No 3(48) (2016)
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
7-16 2059
Abstract
The article deals with the "Quantum mind"hypothesis which has been elaborated in recent works of Alexander Wendt. It is ultimately significant to analyze this hypothesis and to expand on its difficulties and possible inconsistencies given Wendt's credentials in IR theorizing. It allows us to develop a new approach and promising research program on the basis of the hypothesis and its critical reflection. Wendt's quantum physicalism (or holism) implies serious philosophical injury and outstanding usage of different science disciplines' apparatus including physics, biology, and psychology. Thought-provoking approach of Wendt boosts researching efforts within the field of political philosophy, world politics and international relations. The main feature of the hypothesis is the idea of quantum nature in social and political processes which appears to be the consequence of epistemological authority of current science. Alexander Wendt proposes several explanations for quantum foundations within the political and social processes including wide-known "agent-structure" dilemma. According to him, invisibility of social structures does not lead to denial of its existence. Firstly, social structures emerge from the space of possibilities and are not directly dependant on material factors. Secondly, invisibility and its acceptance in different areas are parts of science clarification in many areas including quantum physics. The article discuses how quantum physics principles such as particle-wave dualism, superposition and size absoluteness can be useful in social and political studies. This allows us to demonstrate the given hypothesi' potential in research field of social sciences with regard to international relations and world politics.
17-29 1868
Abstract
The article evaluates the economic, military, social and humanitarian opportunities of Russia in the emerging global information society based on the World Wide Web. The author notes that in spite of the significant economic potential of the internet and its contribution to the world economy, today there is a tendency towards militarization of information space and the growth of the importance of issues of global information security. This trend is a reflection of international system's shifting towards multipolarity. This process is accompanied by the growth of conflicts including superbugs attacks Stuxnet on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, WikiLeaks revelations, Snowden affair. Russian diplomacy is trying to foster the development of global rules regulating the information society and information security based on respect for sovereignty and equality of states. Russia is a global power center in the military-political and diplomatic dimensions of the information space, while in economic and socio-cultural spheres it acts as a regional player. At the same time, the militarization of information increases the importance and priority of the military and political information tools although it does not eliminate the need to further strengthen the economic and technological potential of Russia. Military and diplomatic potential of Russia allow it to have systemic impact on the direction of development of the global information society - that is, it makes Russia a power center in this sphere of international politics. Given that today information technology is an important component of the so-called "aggregate power" of a state, the information potential of Russia allows it to be a global center of power both online and off line.
30-42 977
Abstract
The last decades have witnessed a remarkable surge of interest in studying the influence of science and technology on world politics. However, not all channels of such influence have been examined with equal rigor. Whereas numerous researchers have explored meticulously the impact of technologies on warfare, the issues of using military-technological breakthroughs to achieve political goals have been addressed less frequently. This paper seeks to fill this gaping niche by decomposing the Third Offset Strategy (TOS), a recent initiative of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) aimed at ensuring military-technological superiority of the United States in the XXI century, predominantly, by offsetting the new capabilities of the Russian Federation and the Popular Republic of China. The first section unveils a conceptual framing of the TOS, the second section examines a variety of technological priorities, and the final section identifies key uncertainties around implementation of this initiative in the mid-term and long-term perspective. The conclusion postulates that the emergence of the TOS was determined by both an erosion of the U.S. military superiority and budget constraints, and, therefore, its content might change if budget austerity imperatives will stop dominating the DoD strategists' thinking. The launch of the third offset strategy has also important international-political aspects. First, the TOS fits in the context of the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. Second, the American allies in Europe might face a threat of a widening technological gap with the United States and a need to boost their spending on defense research and development, which might be unfeasible in the current fiscal environment. Third, the concentration of the United States on countering high-end opponents might lead to a further marginalization of the Middle East. Fourth, the TOS is likely to contain a disinformation component and aim at dragging the peer competitors of the U.S. into an exhaustive arms race.
