Dear participants of the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development,
This year, HSE University had planned to host the milestone Yasin (April) Conference, which was anticipated to attract a record number of participants and include an unprecedented number of events. We had envisioned welcoming over 3,000 scholars, experts, government officials, and representatives from businesses and the non-profit sector from 44 countries around the world to our venues.
We regret to inform you the conference is cancelled for this year. This hard decision was made with paramount consideration for everyone's safety. Given the current circumstances, we believe it would be irresponsible to proceed with such a large-scale event involving a significant number of participants.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the conference's preparation, including the section heads, round table organizers, and associated event coordinators, as well as all participants, speakers, and invited experts. We highly appreciate your partnership with HSE University and remain confident that it will continue to be fruitful and impactful.
If you have any questions, please contact the Organizing Committee at YasinConference@hse.ru.
Dear colleagues,
HSE University is pleased to announce a call for proposals with reports to take part in the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development (25th Yasin Conference).
The key events of the 25th Yasin Conference will be taking place in Moscow from April 23 to 26, 2024.
Reports on new research results will be presented and discussed as part of the Conference’s sections. These reports will be selected through reviews of proposals. Furthermore, the Conference’s programme traditionally features expert discussions of the most pressing economic, social, internal and external issues in the format of roundtablesand associated events.
Proposals to present a report at the Conference may be filed until Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Applications for attending the Conference as a participant can be submitted until Friday, April 19, 2024. Further details are available on the Conference website in the section for 'Participants'.
The Conference’s events will be held in Russian or English. Certain discussions will be bilingual with simultaneous translation services provided.
With a view to involving participants from Russia’s various regions and all over the world, as well as bearing in mind that certain epidemiological restrictions still may be in effect, next year’s Yasin Conference will be held in a hybrid format.
Proposals for taking part in the Conference with a report will be focused on the following areas:
- Asian Studies
- Corporate Finance in the Context of Global Challenges
- Demography and Labour Markets
- Data-Driven Economy
- Economic Methodology
- Education
- Financial Institutions, Markets and Payment Systems
- Firms and Markets
- Geography and Geo-information Technologies
- Healthcare Studies
- Instrumental Methods in Economic and Social Studies
- International Relations
- Law in the Digital Age
Asian Studies
A key trend in today’s world developments includes amplified presence and enhanced opportunities for the states from among the global majority. Today, such countries assertively state their intention to reconsider the global product’s distribution, while also tapping into sufficient and, more importantly, constantly expanding resources, thereby allowing them to reinforce their rising ambitions with actual measures. This is an ongoing and irreversible process, which itself spurs the necessity in integrated research of Asian countries, from Northeast Asia to the Middle East, as well as their economic, socio-political and cultural features. In this sense, Asian Studies as an academic field becomes a key component in scientific and practical analysis of developmental trends in the entire system of international relations, Asian countries’ ability to promote the consolidated agenda for cooperation and integrate it with global processes, along with adjusting the latter to their own interests. In the wake of recent global events and Russia’s ‘turn to the East’, thus making Russian state proactively seek closer and more diversified ties with Asian and African countries, relevance of Asian Studies as a research and academic field becomes self-evident.
Asian Studies become even more important as the new global order is being shaped, along with the emergence and development of polycentricity and new major economies, quality changes in the role of the global majority and countries and regions dominated by it, as well as regional and subregional institutions. These topics, in addition to many other key issues, will be covered during discussions under the Asian Studies section, including the methodology for Asian Studies as an independent academic field.
Speakers will be invited from the Jawarharlal Nehru University (India), Fudan University (China), Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) in Abu-Dhabi, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Center for Information and Arabian-Russian Studies, Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies in Riyadh and other academic organizations. Furthermore, a joint session on Iran and Russian-Iranian relations is planned with colleagues from Allameh Tabataba’I University.
Demography and Labour Markets
This section addresses a wide range of issues related to demographic development and trends within the labour market. The demographic development sessions will feature discussions about the shifts in demographic processes and structures, socio-economic aspects of demographic trends, population forecasts and models, demographic behaviour, population data sources, regional and national demographics and demographic and migration policies.
The job market sessions will explore a broad spectrum of topics, such as employment, unemployment, wage setting and differentiation, inequality within the job market and the development of labour market institutions. Participants will also examine the impact of digital transformation on the job market. Special attention will be paid to special aspects of job market operation in the context of population aging and its connection to education and the overall health of the population.
Proposals should detail the outcomes of original research. We also welcome interdisciplinary original research projects at the intersection of economics with other sciences.
