Crisis Poses New Challenges for Researchers
The XVI April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development starts on April 7. Below HSE Academic Supervisor Evgeny Yasin describes what interesting things await this year's participants.
— The 2015 April Conference will certainly be an interesting one, though the reason for this is perhaps not the best – crisis. This year we are seeing the emergence of the very problems we were unable to resolve in previous years, as GDP is declining. I am not sure that this will continue, but the fact still remains. We are now faced with a qualitatively new economic situation, and we expect to hear serious discussions on the most relevant problems at this year’s round tables, sections, and plenary sessions.
The XVI April Conference will hold sessions on practically on economic fields studied at HSE, including economics, macroeconomics, microeconomics, industrial markets, and others. The conference will also have sessions devoted to philosophical, sociological, and political issues.
Plenary Sessions
At the morning plenary session on April 7, experts from Russia and around the world will discuss possible scenarios for the future of the Russian and global economy. Among the meeting’s participants we hope to see Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov; the head of the Accounts Chamber, Tatyana Golikova; Sberbank Chairman German Gref; the first deputy governor of the Central Bank, Ksenia Yudaeva; the governor of Voronezh region, Alexei Gordeyev; and the Senior Director of the Poverty Global Practice at the World Bank Group, Ana Revenga.
The reasons behind the successes and failures of Russia’s reforms will be discussed with the former Finance Minister, Alexei Kudrin; the academic Viktor Polterovich; the chairman of the bank VTB24, Mikhail Zadornov, the economist Mikhail Dmitriyev; and our Polish colleague Marek Dabrowski, who always has unique and interesting ideas. In addition, because of Dabrowski’s experience as the deputy of Leszek Balcerowicz, a major player in Poland’s economic reforms, his views might offer us some guidance. On the one hand, we have come a long way over the last 20 years, as the standard of living is better now than during the transformative crisis of the 1990s; but on the other hand, a new crisis has darkened our doorstep. In this situation, it is critical to try to evaluate the outcomes of the institutional changes, which differ by one important characteristic – they are starting earlier and ending later than we can currently observe. Many participants of this plenary session have their own original viewpoint on the processes currently underway in Russia.
The April conference has long been one of the main events of the economic and social sciences in Russia. It is where a dialogue can take place at the university between theorists and practitioners; representatives of government, business, and science; and Russian and foreign experts.
The keynote speaker of the plenary session on ‘Social Policy Priorities’ is Lilia Ovcharova, HSE's Social Research Director. We also expect to see Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets; the Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Leonid Pechatnikov; and renowned expert on regional socioeconomic development, Natalia Zubarevich.
At another plenary session called ‘Demand for Law: Factors and Dynamics,’ there will be a discussion on what I believe to be a fundamental part of the kinds of qualitative changes needed if we are to ensure that there is rule of law over the control of administrative officials. Rule by the sovereign is an engrained tradition in Russia, be it a czar, president or general secretary. But a market economy only works effectively when law is supreme. Moreover, economic science shows that so long as this key contradiction exists, we are bound to face problems.
This session will be headed by Anton Ivanov, who was previously the Chairman of Russia's Supreme Court of Arbitration and is now the Academic Supervisor of HSE's Faculty of Law. The session's speakers include the Vice Rector of the European University in St. Petersburg and the Head of the Research Institute for the Rule of Law, Vadim Volkov; the Director of HSE’s Institute for Industrial and Market Studies, Andrei Yakovlev; the President of Russia’s Federal Bar, Yury Pilipenko; Bulgarian Scholar Ivan Krastev; and HSE Professor Sergei Pashin. We are also hoping to hear from American Professor of law and political science, Catherine Hangly; the Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Civil, Criminal, Arbitration and Procedural Law, Pavel Krasheninnikov; and the Head of a task force to create an international financial centre, Alexander Voloshin.
There will also be a separate plenary session on April 7 to discuss issues of educational development. Participants will include Russian Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko and Russia’s Minister of Education and Science, Dmitry Livanov. In addition, representatives from government and business will discuss the growth opportunities that exist during the crisis at a special plenary discussion on April 8.
Honorary Lectures and Presentations
This year we have also planned a series of honorary lectures and presentations to be given by prominent scholars from Russia and around the world. I hope I will be able to make it to the lecture by the Dean of Moscow State University’s Faculty of Economics, Alexander Auzan, who is going to talk about cultural capital as a tool for constructing Russia’s new economic strategy. I also look forward to a presentation from Hungarian professor Bálint Magyar on post-communist Hungary, as I think it will be interesting to hear about Hungary’s experience in living through post-communist transformations, especially since they started there earlier than they did in Russia.