43-53 1135
Abstract
In the present study we examined the impact of technology on the development of world energy in the world, as well as on the development of international energy relations. The important role of international cooperation in the field of energy technologies as a key factor in the development and global deployment of energy technologies in the industry. The most effective technology in the world of multilateral cooperation under the auspices of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and other international organizations. It allows the joint efforts of the countries concerned to develop new technologies, test them and implement in production. For Russia, it is very important, because at the moment our country is not only a leading exporter of energy resources, but also has a significant impact on global energy security. At the same time Russia's FEC requires urgent and serious modernization through the development and introduction of innovative technologies on the basis of the study of international experience. Therefore the question of modernization of Russian fuel and energy complex has an international character. One way to accelerate the process of modernization of the organization is a public-private partnership that will largely depend on the nature and possibilities of Russian energy diplomacy, given the geopolitical and economic realities in connection with the sanctions imposed by Western countries against our country.
54-65 1096
Abstract
The article is dedicated to the study of the models of production of innovations at enterprise and state levels. The shift towards a new technology wave induces a change in systems of division of labour as well as establishment of new forms of cooperation that are reflected both in theory and practice of innovation policy and management. Within the scope of the research question we have studied different generation of innovation process, starting with simple linear models - "technology push" and "market pull" - and ending with a complex integrated model of open innovations. There are two organizational models of innovation production at the enterprise level: start-ups in the early stages of their development and ambidextrous organizations. The former are prone to linear models of innovation process, while the latter create innovation within more sophisticated inclusive processes. Companies that effectuate reciprocal ambidexterity stand out from all the rest, since together with start-ups, research and development centres, elements of innovation infrastructure and other economic agents operating in the same value chain they constitute the core of most advanced forms of national innovation systems, namely Triple Helix and Quadruple Helix systems. National innovation systems - models of innovation production at the state level - evolve into systems with a more profound division of labour that enable "line production" of innovations. These tendencies are closely related to the advent and development of the concept of serial entrepreneurship that transforms entrepreneurship into a new type of profession. International experience proves this concept to be efficient in various parts of the world. Nevertheless, the use of above mentioned models and concepts in national innovation system should be justified by socioeconomic conditions of economic regions, since they determine the efficiency of implementation of certain innovation processes and organizational designs at company and national system level.
66-74 1297
Abstract
Population growth in the context of limited land resources makes the global scientific society research new ways to increase the agricultural yields. Over the past 20 years, biotechnology and GM crops have become widely spread and now are cultivated in 28 countries. The total area of crops has tripled, and it suggests the further vertical and horizontal integration in short term. In 2015, the US Department of Agriculture authorized the commercial use of GM farm animals. The development of agricultural biotechnology market is constrained by opponents of GM crops in more than 160 countries, which include Russia and the European Union, where the production of GM crops is banned due to economic, ethical, ideological and biological reasons. Currently, the EU is seeking to reduce the imports of GM crops and products; Russia's GM imports and exports are prohibited, and the deadline of designing a consolidated position on agricultural biotechnology has been moved to 2017. The author seeks to analyze the volume of production and international trade of agricultural products based on biotechnologies and to describe the main trends in the global market, which could be integrated into the food value chain in Russia. In the context of the worsening economic indicators, the article proposes the possibility of extending the use of GM crops in Russia non-food sector.
HISTORY
75-87 1031
Abstract
In this article the reports of Italian diplomatic officials who worked in the USSR between the two World Wars will be analyzed. On the basis of the unpublished sources, an attempt to explain Mussolini's decision to enter the war against the USSR in 1941 will be carried out. As a historical source, the diplomatic reports present, on one hand, rich material about different aspects of soviet life as seen by foreigners and presented by them with thorough details. On the other hand, the subjective character of the diplomatic information foresees a critical approach towards the judgements and opinions of Italian diplomats. However, despite the limitation of their sources from where the Italian diplomats obtained the information, we have to underline the importance of the diplomatic reports and to consider the diplomatic channel as one of the multiple factors in the determining process of the international fascist policy. The attention is focused on two aspects of soviet reality: public sentiment and the national mentality of Russian people. The goal of the article is to examine the mechanism that led to the diplomats' conclusions about the soviet power instability and about its imminent collapse in the case of foreign invasion.
