On February 15, the 10th anniversary Eurasian Youth Forum took place at the North-West Institute of Management of the RANEPA and was organized with the support of INPO “BRICS & SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center”. This year's event was held under the theme “Eurasian Space in Modern Political Realities. New Challenges and Opportunities”. This event brought together young specialists and experienced experts from Russia and from abroad. Within the framework of six session’s, the participants were able to discuss a number of topics directly affecting the lives of the younger generation – from the position of the Russian language in the international arena to migration, tourism and security.
Andrey Dragomirovich Khlutkov, Director of RANEPA Saint-Petersburg, opened the forum and made a welcoming speech to the audience. In his speech, Andrey Dragomirovich outlined an eventful agenda and defined the forum as a brilliant and unique model of the union. He spoke about the new order in the multipolar world, about Russia's new position in it and about the three rules of success. Andrey Dragomirovich also noted achievements and new opportunities in the context of BRICS and SCO. He stressed that it is high time for young people to show initiative and take responsibility for bringing peoples closer together.
The moderator of the plenary session, Natalia Vasilyevna Muizinik, in her welcoming speech noted the uniqueness of this annual event, uniting the minds and proactivity of different generations.
The slogan of the whole occasion was the idea of the youth responsibility for the progressive, peaceful development of their countries, for the friendly unification of peoples. Nowadays, it is crucial to talk about the role of youth, because it is young professionals who have up-to-date knowledge and essential skills necessary for the development and improvement of technology, education and other spheres of public life. Today's young people are the future leaders of their countries, but they have the opportunity to contribute to social and political issues right now. The Forum is a working platform for finding interesting solutions, inspiration and motivation for youth.
During the panel session, special attention was paid to the role of the EAEU and the achievements of this organization. The Union has managed to become a self–sufficient and attractive region for many countries, especially for the pivotal partners of the network – Iran and China. Experts noted that the organization is developing sustainably while outperforming the global economy. In addition to trade diplomacy and the formation of a common transport and logistics space, the fight against climate change has become one of the main agendas of the EAEU. The speakers also drew the attention of young people to the importance of the SCO, which is the center of a multipolar world, and to the expansion of China's influence.
The final word at the panel session was given to Elizaveta Viktorovna Petrova, executive director of the BRICS & SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center - the speaker noted that today it is extremely important to pay attention to the consolidation of youth around the current topics of the present in the context of integration associations of the Eurasian space.
The key occasion of the Forum was the signing of a cooperation agreement between Independent Non-Profit Organization for the Development of International Cooperation and Digitalization “BRICS & SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center” and the Faculty of International Relations of the RANEPA Saint-Petersburg. This agreement laid a solid foundation for long-term and fruitful cooperation in various areas of the international direction, including the aims of consolidating youth around relevant topics of the present, for the sake of the common future.
The forum session’s covered topics such as:
• The Eurasian Perspective of Multilateral Cooperation;
• Sustainable Tourism and Creative Industries in the Eurasian Space through the Eyes of Youth;
• Politics and Culture in the Eurasian Space;
• International Migration as a Resource for the Eurasian Space Development;
• The Russian Language as a Tool to Strengthen Russia's Role in the Middle East and Africa: Obstacles and Opportunities;
• Security of Modern Eurasia: Challenges and Prospects.
The session “Sustainable Tourism and Creative Industries in the Eurasian Space through the Eyes of Youth” deserves special attention. Young specialists discussed the issues of transforming theory and tourism projects. The first reports were devoted to methodological aspects of tourist activities – the principles of Good Governance, ESG on the Eurasian scale and practical recommendations for young people.
The report presented by Alexey Alexandrovich Plushev, General Director of the “In Russia Travel” tour agency, assistant at the Department of Management of RUDN University, was focused on the peculiarities of the behavioural patterns of tourists from African countries and their difference from those from Russia. The speaker shared valuable practical recommendations taking the listeners into the subtle sphere of national mentality, values, cultural and behavioural concepts. The topic turned out to be so vital that it stimulated a discussion among other participants of the session, during which they shared their own experience of interacting with guests from African countries.
