Early-Career Researchers Discuss Cooperation between Russia and Arab States
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HSE University has hosted a conference entitled ‘Russia—The Arab World: Digital Future and Youth Cooperation,’ organised by the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs (WEIA). The meeting took place in the run-up to the first Russian–Arab summit, due to be held in Moscow on October 15, 2025.
Anastasia Likhacheva
‘I am very pleased that the conference brings together both Russian students studying Arabic and students from Arab countries who are interested in developing cooperation in Russia and across the Arab world. Communicate, make connections, debate, ask questions. After all, in five, ten, or fifteen years it will be you who have to answer them,’ said Anastasia Likhacheva, Dean of WEIA, addressing the audience. She expressed the hope that the most interesting ideas and proposals would be communicated to the official representatives of the countries.
Dmitry Efremenko, Head of the School of International Regional Studies at WEIA, stressed the importance of the event, describing it as unprecedented. Firstly, this was the first conference of early-career Arabists to be held in the Arabic language. This, he noted, creates a more trusting atmosphere that helps consolidate the research community.
Dmitry Efremenko
‘The second distinctive feature of the event is that it coincides with the forthcoming Russia–Arab summit, which I believe will raise cooperation between our countries to a fundamentally new and higher level, opening up fresh prospects for political engagement, economic cooperation, collaboration in technology, and many other fields,’ he said.
According to Dmitry Efremenko, the conference is taking place at a difficult moment both for Russia and for the Arab world. ‘Very complex and contradictory events are unfolding, the consequences of which will, of course, become fully apparent only later. That is all the more reason why, in such circumstances, it is crucial to maintain dialogue and to sustain it on a regular basis across a wide range of channels—from heads of state to the work of early-career researchers. This will make it possible in the future to reach a new level of expert support for political decision-making and for economic cooperation between our countries,’ he observed.
In his view, it is particularly important to discuss such issues as cybersecurity and standards in the digital sphere. Concluding his speech, Dmitry Efremenko expressed the hope that the conference would mark the beginning of a strong and sustainable research community.
New technologies are radically transforming both the world economy and world politics, agreed Moscow State University professor Igor Yaminsky. ‘Digital technologies are advancing at an incredible and rapid pace, one that only the younger generation, with their 96 billion neurons, will be able to keep up with,’ he said.
All countries, including those of the Arab world, are now focused on the development of digital technologies, observed Igor Yaminsky. For instance, Saudi Arabia is creating the city of the future, Neom, where digital technologies will play a leading role. The UAE has a Minister of Artificial Intelligence, while Bahrain, Kuwait, and Egypt are already launching small satellites built utilising digital technologies, he noted. Russia, too, is rapidly advancing in new technologies.
In recent years, relations between Russia and the Arab world have seen positive growth, as evidenced by a whole series of agreements reached in various fields—from the intensification of political, economic and trade cooperation to cultural, educational, scientific and technical, humanitarian and tourism exchanges, noted Walid Hamed Shiltagh, Ambassador of the Arab League to Russia. He expects this positive dynamic to gain fresh momentum thanks to the first Russia–Arab summit. At the same time, cooperation in education has traditionally played an important role in building bridges of communication, Walid Hamed Shiltagh stressed.
Andrey Baklanov
Student and youth cooperation plays a significant role in international politics—indeed, in some countries such movements are regarded with concern, remarked Prof. Andrey Baklanov, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Studies Section at HSE University. He is confident that the scale and significance of such cooperation will only continue to grow.
The conference was attended by students from HSE and other Russian universities. In their presentations, they spoke about youth diplomacy and student collaboration between Russia and Arab states.
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