88-101 752
Abstract
During the Soviet period, the right monarchism was considered by historians of our country as part of general methodological approaches to the study of non-proletarian parties. As ideological and political antagonist of Bolshevism, the Black Hundreds were interpreted as the most reactionary political movement of pre-revolutionary Russia. As a result, the full scientific debate on the right monarchism in the Soviet period did not take place, and Soviet historians failed to form a historical concept of the Black Hundreds as an ideological and political trend in the early twentieth century.
102-111 869
Abstract
Contradictions between the regions of Belgium - Wallonia and Flanders - have a long history associated with uneven political, economic and cultural development of the territories, which in 1830 became parts of an independent state, the Kingdom of Belgium. The "Letter to the King", written by eminent Belgian politician and writer, socialist Jules Destree (1863 - 1936 gg.), is one of the most interesting sources on the history of Belgium of this period, It became a kind of manifesto of balance between the ideas of separatism and unitarianism. This article includes excerpts from the "Letter to the King", which were given for the first time in the author's Russian translation and conducted historical criticism of the source. The study is based on a set of scientific methods and approaches, including the principle of scientific objectivity and systematic approach, used in historical research. The main methods are problematic and historical-comparative analysis, classification and comparison of political and historical concepts. An external source of criticism included information about the place and the time of the creation of document, the biography of the author studies; internal critic source recreates the idea of the letter and the background of historical events. Prominent Belgian politician and writer, socialist Jules Destree (1863 - 1936), highly appreciated the personal qualities of King Albert I, appealed to his experience and political vision, describing all the problems Walloons faced in their opposition to the Flemish. Destree in his letter opposed the unequal development of the regions of Belgium and the protectionist policies of the central government in respect to the detriment of Flanders Wallonia. He summarized and formulated the factors that, in his opinion, interfere with the full development of his country. Destree pays great attention to linguistic differences, which were at the heart of conflicts between Walloons and Flemings, and are still shaken by Belgium. He reflects on the fact that the central government should be doing to reduce the national tensions that unites two people, and that the shares, which should be a system of education that future generations were able to overcome the historical alienation of such geographically close and ideologically distant peoples. Although Jules Destree firmly defends separatism idea for Wallonia as the only solution to the problem, however, by the end of his letter, reasoning it takes a more balanced position. The idea of a unitary state was not denied completely, but Destree emphasizes the importance of a balanced central government policy in relation to the regions in order to reduce internal tensions between the two nations. The ideas embodied in his "Letter to the King", formed the basis of the principles of peaceful co-existence of further autonomous regions as part of the union, which was manifested in the future during the First World War, when the Walloons and Flemings alongside confronted a common enemy.
WORLD POLITICS
112-122 1167
Abstract
The major issue in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has been the problem of enlargement of its full membership. Traditionally this issue is reviewed as a problem of practical policy. However as debates on the SCO membership enlargement progress, they go into more and more depth. This enlargement debate highlights political culture of SCO and also the issue, known in the experience of other international organizations, namely emerging different levels in an organization as membership grows. More importantly debates on enlargement stimulate thinking over the broader question on the future of the SCO - the global perspective (as Russia mostly prefers) or regional perspective (as China mostly prefers). Thus SCO encounters one of the most pressing dilemmas, that's collision of regionalization and globalization trends progressing in the modern world. Debates on these trends evolve in political, economic and social sciences and remain far from resolution. But the SCO is already under the pressure to make either a practical choice in favor of one of these trends or to find a reliable model to combine them within the SCO agenda. This article reviews the SCO enlargement problem not as an issue of practical policy, but as the issue of searching a balance between trends of globalization and regionalization, which if reached could help to reconcile Russian and Chinese interests in Eurasia.