Then the topic of the speeches gradually shifted towards specific proposed projects, among which there was a proposal dedicated to film tourism in Saint-Petersburg. It contained algorithms for the development of this type of tourism in the city. Moreover, the specific programs concerning the recreational potential of Saint-Petersburg and the Leningrad region were developed and put forward.
The session "Politics and Culture in the Eurasian Space" was conditionally divided into two parts: political and linguistic ones. The speakers emphasized the success of developing Russia's communication with Africa, as well as the desire of the Russian Federation to reestablish stable ties with Latin America. Alizade Eldar Fuad oghlu, research professor, member of the Youth Council of the Leningrad Region Friendship House, director of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “Russian-Azerbaijani Center for Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation", spoke about cultural diplomacy in the Eurasian space and emphasized the important role of Russia in the development of this area. The expert shared certain tools for the cultural diplomacy implementation, discussed the topic of the "Russian Dream" and the importance of developing intercultural relations.
Then the participants of the session discussed the influence of music and computer games on the consciousness of young people, the way they shape ideas about the politics and culture of various countries, the regulation of gaming markets on the example of China. Linguistic experts explained the importance of perceiving and using stylistically coloured lexical units in intercultural communication, examining the obstacles which may occur in communication and interpretation of various cultures from the linguistics perspective.
The session under the topic “The Russian Language as a Tool to Strengthen Russia's Role in the Middle East and Africa: Obstacles and Opportunities” was organized by BRICS & SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center. A lively interactive discussion in a form of public-talk with the participation of young people was held there. The speakers and participants examined the prospects and challenges associated with the use of the Russian language in international communication, its place in the Middle East and Africa, as well as the problems related to teaching the Russian language.
The moderator of the event Elizaveta Viktorovna Petrova, Executive Director of BRICS & SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center, delivered a welcoming speech and outlined the main topics of the discourse on the agenda – the importance of the Russian language, the problems of geopolitical competition, the enhancement of the position of Russian as the language of international cooperation within the Eurasian space.
The participants of the event were also welcomed by Nina Igorevna Ladygina-Glazounova, CEO of BRICS & SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center. She highlighted the competitiveness of the Russian language in Africa and the Middle East and noted that the activity of civil society promoting Russian in the designated regions is constantly growing, and the processes of de-anglification and de-francofication are intensifying – “The Russian language is a bridge uniting various cultures, including those of the Eurasian space.”
The first speaker was an expert from Syria, Shahoud Ziad Samikhovich, Candidate of Political Sciences, expert researcher in the field of information technology and digital diplomacy, senior lecturer at the Department of World Politics, Faculty of International Relations of Saint-Petersburg University. He pointed to the success in teaching citizens the Russian language and its popularization that has been achieved by the countries of the Middle East. One of the important points of the report was the fact that Russian was taught as a second foreign language in schools in Syria. During an interactive dialogue with the audience interested in such attention to the Russian language, the speaker stressed that knowledge of this language is an advantage in further employment in Syria and other countries of the Middle East.
This report was followed by Alexander Vladimirovich Korotyshev, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Director of the secretariat of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature. The expert presented a report on the perception of the Russian language by foreign citizens. Alexander Vladimirovich cited the data of his research, among which cultural, economic and linguistic factors that directly affect the insufficiently wide popularity of the Russian language in the international arena were identified. The expert assured that interest in the Russian language is growing rather than decreasing. However, he mentioned a number of problems hindering the popularization of Russian, among which one can find a shortage of textbooks (on paper), especially in Africa and the Middle East, a lack of grant projects to attract students, and problems with access to online resources.
The next expert was Nur Abdelwadoud Nada Salem, from Egypt, Professor of Economics at the Sadat Academy of Management Sciences in Cairo, head of the Representative Office in the Arab Republic of Egypt of Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly, former Minister of Labour of the Arab Republic of Egypt, visiting professor at Financial University in Moscow and member of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian-Russian Foundation for Culture and Science. He made a presentation about Egypt's success in expanding the presence of the Russian language in the country. The speaker emphasized the gradually decreasing interest in the English language and the growing popularity of Russian, as evidenced by the desire of universities to open faculties of the Russian language. The expert also stressed that Egypt is a geographical link between Africa and the Middle East, for which Russia is the greatest ally. As a result, it crucial to study and promote the Russian language.