Keywords: labour market, employment, unemployment, wages, job satisfaction, labour mobility
Data-Driven Economy
This section welcomes papers addressing various aspects of the digital economy, including the following topics:
- digital maturity of economic and social sectors;
- digital transformation of the economy and society, e.g., as applicable to sectors, companies and regions;
- technological trends in the data-driven economy;
- promising business models based on digital technologies;
- assessing the current state of the data-driven economy and its individual aspects (e.g., development and implementation of AI-based technologies);
- international rankings for digital development;
- assessing the effects of digital technology implementation;
- state policies in the data-driven economy;
- digital skills and digital literacy among citizens;
- engagement of the general public in the digital environment and factors contributing to digital inequality.
Economic Methodology
HSE University’s Centre for the History and Methodology of Economic Science will be coordinating this section. We welcome proposals addressing various issues related to the history and methodology of economic studies, along with interdisciplinary research at the intersection of economics and other sciences. This year, we aim to emphasize the interplay between economic science and economic policy. Russian and international scholars will be invited to take part in the section.
Education
Extending the discussions on education traditionally featured at the Yasin Conference, this section will include various special events and presentations highlighting empirical research findings. This year, the section's focus will centre on two research topics proposed for discussion: the development of human potential through education, with a special emphasis on analysing the regional context, particularly in the Far East and the Arctic regions, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in education. These discussion areas align with both the current agenda of education studies and HSE University's research priorities, as reflected in the University's key projects, including projects undertaken by the Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Centre, the AI Research Centre, Strategic Project No. 1 and the new Strategic Project No. 5. For the first topic, we invite colleagues to actively participate and present their research focusing on fostering independence and proactivity, cultivating universal competencies, addressing inequality and promoting the psychological well-being of all participants in the educational process. A round table on the use of AI in education will be organized as a central event for discussing the second topic. International experts are invited to take part in the session, and preliminary agreements have been made for colleagues from the Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence in Education at East China Normal University, along with representatives from Beijing Normal University and Tsinghua University to join the discussion.
Keywords: education, artificial intelligence in education, development of human potential, regional analytics
Financial Institutions, Markets and Payment Systems
Key areas: banks, insurance, financial instruments, financial markets and investments, electronic assets and Central Bank Digital Currencies, systemic risks and crises, innovations in banks and finance. Combined round tables (discussions) may be held on digital assets, ranking agencies of the BRICS+ countries and innovations in banking and digital finance.
Firms and Markets
The session invites speakers with theoretical and empirical papers addressing the following topics:
- corporate governance;
- corporate finance;
- behaviour of firms in domestic and global markets for goods and services; investment, innovative and organizational behaviour;
- global value chains;
- competitiveness of firms in domestic and global markets;
- relations between firms and state authorities at various levels;
- industrial market structures and corporate integration;
- development issues on regulated markets;
- ESG practices and corporate performance;
- firms and markets in the energy transition period, adaptation of companies to sanctions.
Healthcare Studies
The list of tentative topics for papers submitted for discussion at the conference includes:
- analysing factors influencing healthy lifestyles;
- accessibility of medical services;
- effective use of resources in healthcare systems;
- developing organizational, administrative and financial structures for the provision of medical services;
- comparative analysis of healthcare reforms in Russia and other countries;
- innovations in the governance of medical organizations;
- impact of changes in work arrangements and remuneration on the performance of medical employees;
- co-financing of medical services by citizens.
Instrumental Methods in Economic and Social Studies
- This section will showcase presentations on the use of formal methods and Big Data analysis in social sciences. Topics up for discussion will include, without limitation, the following areas:
- big data analysis in economics, business and politics;
- decision-making tools based on big data analysis;
- using big data for solving economic tasks;
- using current mathematical methods in economics, business and politics;
- mathematical, imitative and numerical simulations;
- intellectual tools and shells;
- instrumental means for supporting platforms and ecosystems;
- multiple-agent systems;
- modelling socio-technical systems;
- models and methods for managing social networks and network structures;
- big systems monitoring and analysis tools.
International Relations
The formation of a new international order has entered its decisive and most acute stage. A distinctive feature of the modern period is the formation of the World Majority, which is a set of countries of the world striving to increase their independence and ability for sovereign development. The leaders of this process are such powers as China, Russia, India, the largest countries in Africa and Latin America, and the Arab states. The formation of alternative transport and logistics, trade and financial systems is increasingly active, allowing various states to participate in globalization without the threat of becoming an object of economic war from the West.
