Programme

The key aim of the Future Preparedness Index project is to analyse the extent to which various countries are prepared to respond to the challenges of tomorrow, and how competitive they are according to a wide range of economic, political, social, cultural, technological, and other criteria. What preliminary results were obtained from the pilot research study? How can the relevance and adequacy of the criteria used be assessed?

Moderator:
Evelina Zakamskaya , Anchor, Russia 24; Editor-in-Chief, Doctor Channel

Evelina Zakamskaya

Anchor, Russia 24; Editor-in-Chief, Doctor Channel

Evelina Zakamskaya was born on November 17, 1977, in Baku, and graduated from the Faculty of Philology at Tver State University. She is a presenter for Radio Mayak and for Mir, a television and radio company. Since 2006, she has been an anchor for television channel Russia 24. She writes and presents Mnenie (Opinion), a talk show covering social and political issues, and Idei, menyayushchie mir (World-Changing Ideas), a series of popular science programmes. Evelina Zakamskaya moderates Russia 24 sessions at major international forums. She is married with two daughters.

Panellists
Andrei Bystritsky , Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
Alexander Ivlev , Country Managing Partner for Russia, EY
Akiyoshi Komaki , Moscow Bureau Chief, Asahi Shimbun
Fyodor Lukyanov , Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
Angela Stent , Director, Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, Georgetown University
Valery Fedorov , Director General, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)
Andrei Fursenko , Aide to the President of the Russian Federation

Andrei Bystritsky

Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

In 1985-1991, Andrey Bystritskiy was engaged in research as a Senior Fellow at the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. He has been in the media industry since 1991, starting as the Head of the Audience Research Department of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company (RTR), author and host of radio and television broadcasts. In 1993-1996, Andrey Bystritskiy headed sociological research at the Company. From 1996 to 1997, he was in charge of the "Society" Department at the Itogi (Russian Newsweek) magazine. In 1997-1998, Andrey Bystritskiy was Deputy Director General for Information at TV Tsentr. Between 1998 and 1999, he was the Producer of the Russian news service on BBC. In 1999, he joined the Organizing Committee of the Unofficial Moscow Festival as one of its Co-Chairs, he was also a member of the Editorial Board of the Moscow Alternative newspaper and Chairman of the Mayak State Radio Broadcasting Company (main information radio in Russia). In 2000, Bystritskiy became the Director General of the Vesti State Television Company (an entity of RTR). From 2000 to 2008, he was Deputy Director General of RTR and the Director of the Department of Information Programmes of the Russia TV. In 2000-2013 Bystritskiy was a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of international broadcasting company Euronews. Between 2005 and 2007, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Apologia monthly magazine. From 2008 to 2014, he was the Chairman of the Voice of Russia State Radio Company (Russian international broadcaster in 44 languages). Andrey Bystritskiy has been at the National Research University – Higher School of Economics since 2001, as a Dean of the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design since 2014. Since 2008, he has been the head of the Council of the Heads of Government and Public Television and Radio Organizations of CIS Countries. Since 2014, Bystritskiy has been the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Chairman of the Public Supervisory Council of the Russian Ministry of Communications. Andrey Bystritskiy is a Professor and PhD (Pedagogics, 1989). He is a member of the Union of Writers. In June 2007, he received the Order of Honour. Andrey Bystritskiy is the author of books, including such works as Youth Subcultures and Russia's Intelligentsia During the Demise of the Soviet System (1991), and numerous publications in newspapers and magazines.

Alexander Ivlev

Country Managing Partner for Russia, EY

Alexander is the leader of EY Russia. He is actively involved in the work of the Foreign Investment Advisory Council in Russia. At the 2007 World Economic Forum, Alexander was entered in the list of Young Global Leaders, and in 2009 he was included in the top 100 young leaders in the Russian Presidential Reserve. He is vice president of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Russia. Alexander is a member of the Expert Council of the Open Innovations Forum, the Executive Committee of the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum, the Organizing Committee of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Public Council of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. He leads the National Business Initiative’s road map Improving the quality of the regulatory environment for business. Alexander supervises the Entrepreneur of the Year program in Russia. Alexander has over twenty years of experience in strategic development, client service and government and corporate affairs. He is a graduate of Moscow State Linguistic University (1991) and has an EMBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (2003).