Then the floor was given to the expert Ouedraogo Christian, Chairman of the National Forum "Russia-Africa" in Burkina Faso, a graduate of the RUDN University, Chairman of International Cultural and Business Project GATINGO Russia and Africa. The speaker made a presentation on his experience of learning Russian in Burkina Faso and the obstacles he faced. The speaker said that in Burkina Faso, there are acute problems of lack of support for those who want to learn Russian, the lack of Russian language centers, as well as a shortage of textbooks. The audience asked about the possibility of integrating online learning, but in the case of Burkina Faso, this prospect also faces some obstacles.
The following expert Abdullahi Musa, from Iran, Professor at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran, made a report on the problems in the field of cooperation between Russia and Iran. The speaker stressed the importance of increasing the degree of cultural cooperation between the two countries. The expert noted that Iran and Russia are taking a comprehensive number of actions to teach the Russian language, especially noting the trend in the country towards de-anglification and the increasing popularity of Russian and Chinese languages. He concluded his report with a call for strengthening relations between the peoples.
The following report was made by Tatyana Viktorovna Tudvaseva, President of GATINGO International association Africa & Russia, Vice-President of the AFROCOM Foundation for Cultural Affairs, Head of the Expert Council for Interaction with African Countries (BRICS International Development Organization), member of the Expert Council under the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation A.M. Babakov. The expert delivered a presentation describing the Sango project of GATINGO International association Africa & Russia. The project, implemented by volunteers, is aimed at creating a material base for teaching Russian to native speakers of the Sango language, the official language of the Central African Republic, as well as using this material base for direct teaching of the Russian language.
The next speaker was Joshua Orabiyi, Director of the Preparatory Center for the Russian Language at the Vetkhel School in Nigeria. The expert made a presentation on the problems faced by the population of Nigeria when deciding to study Russian. There is also a shortage of textbooks and grant projects for studying in Russia. The expert shared versatile solutions to the problems faced by his center. After the report, the audience asked what caused the interest of Nigerians in Russia. The speaker noted that the events of the year of 2022 and the subsequent split of world political forces, in the context of which Russia looked more attractive, became an incentive to promote the Russian language. Moreover, vivid impressions of tourists after the 2018 World Cup in Moscow also played a crucial role in motivating them to learn the language.
The final report was delivered by an expert from Syria, Al-Jundi Waddah Muhammad, Director of the Russian-Arab Center for Cultural and Business Cooperation, Co-chairman of the Russian-Syrian Society, Ambassador of Russian Science and Education. The speaker stressed the great cultural importance of the Russian language for Syria and the whole world. He described the historical connection between Russian and Syrian cultures, the common problems faced by Russia and Syria, which eventually brought them closer together. Al-Jundi Waddah also mentioned the basis laid back in the Soviet period in this direction, which is critically important to re-establish today, otherwise time will be lost.
The jubilee Eurasian Youth Forum turned out to be a real triumph for all participants. During the forum, various topics were considered, which allowed young people to enrich their knowledge and views on modern political realities. The general outline of the forum “Eurasian Space in Modern Political Realities. New Challenges and Opportunities” became a source of inspiration and motivation for all participants of the event. We are sure that each listener has generated a lot of new ideas and acquired knowledge that will help them to further develop and contribute to the future of the Eurasian space.
The text was prepared by the co-organizer of the 10th Eurasian Youth Forum, BRICS & SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center.
Editor: Valeria Galudzina
Authors: Valeria Galudzina, Mikhail Shevchenko, Sergey Klyusov
Photo: Dmitry Vetoshkin, Ziming Zhai
English translation: Valeria Galudzina, Mikhail Shevchenko
Chinese translation: Wenjie Wang, Ziming Zhai