Against this background, in theoretical terms, such basic problems as the shaping of political identity in different regions of the world, sustainability of international institutions in the context of the formation of a new world order, the role and development of the Global South in the global politics, as well as special aspects of foreign policy culture at the present stage of development of the international relations system, become increasingly relevant. Such issues as regionalism in Asia and the politicization of contemporary development issues in the countries of Central Asia deserve special attention. Finally, the issue of applying sanctions in different regions of the world, including sanctions imposed both by Western and non-Western countries, still remains relevant.
In practical terms, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the ongoing global changes in the world policy in order to determine its key features, as well as formulate a clear foreign policy for Russia in the context of global geopolitical turbulence. The main attention should be paid to the new leading powers at the global and regional level: China, India, Turkey, and Iran.
Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policy
Reports covering research in macroeconomics and macroeconomic policies may be submitted for review for the section. Papers may be theoretical or empirical. Priority is given to works, which describe economic mechanisms and support in making decisions for shaping economic policy amidst a turbulent global economic background and restrictive sanctions. In a new context, such policies should aim at ensuring social stability, lessening the effects of negative shocks and cultivating conditions conducive to improving the welfare of households.
Those reports are prioritized that focus on issues faced by open economies with a significant share of raw materials exports in aggregate demand, as well as vast territories and regional heterogeneity in terms of economic development. As such, reports may also consider Russia's economy as its research focus, or any other countries and regions with similar features of economic development.
Research should be carried out on the basis of contemporary economic theory and quantitative analysis methods drawn from academic literature.
Proposals must meet the following requirements:
- inclusion of research question considered by the work;
- novelty or innovative character;
- explanation of the author’s(‘) contributions to the relevant field of academic literature;
- what recommendations for economic policies may be provided on the basis of this work.
Report topics may cover the following fields, but may go beyond them:
- monetary and tax policies in light of high volatility of revenues;
- economic implications of internal and external shocks caused by various reasons;
- differentiation of countries, sectors and regions in terms of the level and pace of production growth based on the analysis of institutions, geography, international trade and financial markets;
- support of sustainable economic development in the context of a slowing global economy, Geopolitical risks and new environmental agenda;
- dependence on the exports of natural resources and approaches to economic diversification;
- impact of inequality in the distribution of income and human capital on economic development both domestically and at the regional level.
Management
Proposals addressing a wide range of pertinent theoretical and practical issues related to business and management will be considered within this section. The key topics align with the priority research areas outlined in HSE University’s Development Programme Up Until 2030:
- current trends in management studies: new business models and strategies;
- managing sustainable corporate development and ESG strategies;
- digital transformation of business: methodology, trends and technologies;
- transformation of HR systems and HRM strategies;
- transformation of marketing strategies in the face of new conditions;
- international business and new global challenges;
- supply chains and logistics transformation, operational corporate performance;
- innovation management: new approaches and challenges.
Political Processes
We invite proposals that centre on a comparative analysis of political institutions and processes in Russia and other countries, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Additionally, we encourage a focus on the use of contemporary methods in computational social sciences to study political processes and phenomena.
We also welcome papers addressing various issues related to comparative and global policy, political theory, political behaviour, political culture, political methodological research and other aspects.
Law in the Digital Age
The rapid development of digital technology today brings about substantial changes across all facets of public life and government operations. As a fundamental tool for regulating social relations, law must navigate these changing conditions while ensuring effective and human-centred implementation of advanced technologies. These trends pose significant challenges for legal and interdisciplinary research, coupled with real-world transformations, which calls for thorough consideration and discussion among legal experts. During this section, we will delve into various issues related to this agenda, including legal frameworks for public-private partnerships in the context of the digital economy, challenges arising from the application of AI amid the comprehensive transformation of the legal system, the role of lawyers in the digital sphere and various issues related to the deployment and utilization of digital tools in specific sectors of legal regulation.
Science and Innovation
Presentations addressing the most promising STI developments both in Russia and internationally will be featured in the Science and Innovation section. This will include discussions on national and regional science, technology and innovation policies, the technological advancement of industries and enterprises, technological sovereignty and the choice of priorities in research development, among other related topics.
Culture and Society
The “Culture and Society” section has been a part of the Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development since 2010. The sessions in this area will focus on advanced research on the interactions between culture and society. Papers on either the objectified (cultural institutions, rituals, etc.) or subjective (values, identities, etc.) aspects of culture are welcome.