123-133 759
Abstract
This article reviews the literature dealings with the problems of the BRICS, summarized the issues raised by various authors on the main trends in the development of the community and this organization in generally in light of the global economic and political processes. Issues theoretical aspects of further development of the organization as one of the vectors of the global redistribution of the globally weight. This research consistently served all major aspects, related to the functioning of the features of the BRICS as an innovative format of the informal inter-regional cooperation between the countries. So far as the BRIXis a relatively "young"association, its institutionalization is a currently ongoing. This is the primarily due to the economic aspect: the creation of the New Development Bank completes the first stage of the creation BRICS how the formalized association. In contrast to the economic component, around which, most likely, will build further cooperation, political institutionalization seems a distant prospect. At least, included in the Community countries are very different politically and are in completely different conditions in the international political arena. Perhaps in the future the BRICS will move purely in the economic vector. The paradox of this situation lies in the fact that the country's economic data are also very different. Their "weight" in the world economy has a rather significant that carries a precondition for the emergence of some of the dominant structure in the BRICS format. In this aspect, it all depends on future market component of the external and internal environment of each country. Under their influence will be shaped and altered their economies and unexpected moments can occur in a turbulent global economic space. Russian authors studied in detail the characteristics of each of the member countries of BRICS, which allows to mark a significant interest in the national science to the study of inter-regional cooperation in the global political and economic space. At the same time, the study of bibliography dedicated to the problems of the BRICS, cannot be accommodated of the entire volume of literature because there are large numbers of their, so the focus is on the main issues raised by various researchers. Disclosed issues of mutually beneficial cooperation of the participating countries in the format of this organization.
134-143 809
Abstract
The evolution of subregional cooperation among European nations in security and defense area is the topic of the article. It describes sub-regionalism as a phenomenon and explains the reasons why small states of Europe are eager to cooperate in defense area after the end of the Cold War. Such cooperation is analyzed within the broader context of European integration - a trend which still has a great impact on sub-regional cooperation in certain parts of a common EU and NATO space. According to the article former socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe as well as some European neutral states viewed sub-regional groupings as means of security enhancement in a period of transition - a time when these countries were getting ready for fully-fledged integration into European or Euro-Atlantic organizations. Nevertheless, subregional groupings have become even more relevant while EU and NATO enlargements were slowing down. So called threat perception gap among individual members of the EU and NATO contributed to forming of small subregional groupings based on members' security common vision and their aspiration to reach common goals. These groupings estimated as marginal by pan -European organizations, are extremely important for the grouped countries themselves. For European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance it is not easy to govern these subregional trends of multinational cooperation and synchronize them with European and Euro-Atlantic integration as such.
144-153 1711
Abstract
Despite of the fact that numerous researches on the concept of soft power were conducted by Russian as well as by foreign scholars, negative aspects of soft power, especially concerning actors that implement it, were almost disregarded. This article focuses on possible adverse consequences for such actors and illustrates them with the example of Germany that intensively forms its attractive image in the international arena. The authors affirm in particular that actors should form their comprehensive positive image rather than attractiveness of distinct spheres and features. They should also consider side-effects of soft power and harmonize NGO's activities in implementation of this policy. The latter is becoming more relevant against the background of broader application of soft power through public diplomacy with the help of non-governmental organizations. In addition, the article emphasizes the necessity of further theoretical and empirical researches on the issue.
154-162 617
Abstract
Occurred nearly a quarter of a century ago, the collapse of the Soviet Union - an event that led to the formation of a new configuration of the world-system. In this global role, the national significance of this event for Russia that she has to find their place in the world that actualizes a scientific discussion on this topic. Without public clarification and comparison of the ideological differences and disagreements it is difficult to imagine the development of a democratic society. Moreover, it is impossible to do without a debate in the society, standing in the darkness. Russia again, as in the beginning 1990-h years is in a situation of historical bifurcation. Russia to go their own way or try to rebuild themselves in the experience of the successful modernization of the States of the European, Asian, South American or African. They have used the Western (European) experience, without losing their national identity. Inherent in our ethnic consciousness and the inclination to extremes, Russian intellectuals keen on totally unproductive debates, like the endless, which is between "Westerners" and "Slavophil's" (in the current language - "fundamentalists"). The notorious dichotomy becomes more and more absurd, Recalling the disputes of "points" and "dull bits" from the famous novel of Jonathan Swift. The country is a completely different choice - effectiveness and development or the inefficiency and backwardness, modernization or preservation of its political and economic model, developed by reformers in 1990-ies. Today, therefore, Russia should not deifying the West, than succeeded ones and not the deification of exclusivity, what more you want to succeed others, but strong awareness of the reality and the pursuit of maximum expediency, pragmatism in the development of the achievements of Western civilization. If Asian countries are to successfully adopt the European (Western) modernization experience, then Russia as a European country should be more favorable conditions. In line with what is happening in the country discussions on ways of socio-economic development of Russia and its role and place in the emerging new global configuration, interactions with neighbors, primarily with the European Union and China in the context of the prospects of replacing the existing economic model and the upcoming modernization. Need to know life plans, orientation and attitudes of the Russian youth, its ideas about the place of Russia in a changing world. how it links its future with the future of their country. In the upcoming modernization, the main burden of its implementation will fall on the current young generation of Russians. In this regard, the article analyzes survey results of University students in six Federal districts of Russia.
