‘The Main Topic of the April Conference is Human Capital’
One of the university’s most important annual gatherings for discussion and debate, HSE’s Academic advisor, Evgeniy Yasin told us about the main themes and participants coming up at the XIV April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Modernization.
— Professor Yasin, what are the main topics for discussion going to be at the April Conference?
— In the last few years, a tradition has emerged at our conference to conduct two plenary sessions to talk exclusively about the key issues. We invite leading foreign experts to join top Russian academics and representatives of the presidential administration. This year is no exception. The topics for the plenary session resonate with the main issues from last year’s conference: at the first session we’ll discuss the situation developing in the Russian economy in the context of the global crisis, and at the second, human capital as one of the essential components of economic development. These topics are directly interconnected - in today’s conditions the Russian economy needs new stimuli and this is where the human factor comes to the fore. Creating an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual trust between government, business and society is increasingly important. Unfortunately, at the moment the level of this trust is low.
— What in your view can raise it?
— I think there are a number of mechanisms we can use. First of all, we need to replace the personal relationships which are so characteristic of our society with legal ones. Secondly, we need to develop competition. The third, and no less significant factor, is freedom.
— Why does the HSE set problems in the social sphere apart as the most pressing and demanding of urgent attention?
— All institutions in the social sphere in Russia require transformation. It’s very important to start talking about it now. The country is on the threshold of making important decisions. One of them is a partial or total rejection of the saving system in pension provision. At the moment, workers have to make contributions, not only for their own future but for current pensioners too. With today’s average workers incomes this doesn’t make sense as an investment. In the past pensions, housing, education and health care were entirely provided by the state but in making the transition from a planned to a market economy, new stimuli must arise to reform the whole system. These are not working enough at the moment: we managed to get goods back into the shops but we still have a long way to go to have a decent level of health care, education and housing. HSE specialists have devised a concept for changing social and financial institutions but the concept needs to be developed. That’s why we are inviting colleagues to join this discussion and we are prepared to consider the issues from all different points of view.
— Which of the papers due to be read at the conference have aroused your interest most?
— This year we have a really packed programme, and it’s hard to single something out for particular attention. The whole section on Macroeconomics promises to be interesting. It’ll be conducted by the head of the economics expert group Yevsei Gurvich. Well-known foreign and Russian specialists in the field are invited to give lectures at the conference. I expect there will be a heated discussion at the round table on pension reform. All kinds of different views will be represented and it should be a fruitful debate.
In the afternoon on the second day there will be a section devoted to problems of education. Yaroslav Kuzminov will represent the HSE’s position and we have invited many people who have quite different approaches.
— Which famous international experts are coming to the conference?
— This year we have about 150 foreign specialists coming. Sadly we won’t have any Nobel Laureates this year. But among the leading experts is the vice-president and chief economist of the World Bank, Kaushik Basu, and representatives of the OECD and the WTO will be there. All of our guests are top specialists in their field, so the work at the conference promises to be tense and fascinating.
Interview by Viktoria Nosik, second year student at the faculty of media communications, intern at the HSE news service portal
See also:
‘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.
More Children, More Happiness: HSE Experts Study Impact of Number of Children on Russians' Assessment of Happiness
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.
Keeping Up with the Neighbours: Envy as a Driver of Economic Growth
Classical economic theory assumes that economic agents are entirely self-interested and rational in their pursuit of material well-being, and that they are not affected by external factors. As a result, externalities are not considered in any way when constructing economic models. Nevertheless, some sociologists argue for a revision of modern economic theory to incorporate the ethical dimensions of economic agents' behaviour. Kirill Borissov, Professor of the Faculty of Economics at the European University in St Petersburg, spoke at the XXIV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference and shared his observations from creating his own economic model incorporating the factor of envy.