The main programme for this year’s conference will also offer four special PhD seminars in finance, management, economics, sociology, and philosophy for doctoral and post-graduate students.
The April conference has long been one of the main events of the economic and social sciences in Russia. It is where a dialogue can take place at the university between theorists and practitioners; representatives of government, business, and science; and Russian and foreign experts. The Conference has always been an excellent platform for open and informative discussions, and participants can establish connections at the April Conference that might ultimately grow into research projects. I am certain that such an atmosphere will continue on into this year’s conference as well.
See also:
Nobel Laureate Proposes Solution to Markov Equilibrium Problem
In dynamic games, a Markov equilibrium involves strategies that guide players' behaviour based on the current state of the game, rather than its entire history. This approach is effective when players have access to complete information. But when uncertainty arises in the game—for instance, when players are unsure of who they are dealing with—this approach can become problematic. Eric Maskin, Nobel Laureate in Economics and Professor at Harvard University, addressed this issue in a paper presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development held at HSE University from April 15 to 18, 2025.
‘The World Is Becoming More Complex and Less Predictable’: What Scientists Say about the Future
The future is now more difficult for researchers to forecast, and events that are hard to predict are playing an increasingly significant role. But there is good news too: scientists are confident that humanity will adapt to any changes. This was the focus of discussion at the International Symposium ‘Foresight in a Rapidly Changing World,’ which took place as part of the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference.
Fragmentation and Bloc Formation: How the Global Economy is Changing
Sergey Dubinin, former head of the Bank of Russia and Professor of Finance and Credit at the Faculty of Economics at Moscow State University, has delivered an honorary address at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference. He spoke about the transformation of the global monetary and financial system, as well as the Russian economy.
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Russians with children feel happier than those without children. At the same time, the number of children influences the assessment of happiness: the more children Russians have, the happier they feel. These conclusions were outlined inthe report ‘More Children, More Happiness: The Impact of the Number of Children on Russians’ Assessment of Happiness,’ presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development, held on April 15–18 at HSE University. The study was conducted by Elena Churilova, Senior Research Fellow, and Dmitry Jdanov, Chief Research Fellowat HSE International Laboratory for Population and Health.
HSE Expands Cooperation with Gulf Countries
HSE University and the Centre for International Policy Research (Qatar) have agreed to collaborate in the field of social sciences, with plans for joint research, academic exchanges, and regular expert engagement. The agreement was signed during the roundtable ‘State Capacity and State Resilience in the Global South,’ held as part of the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference at HSE University.
‘We Grow Old before We Become Rich’: How BRICS Countries Can Achieve Economic Growth
Due to population aging, many countries aiming for economic prosperity have limited time left to undergo economic transformation, according to the honorary report Narratives Versus Reality on Employment and Demography: How Undermining Institutions Can Push Countries Out of the ‘Narrow Corridor’ by Santosh Mehrotra of the University of Bath. The report was presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference.
XXV Yasin (April) Academic Conference Kicks Off at HSE University
The anniversary 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development will take place from April 15 to 18. This year, over a thousand applications were submitted to present at the conference, of which the Programme Committee selected 381 of the best research papers in their respective fields.
HSE University Announces Call for Proposals to Attend Anniversary Yasin Conference
HSE University invites submissions of proposals with academic reports for participation in the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference (YIAC). The conference programme, centred on five research themes addressing issues of economic and social development, will retain its interdisciplinary focus and welcome participation from leading scientists in Russia and around the globe. The key events of the 25th Yasin Conference will be taking place in Moscow from April 15 to 18, 2025.
25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference Now Accepting Proposals
Reports on new research results will be presented and discussed as part of the conference’s sections. These reports will be selected based on reviews of proposals. As always, the conference programme features expert discussions of the most pressing economic, social, internal and external issues in the format of roundtables and associated events.
Academic Council: HSE University’s Contribution to Achieving National Goals and Development Priorities to Increase
HSE University’s Development Programme until 2030 will be improved in order to increase the university’s contribution to achieving national goals and implementing the priorities of the country’s scientific and technological development. This decision was made by the university’s Academic Council on April 26. The meeting also addressed the principles for the development of HSE University’s external communications, one of which is the creation of a high-quality information field around the university.