GLOBAL ECONOMY. CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF THE KEYNES'S "GENERAL THEORY"
163-171 4080
Abstract
The Keynes' "General Theory", published 80 years ago, overthrew the neoclassical orthodoxy and created a new understanding of how market economy works. The main idea of the "General Theory" is that the amount of employment depends on the level of effective demand. Keynes believed that much economic activity is governed by "animal spirits" because of the existence of inescapable uncertainty about the future. In Keynes' view these "animal spirits" are the main cause for economic fluctuations. The uncertainty and "animalspirits"make investments unstable. He made distinction between risk (which is measurable) and uncertainty (which is not). This is the reason why Keynes opposed the excessive mathematicization of economics. His another important impact on economics was to switch the focus of economic analysis from the long run to the short term. The message of "General Theory" was that government should manage demand to limit economic fluctuations. The role Keynes gave the state was essentially to reduce uncertainty and to make economy more predictable.
172-187 3576
Abstract
The article examines the philosophical and moral foundations of the biggest economist and political philosopher of the 20th century John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), who played an important role in rethinking a number of important provisions of the classical political economy and in creating the ideological and methodological basis of the "Keynesian revolution" and of the new field of economic analysis-macroeconomics. The author traces the main stages in the formation of ethical views of Keynes, shows that his interest in ethics as the system of values in society was dictated by the need for the new conceptual vision of economic realities and by the search of an answer to the main ethical question: "What should we do?". Attention is drawn to the fact that an understanding of the ethical orientation of economic theory by Keynes allowed him to take a critical stance towards traditional individualism and Victorian morality of thrift and moneymaking and to conclude that rational and "right" forms of individual behaviour are not a guarantee of the prosperity of society as a whole. To achieve the latter Keynes justified the necessity of "central control" by the State of the overall level of aggregate expenditure. It isstressed that the ethical views of Keynes correspond with the concept of the "ethic of responsibility"- a relatively new scientific discipline, which originated as a response to the risks of technogenic era: pollution, resource constraints, overpopulation, lack of stability of the world economy. The final part of the article analyzes one of the most important, from the point of view of Keynes, vices of capitalism - reckless proclivity of people to the multiplication of "abstract monetary wealth". It is shown that it doesn't only disfigure the psyche and consciousness of people, but also changes the direction of development of the market economy towards "speculative capitalism", which creates a threat to civilization, creativity, well-being and full development of the individual.
188-195 1938
Abstract
The article examines the contribution of John Maynard Keynes to the study of the psychological motives of economic behavior. The origins of the analysis of the psychological motives in economics before Keynes are reviewed. The relative importance of rational and irrational motives of economic behavior in the Keynesian theory is analyzed. It is shown that Keynes's analysis of the behavior of the economic agents under uncertainty and the lack of information contributed to the elaboration of the bounded rationality theory by Simon. The article also describes the input of Keynes to the formation of a new «Keynesian» model of human behavior, which implies the importance of expectations, taking into account the psychological and social factors of economic behavior. The main psychological tendencies in the actions of the consumers and investors described by Keynes (the basic psychological law, liquidity preference, the influence of the «market psychology» on the investor's decisions) and their relevance nowadays are examined. The article shows further development of the ideas of Keynes in the Akerlof and Shiller's theory of animal spirits and in the financial instability hypothesis of Minsky. It also gives a description of a confidence multiplier, introduced by Akerlof and Shiller, and shows how the cosumers' confidence can be measured nowadays. Besides, the article stresses that the study of the psychological motives of economic behavior, undertaken by Keynes, contributed to the development of such new disciplines at the interface between the economy and psychology as the economic psychology and behavioral economics.