Akiyoshi Komaki

Moscow Bureau Chief, Asahi Shimbun

Akiyoshi Komaki was born in 1966 in Tokyo, graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo. He joined The Asahi Shimbun in 1990. In Tokyo he worked as a staff writer of Political News Section and International News Section. From 2005 to 2008, he was a Moscow correspondent of Asahi Shimbun. Since 2013 he has been the Moscow bureau chief. He is a co-author of a series of books such as “Verification of Japan-Russia negotiations at the highest level” (2003) and “Real image of Putin” (2015) (both books were written in Japanese).

Fyodor Lukyanov

Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

Fyodor Lukyanov was an international journalist in 1990-2002. He collaborated with numerous newspapers, radio and television broadcasters. Since 2002, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal. In 2012, Lukyanov was appointed as the Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy – one of the oldest Russian NGOs. Since 2015, Fyodor Lukyanov has been the Research Director of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club. Fyodor Lukyanov is a Research Professor at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, National Research University – Higher School of Economics. He is considered one of the most well-known Russian experts in the field of international relations and foreign affairs, author of numerous articles in Russian and foreign media. Lukyanov received the Government Award of the Russian Federation in 2011 for his contribution to international journalism.

Angela Stent

Director, Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, Georgetown University

Angela Stent is Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies and Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She is also a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the Brookings Institution and co-chairs its Hewett Forum on Post-Soviet Affairs. During the academic year 2015-2016 she was a fellow at the Transatlantic Academy of the German Marshall Fund. From 2004-2006 she served as National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council. From 1999 to 2001, she served in the Office of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State. Stent’s academic work focuses on the triangular political and economic relationship between the United States, Russia and Europe. Her publications include: Russia and Germany Reborn: Unification, The Soviet Collapse and The New Europe (Princeton University Pres, 1999); From Embargo to Ostpolitik: The Political Economy of West German-Soviet Relations, 1955-1980 (Cambridge University Press, 1981); “Putin’s World” (2014) and “Putin’s Power Play in Syria: How to Respond to Russia’s Intervention” (Foreign Affairs, January-February 2016). Her latest book is The Limits of Partnership: US-Russian Relations in the Twenty-First Century (Princeton University Press, 2014), for which she won the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Douglas Dillon prize for the best book on the practice of American Diplomacy.

Valery Fedorov

Director General, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)

Graduated from Moscow State University (Department of Philosophy), Holds a PhD in Political Science from MSU (2008) with an emphasis on History and Theory of Political Science. Worked in the Institute of Mass Political Movements at the Russian-American University (1991-93), the Centre for Political Trends (1993-2003), Institute of Social and Political Research of the Russian Academy of Science (ISPI RAN) (1997-2003), Centre for Social Information ISPI RAN (2003-2006). Since September 2003 has been Director General of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), where he also heads Expert Council. Valery Fedorov is the member of VCIOM Board of Directors (since 2006), Chief Editor of the "Monitoring. Social and Economic Changes" scientific journal (since 2003), Research Adviser of the Political Science Department at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation (since 2013). Fedorov is awarded the Order of Friendship, Medal of the Order of Merit for Motherland II class; Certificate of Merit for the Active Promotion and Organizing the Presidential Election Campaign from the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation etc.

Andrei Fursenko

Aide to the President of the Russian Federation

Born on July 17, 1949, in Leningrad (now St Petersburg). 1971 – graduated from Zhdanov Leningrad State University; Doctor of Physics and Mathematics. 1971-1991 – junior researcher, laboratory head, deputy director for research, leading researcher at the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Leningrad. 1991-1993 – Vice President of Advanced Technology Centre, St Petersburg. 1994-2001 – Director of Regional Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development, St Petersburg. From 2000 – Chairman of the Academic Council of the Centre for Strategic Research North-West Foundation. 2001-2002 – Deputy Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. From June 2002 – First Deputy Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. From December 2003 – Acting Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. March 9, 2004 – appointed Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Since May 21, 2012 – Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. State award – Honorary Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation.