be compensated for by robotics and the recruitment of workers from North Korea.

“The most crucial aspect is cultural work. We must understand that we are heirs of Byzantium, not Europe; our culture originated from there, as did the roots of our statehood”, he concluded, adding that the project can be supported by sufficient resources if there is the necessary political will.

The conference also featured the Plenary Session “The World Majority and the Structuring of International Multipolarity,” followed by more than 120 speakers and attendees participating in panels such as “New International Political, Financial-Economic Order—the Middle East Caucus”, “Turn to the East 2.0: the Asian Vector of Russia's Siberization”, “Asian Countries on the Path to Digital Transformation”, “Central Asia as a Regional Subsystem of the World Majority”, “Cohesion of the Collective West: Causes and Limits”, “Socio-economic and Political Factors Shaping the South-South Dialogue” and the roundtable “Methodological Problems of Modern Regional Studies.”