196-204 934
Abstract
The article deals with the issues related to the teaching of Keynesian theory within the scope of macroeconomics course at the faculties of non-economic professions. It highlights the relevance of Keynes' ideas, the importance of the system approach typical for Keynesian theory that is in particular reflected in the understanding of the connection between economics large-scale processes on the whole and micro-level phenomena. The authors draw special attention to the importance of selecting the sections of Keynesian theory to be included in the economics short course in order to avoid overlooking the scientific significance of the material/data and to retain the essential achievements of the scientist. It refers to the balance of non-financial sector and labor market, to the idea of joint equilibrium in goods and money markets. Particular attention is dedicated to the recognition of the roles of both market and government stated by Keynes. This essential feature of the theory should be reflected in providing educational material. The authors underline that while studying the issues related to such terms as consumption, capital accumulation, investment and money demand, it is necessary to point out the role of psychological factors. These aspects of Keynesian analysis are of key importance for the economic processes' construction. Moreover, they have predetermined the direction of macroeconomics studies for the subsequent decades. Special attention in the article is also paid to the students’ motivation as one of the conditions for mastering the material taught.
205-213 747
Abstract
World economic development in the 21st century keeps tendencies and contradictions of the previous century. Economic growth in a number of the countries and, as a result, growth of consumption adjoins to an aggravation of global problems of the present. It not only ecology and climatic changes that undoubtedly worth the attention of world community, but also the aggravation of social problems. Among the last the question of poverty takes the central place. Poverty is a universal problem, in solution of which take part local authorities, the international organizations, commercial and noncommercial structures. It is intolerable to ignore a catastrophic situation in fight against this problem. It is necessary to look for ways of resolving it not only by using the existing methods, but also developing new approaches. One of the most significant tendencies in the sphere of fight against poverty is the development of the commercial enterprises working in the population segment with a low income level which by means of the activity help millions of people worldwide to get out of poverty. In other words, attraction of the commercial capital by an economic justification of profitability and prospects of investments into the companies working in the population segment with a low income level can be one of the methods allowing to solve effectively a poverty problem. This approach includes this population in economic activity, makes them by full-fledged participants of the market, which benefits to the creation of potential for economic growth and is a key step to getting out of poverty.
"GREEN ECONOMY"
214-220 1245
Abstract
The article focuses on the economic and statistical analysis of industries associated with the use of renewable energy sources in several countries. The dynamic development and implementation of technologies based on renewable energy sources (hereinafter RES) is the defining trend of world energy development. The uneven distribution of hydrocarbon reserves, increasing demand of developing countries and environmental risks associated with the production and consumption of fossil resources has led to an increasing interest of many states to this field. Creating low-carbon economies involves the implementation of plans to increase the proportion of clean energy through renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The priority of this sector is a characteristic feature of modern development of developed (USA, EU, Japan) and emerging economies (China, India, Brazil, etc.), as evidenced by the inclusion of the development of this segment in the state energy strategies and the revision of existing approaches to energy security. The analysis of the use of renewable energy, its contribution to value added of countries-producers is of a particular interest. Over the last decade, the share of energy produced from renewable sources in the energy balances of the world's largest economies increased significantly. Every year the number of power generating capacity based on renewable energy is growing, especially, this trend is apparent in China, USA and European Union countries. There is a significant increase in direct investment in renewable energy. The total investment over the past ten years increased by 5.6 times. The most rapidly developing kinds are solar energy and wind power.
221-228 1024
Abstract
This article analyzes the basic ecological-economic indicators of oil and gas companies, in particular the various volumes of oil, the number of spills per year of CO2 emissions, the costs of environmental protection. In the process of exploration, development and exploitation of oil and gas fields, production, refining, transportation and storage companies have a negative impact on the environment. Occur accidents involving oil spills, emissions and discharges of pollutants into the environment. As a result contaminates water resources, soil and atmosphere, animals dying, birds and fish, but also transformed the structure of the subsurface and changes the landscape, reduced strategic reserves of fuel and energy resources are formed objects of accumulated environmental damage. The need for construction of environmental protection facilities; the protection, rational use and rehabilitation of lands; protection of water resources and atmospheric air; monitoring the environment and industrial facilities; the prevention and elimination of consequences of accidents on pipelines; disposal and recycling of waste; environmental education; conducting scientific research requires oil and gas companies to undertake large expenditures. A positive trend of modern development of oil and gas companies is the introduction of mechanisms for environmental management in practice their activities, which leads to a gradual reduction of the negative impact of their activities on the environment.
229-238 897
Abstract
German Energy transition could be considered to be one of the most challenging a widescaled reforms, quite capital-intensive, requiring a high level of scientific input, having an influence on other economic sectors and economic entities. Energy reform is intended to increase the energy security level by increasing the share of renewables in its energy portfolio, environmental protection by decreasing the emission into the atmosphere and the level of energy consumption. Since 1990 the share of renewables in the whole energy sector and in electricity sector has been rising steadily. Governmental support, including direct finance, fiscal benefits and creating favorable market conditions for the sector has been expanding for renewable and declining for traditional energy. The costs for renewable energy are more transparent, during those for traditional energy are often hidden and indirectly charge the budget, can emerge later in form of subsequent costs of the climate. However, the system of support itself discloses its imperfection, when its implementation causes an opposite impact or contradiction between several instruments, which are actually aimed to solve one problem. Given the high strategic importance of the goals set, even an evident necessity to revise the mechanism of governmental support doesn't, however, mean that the government doubts the usefulness of the reform.
TRANSREGIONALISM
239-248 2352
Abstract
Maximizing the benefits of international division of labor and sharing the achievements of innovative development is possible only with the existence of a strict system of rules and regulations. Such system would enable fair regulation of international trade, ensure the transparency of market access and make it possible to challenge discriminatory measures, as well as to maintain certain measures to protect the interests of domestic producers. The creation of the multilateral trading system has started with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and was subsequently developed in the documents and codes, the decisions of the negotiating rounds. Since 1995, a set of rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) became the basis of the multilateral trading system. All rules are worked out at the multilateral level. However, in recent years the negotiations within the WTO has slowed down, that affected the quality and speed of decision-making on key issues of global development. That provokes the discussion it on a certain crisis of the WTO as the main regulator of world trade, and therefore the need to provide both institutional and substantive reforms.
249-257 1141
Abstract
Factors and possible consequences of transatlantic integration are elaborated in the article. An overview of the history of transatlantic cooperation is provided. The author highlights the paramount goal of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) - strengthening the positions of its parties in the world economy against the backdrop of global competition. Stalemate in Doha round of WTO trade negotiations as well as depressed state of the European economy also contributed to transatlantic integration. Validity of the EU Commission conclusion on TTIP benefits is examined. Results of TTIP econometric modelling are critically assessed. Problems of the EU-US non-tariff liberalization are analyzed. Efficiency of the EU and US labor markets is compared. Low competitiveness of the EU in comparison to the USA and underlying risks for TTIP economic growth and employment are outlined. High unemployment, difficulties of manufacturing (including high-tech industries thereof) recovery, adverse general business situation in the EU are among such risks. Various modes of regulatory cooperation and possibility of their adoption in TTIP are considered. Harmonization, erga omnes mutual recognition of regulations, bilateral mutual recognition of regulations, mutual recognition of conformity testing are distinguished. Possible implications of the modes of regulatory cooperation on TTIP members competitiveness, competition with emerging economies and global standard setting are examined. Conflict of TTIP goals and motivations is revealed. The existence of economic factors of transatlantic integration as well as overestimation of TTIP benefits (primarily for the EU economy) is concluded.