The expected format of report abstracts is specified in the section “For participants with a report.” Please note that the abstract must contain a description of the research question, the data used, and the results obtained. If the report is accepted, the abstract will be posted on the conference website to attract the attention of potentially interested participants. So, we recommend that the abstract language be accessible to a wider academic audience.
Social Policy
Social policy stands out as a critical tool for upholding social stability, cultivating human capital and bolstering its role in overall sustainable social and economic development, particularly during periods of turbulence and external shocks.
This session addresses various issues related to the living standards and quality of life in households and social policies aimed at levelling development opportunities for diverse social groups.
The key topics include:
Every year, the Social Policy section receives proposals from experts representing leading institutions in Moscow and other Russian regions. These include the Financial Research Institute of the Ministry of Finance of Russia, RANEPA, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Rostov State University of Economics (RSUE), Novosibirsk State University, Tyumen State University, Tomsk State University, Ural Federal University and regional branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEIE SB RAS in Novosibirsk, IE UB RAS in Ekaterinburg, SI RAS in St. Petersburg). Considerable efforts were undertaken in 2023 to attract foreign partners from friendly countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Their participation in the 2024 conference is anticipated, enhancing the international dimension of the event. The accumulated experience from previous years and newly established business connections contribute to optimistic prospects for attracting high-quality papers.
Leading Russian experts in such areas as inequality, poverty, policies for the senior generation, active longevity, the development of long-term care systems and the labour market actively participate in the Social Policy section as moderators, speakers or discussants, contributing to engaging and fruitful discussions.
Keywords: social policy, social protection, labour market, families with children, senior generation, disabled people, living standards, quality of life, poverty, subjective well-being, inequality, human capital
Sociology
The Sociology section invites exploration of contemporary social phenomena, processes and practices, both rooted in the past and relevant today and in the near future, through the lens of sociology and related disciplines.
We welcome research into the dynamics of social institutions, the social structure of society, prospects for social mobility, examination of the relationship between educational institutions, the labour market and the economy, trends in growing social stratification, and an analysis of social values at the societal, group and individual levels.
Researchers are encouraged to focus on the following key topics reflecting 2023 trends:
(1) migration (forced and everyday migration, both physical and digital);
(2) issues associated with ethnical conflicts;
(3) integration of artificial intelligence into everyday life and sociological research practices.
We look forward to receiving papers that showcase research findings in one or more of the aforementioned areas. Additionally, we encourage reflections on new methodological solutions to address specific research problems within the given topics. Our priority is to engage in discussions focusing on recent studies conducted in 2022–2023.
Abstract requirements:
• Recommended length is 500–1000 words.
• The abstract should begin with the topic, author (authors), author (authors) affiliation and contact email.
• The structure of the abstract should reflect the main idea (problem, key research question, objectives) and provide a description of the anticipated (or already obtained) results.
• It is advisable to reference key works by other authors within the chosen topic.
• Applicants should indicate the sources of information, describe the empirical basis and outline the main parameters of their study (methodology for collecting and analysing data, data collection period, etc.).
Geography and Geoinformation Technologies
This section delves into relevant topics within the realm of modern geographical science and practice. It encompasses such areas as global environmental and climate change, geoinformation technologies, spatial data management, social geography and spatial solutions. Participants will engage in discussions covering fundamental research issues focused on the transformation of natural and cultural landscapes. Additionally, applied problems related to geoanalytics, climate policy and spatial forecasting will be explored during the sessions.
A focal point of this section is the use of technological tools to address these challenges, relying on big spatial data and artificial intelligence tools, including the HSE Geoportal.
The section places particular emphasis on topics at the intersection of various geographical study fields. These include territorial resilience, spatial differentiation of human potential, land use transformation, adaptation of territories to climate and environmental changes, natural climate risks, natural climate solutions and ecosystem services.
Additionally, the section covers pertinent issues within key fields of social geography, covering economic, social, political and cultural aspects, along with the transformation of the natural environment based on the overarching concept of territorial integrity.
Proposals should include original research findings or offer relevant applied solutions for business and government.
Theoretical Economics
This session covers a broad spectrum of ideas in economic theory, spanning micro- and macroeconomics, the theory of industrial markets, political economy, social choice theory and other fields utilizing contemporary economic theory, econometrics, game theory, decision theory and related methodologies.
We also welcome papers in applied economics, experimental economics and related fields (e.g., neuroeconomics) that test the predictions of economic theories for individual and collective decisions or explore behaviour in different contexts and in relation to various problems.
