The Primakov Centre announced the results
of the International Contest on the Middle East
of the International Contest on the Middle East
On 22−24 April, the Primakov Centre hosted the Conference of the 7th International Contest on the Middle East in honor of Evgeny Primakov, where the authors of the best research and analytical papers on Middle Eastern issues were announced. The event was attended by 16 students from 5 countries.
The conference was opened by Viktoria Karsliyeva, Executive Director of the Primakov Centre, who spoke about the purpose of the Competition: “An expert is not born overnight, as she or he needs to accumulate an analytical foundation. At the same time, it is extremely important to motivate young researchers to do science and show that what they do matters. This is the mission of our Contest. I hope you will spend these days productively and increase your expertise as aspiring Middle Eastern studies scholars.”
Ruslan Mamedov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Scientific Director of the Primakov Centre, also addressed the participants with a welcoming speech: "Congratulations to everyone here. If you are present in this room, then many of you are already promising personnel for think tanks. During the Conference, you will have the opportunity to interact with the experts who reviewed your work, attend lectures by major Middle Eastern studies scholars on the current agenda, and present the findings of your research."
A workshop by Editor-in-Chief of the Oriental Courier journal Anastasia Vasilenko was held following the Conference opening ceremony. She told the participants what to pay attention to when writing an analytical paper and how to properly present the results of scientific activity.
A workshop by Editor-in-Chief of the Oriental Courier journal Anastasia Vasilenko was held following the Conference opening ceremony. She told the participants what to pay attention to when writing an analytical paper and how to properly present the results of scientific activity.
Over the following days, the 16 finalists presented their research results in three sections: ‘Russia-Gulf Relations at the Present Stage’, ‘Russia's Relations with Non-Arab States in the Middle East’ and ‘Global Actors in the Middle East and North Africa’. In between sessions, they were able to interact with experts who reviewed their papers at the selection stage.
The working programme of the conference also included a round table with the participation of leading Middle East researchers. For example, Nikolai Surkov, Ph.D. in political science, senior researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies of IMEMO, Vyacheslav Akhmadullin, Ph, and Dr Majid ibn Abdulaziz al-Turki, Director of the Centre for Information and Arab-Russian Studies in Saudi Arabia.
Irina Zvyagelskaya, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of History, Director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at IMEMO, gave also a lecture on the future of the Middle East after the next round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Irina Zvyagelskaya, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of History, Director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at IMEMO, gave also a lecture on the future of the Middle East after the next round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Laureats of the 7th Primakov Contest:
- 1st degree laureate — Mark Fedotov, MSU
Theme of the research: ‘Regional rivalry between Russia and Turkey on the example of the South Caucasus’.
- 2nd degree laureate — Mehrubon Ashurov, GAUGN
Theme of the research: ‘Russia's Approach to Ensuring Subregional Security in the Persian Gulf Area’.
- 3rd degree laureate — Alina Kiseleva, MSU
Theme of the research: ‘The Impact of the Russian Factor on the Approaches of the GCC Member States to the Conflict in Syria’.
- Winner laureate — Mikhail Raskin, MGIMO
Theme of the research: ‘Grain Breakthrough: Interaction between Russia and GCC countries in the food sector at the present stage’.
- Winner laureate — Matvey Antonov, HSE
Theme of the research: ‘Russian-Libyan economic co-operation: analysis and prospects’.
The best works of the finalists will be published in a special issue of the IW RAS scientific journal indexed in RSCI.