NATIONAL LEVEL
258-264 903
Abstract
The article deals with the Russian pension system and make recommendations for its further development on the basis of international experience. The Russian pension system is in a state of transition. The reform of 2013-2015 is not completed, since in its current state pension system is still characterized by very low replacement rate value at a very high level of government spending. Moratorium on pension accumulation introduced in the course of recent reforms calls into question the future of the mandatory funded pension system. Review of international pension systems formation suggests that the most successful of them are not limited solely to public system, and use a combination of distribution and accumulation units. When choosing between mandatory or voluntary options they are guided by the characteristics of the national economy. Studying the successes and mistakes of world practice of voluntary and mandatory funded pension systems is of great scientific and practical interest, since it can contribute to a more accurate choice of the future path of development of the national pension system.
265-272 639
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to investigate the evolution of the leading Indian business-groups under the conditions of economical liberalization. It is shown that the role of modern business-groups in the Indian economy is determined by their high rate in the gross domestic product (GDP), huge overall actives, substantial pert in the e[port of goods and services, as well as by their activities in modern branch structure formatting, and developing labor-intensive and high-tech branches. They strongly influence upon economical national strategies, they became a locomotive of internationalization and of transnationalization of India, the basis of the external economy factor system, the promoters of Indian "economical miracle" on the world scene, and the dynamical segment of economical and social development of modern India. The tendencies of the development of the leading Indian business groups are: gradual concentration of production in few clue sectors, "horizontal" structure, incorporation of the enterprises into joint-stock structure, attraction of hired top-managers and transnationaliziation. But against this background the leading Indian business-groups keep main traditional peculiarities: they mostly still belong to the families of their founders, even today they observe caste or communal relations which are the basis of their non-formal backbone tides, they still remain highly diversificated structures with weak interrelations. Specific national ambivalence and combination of traditions and innovations of the leading Indian business-groups provide their high vitality and stability in the controversial, multiform, overloaded with caste and confessional remains Indian reality. We conclude that in contrast to the dominant opinion transformation of these groups into multisectoral corporations of the western type is far from completion, and in the nearest perspective they will still possess all their peculiarities and incident social and economical "colouring".
273-279 976
Abstract
The article analyses specific historic features of formation of agrarian and industrial sectors of Republic of South Africa since the establishment of Cape Colony. These features resulted from much earlier colonization of South Africa in comparison with other Sub-Saharan African countries on the one hand and from a large-scale influx of Europeans to the South Africa on the other hand. The two most important of these specific features are the following. First. Contrary to other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa development of the agrarian sector of Republic of South Africa was based on private property and western technologies from the start. Second. The sector is not divided into «African» and «European» sub-sectors, and South-African agricultural produce has always been oriented to both: external and internal markets. Development of industrial sector of Republic of South Africa started with creation of extractive industries, namely: extraction of diamonds and of gold. The authors specifically emphasize the role of gold extraction which grace to its effect of multiplicator opened the way for industrial revolution in the South of Africa. Development of manufacturing was mainly based on import-substitution. The article argues that there were several stages of import-substitution and analyses their outcomes. The authors point out to the special importance of import-substitution during the period of I World War and II World War.
SCIENTIFIC LIFE
280-286 647
Abstract
Since its establishment the SCO has always attracted a lot of expert attention. The SCO Forum was founded in 2006 to bring together for annual debates experts from all member-states. Within this format in-depth discussions took place in April 2016 in Dushanbe, which hosted this year conference of the SCO Forum. Participating experts and officials reviewed problems of security, economic cooperation (including transport and water-energy issues) and SCO enlargement, the latter being one of the most debatable. Experts presented some new thesis on all these problems, in particular on the enlargement issue. These new thesis are summed up in this article. Besides, the SCO Forum this year had many statements on the organization approaching a sort of new phase in its development. This line of discussions may lead in the future to even more active debates on SCO's role in the world. This article puts emphasis on the new elements of these debates and reviews major experts' attitudes within this line of discussion on the SCO being in front of a new stage of development.
BOOK REVIEWS
287-292 674
Abstract
Book review: Renat Bekkin, Almira Tagirdzhanova. Muslim Petersburg. Historical guide-book. The life of Muslims in St. Petersburg and its suburbs. - Moscow, St. Petersburg: Institute for African Studies, 2016. - 640p.
ISSN 2071-8160 (Print)
ISSN 2541-9099 (Online)
ISSN 2541-9099 (Online)