World Economy
This section will include papers on current trends and problems facing the global economy, such as: new developments in international trade, trans-border capital flow and global corporations, international migration of labour force, regional integration and international economic institutions, the energy transition and other technological innovation, and the challenges of sustainable development.
Furthermore, participants will discuss the development of national economies around the world and their relationship with global processes, changes in the impact of developing economies on global economic ties, as well as Russia’s role in the global economy and the turn of its foreign economic relations towards the Global South. The section also invites papers on the impacts of sanctions and other economic barriers on the Russian economy, economies of other countries as well as on international economic processes.
Smart City
In recent years, smart city technologies have increasingly permeated the fabric of urban life, extending from municipal management practices to the everyday routines of citizens. Evolving from a futuristic concept to a collection of specific technical solutions across various spheres of urban life, smart city technologies are now deeply integrated into daily urban experiences.
The introduction of smart city technology is poised to bring about long-term and global socio-economic transformations across all facets of compact and high-density models of human settlement known as cities. Thus, smart city represents both the next stage in the evolutionary development of cities as objects of scientific research and a set of factors contributing to this evolution.
This reality gives rise to a new synthetic field of research, often referred to as digital urban studies. Positioned at the intersection of computer science and applied engineering, sociological and economic sciences, urban planning and environmental sciences, this field employs a diverse range of research methods to study the city as a dynamic process in the era of its digital transformation.
In 2024, this section will be held for the second time at the Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development.
Regional and Urban Development
This session will delve into the following topics:
Corporate Finance in the Context of Global Challenges
This section gains significance from profound shifts in the domestic and global business environment, coupled with changes in corporate financial architecture driven by shifts in sales markets and technologies in 2022–2023. Unprecedented transformations in the business landscape, geopolitical dimensions of corporate business and government policies have spurred the evolution of corporations as a business form. On the one hand, we witness novel financial adaptation strategies; on the other hand, a dual transformation imperative for corporations involving digitalization, artificial intelligence and simultaneous adoption of a sustainable development agenda necessitates a fresh, integrated management approach to non-financial risks.
The study of the forms and methods of such adaptation, along with the role of digitalization, including AI, poses new challenges and opens unique opportunities for academic collaboration within BRICS+. Actively participating in the Strategic Priority 2030 Programme, the School of Finance has developed original methods and achieved new research outcomes in the field of financial and operational sustainability during structural crises, including insights obtained from surveys of CFOs and CEOs. The Corporate Finance Centre's experience, combined with accomplishments in a strategic project within an interdisciplinary team with HSE University’s School of Philology, has led to the development of a national methodology for text analysis, enabling the identification of behavioural styles of top management and expanding the scope of research on corporate finance decisions. HSE University’s School of Finance has established a network of partnerships with business professionals and academic experts from various universities. Corporate finance issues should be addressed separately, facilitating a systematic and comprehensive discussion on new motives, drivers and outcomes of corporate decisions, encompassing financing, investments, innovation, payments to investors, strategic mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring and assessment of business sustainability. This consolidation aims to systematize changes in corporate practices and scrutinize the evolving image of a corporation as a form of business organization in the Russian business environment and developing capital markets at large. The section's work will be enriched by roundtable discussions with experts. Participants will explore the impact of digital transformation on methods for analysing financial decisions and corporate results, as well as the dynamics of companies transitioning to sustainable development agenda in emerging capital markets (primarily BRICS+). Drawing on our experience in publishing monographs with Springer within the academic series "Advanced Studies in Emerging Markets Finance" which we initiated, we propose publishing the section's results as a collective monograph in Springer.
Psychology
This section explores current trends in psychological studies and practice, aligning with the key research areas pursued by HSE University. The following topics will be examined by participants during the sessions:
The session dedicated to cognitive processes in the information environment will be collaboratively organized by the Laboratory for Cognitive Research and the Laboratory for Cognitive Psychology of Digital Interface Users. They will ensure high organizational standards and extend invitations to speakers for active participation. The session on the psychological effects of socio-economic dynamics will be coordinated by the staff of the Laboratory for Psychology of Social Inequality and the Research and Study Group for Psychology of Organizational Communication. The practice-oriented focus of psychological studies at HSE University will be showcased in sessions on personality psychology and psychological well-being. This approach has been embedded in Master's programmes in the field of psychological counselling and psychotherapy, as well as the strategic project Success and Self-Sustainability in a Changing World. Key Russian and foreign experts specializing in relevant research areas will be invited to take part in the sessions.