Roscongress Foundation to open Building Trust space at SPIEF 2019
A unique platform is set to open at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019. Building Trust is a new-look space that will serve as a focal point for innovation, the social agenda, and education, and promote the three areas as essential for a sustainable future.
“The Forum is being convened under the theme Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. This fits seamlessly with our own agenda. SPIEF 2019 will feature a new space entitled Building Trust, which will bring together the Innovation Space and Innosocium LAB to form a single thematic area. It will aim to provide a new perspective on the future through building an agenda and facilitating dialogue and collaboration between participants of the innovation and social ecosystems,” said Elena Marinina, Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation, Director for the Socio-Economic Agenda, and Director of the Innosocium Foundation.
The Innosocium LAB is a long-established platform for holding events and discussions with a social focus and fostering partnership with key social development institutions. It is a cornerstone project by the Roscongress Foundation for highlighting best practices in the social sphere across Russia’s regions. The Innosocium LAB’s mission is to ensure that social themes continue to be covered at Russian business forums, and to improve collaboration and trust between government, business, and non-profit organizations.
Building Trust is a new-look initiative which both aims to help participants share best practices in their respective fields, and bring together all stakeholders in the process, thereby achieving a genuinely synergistic effect.
The most important social issues will be covered at the sessions of the business programme, which was developed by the Innosocium Foundation and the Roscongress Foundation’s social platform.
The session, entitled Equal Opportunities in the Era of the Digital Economy will focus on increasing female participation and equality in society, politics, and economics. Attendees will include national and international government and business representatives.
Among these attendees will be Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko; Russian G20 Sherpa and Deputy Chief of the Presidential Experts’ Directorate Svetlana Lukash; President of Republika Srpska Željka Cvijanović; InfoWatch Group President Natalya Kaspersky - together, during the session they will examine the contribution made by women in establishing economic, social, political and cultural potential, both nationally and across the world. They will attempt to identify the new challenges facing women in the labour market at a time of digitalization, and suggest steps that could be taken by government, business, and women themselves.
Another key session to take place is entitled Exporting Russian Culture: Opportunities to Showcase the Country’s Heritage in the International Arena. The government has made it a priority in its cultural policy strategy to 2030 to increase the influence of Russian culture abroad and to promote Russia as a country with an immensely rich traditional culture and a fast developing modern one. This strategy aims to create a positive cultural image of Russia across the global community, resulting in closer ties between peoples, the establishment of friendly relations, and increasing numbers of ties between nations. It will help build a community capable of spurring cultural development across various areas, helping it reach a new level.
Among those invited to the discussion are Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Olga Golodets; Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky; Director of Russian Seasons Alexey Levedev; Zelfira Tregulova, General Director, the State Tretyakov Gallery; Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director, The State Hermitage Museum; Georgios Katrougkalos, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic; and Executive Director of the Cinema Foundation of Russia Vyacheslav Telnov. The participants will examine prospects for collaboration between Russian and international cultural establishments, and identify areas of culture which should be supported abroad. Specific support measures will also come under discussion, as will the role of business and charity foundations in exporting culture
A session entitled New Education Technologies for Social Prosperity will focus on the critically important subject of harmonious personal development through high-quality and affordable education. A range of figures from the scientific and educational community will examine the latest educational methods and technologies. They will also attempt to determine the amount of investment required in the educational infrastructure, and how to increase current investment. The session is being co-organized by Rossiysky Uchebnik Corporation.
The Innosocium LAB at the Building Trust space will host expert discussions; interviews with Russian business leaders, public figures, and government representatives; and other events aiming to popularize the social agenda and take it to the next level.
One session in particular – Innovation, Education, and Social Investment as Tools for the Development of a Sustainable Future – will see participants focus on ways that the government, business, non-commercial sector, and society can interact to secure a sustainable future. They will attempt to determine the role that innovative development and investment in the high-tech sector plays in building the future. Discussions will also centre around ways in which education can help create an inclusive, sustainable, and viable future for people and the planet. The session will be held with the support of EY and Platform +1.
Another highlight on the agenda is a session entitled Seeing What’s Important Through the Prism of Art. How to Broach Socially Significant Topics from a Different Perspective. Participants will attempt to identify the role of the cultural sector in solving pressing social issues. They will discuss how cultural projects can change a person’s attitude, and also whether it is necessary to hold separate cultural events that focus on pressing social issues. The latter topic is particularly relevant, given art’s huge influence on society and each individual person.
The opening ceremony for the new season of the Innosocium Nationwide Social Project Competition is a key event in the programme. First launched in September 2018 by the Roscongress Foundation and the Art, Science and Sport charity foundation, the competition aims to bring the social agenda to a student audience. Last season’s winners will present their projects, which were made possible thanks to mentors and grants provided by the competition.
The Innosocium LAB stage will also host a new type of event – a public talk with Minister of Science and Higher Education Mikhail Kotyukov, who will take questions from students and young people.
Another key topic will be explored in a session entitled Is Charity Worth It? Participants will discuss economic trends which affect the financing of cultural, educational, and charitable projects. They will also look at current support mechanisms for the sector in Russia and the rest of the world.
The Eurasian Women's Forum Visiting Reception, co-organized by the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, will be a central event in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum’s social agenda. It will provide the opportunity for female leaders to exchange their views on current topics in an informal setting, and also discuss the role of women in economics, politics, and society as a whole.
The Innovation Space will also host a session supported by EKSMO-AST, focused on the role of reading, entitled Reading in the Digital Age: How to Create a Generation of Successful People. It will explore the role that reading plays in a person’s development, as well as their emotional and social intelligence. Participants will also discuss access to the latest technology for every resident of every region across Russia.
Another event to be hosted by the Building Trust space is SOCIALHUB, a joint initiative by the Presidential Grant Fund, the Roscongress Foundation’s social platform, and the Innosocium Foundation. Eighteen winning projects from presidential grant competitions for non-profits will be presented as pitch sessions. These will be headed by team leaders from the winning entrants. They will share the outcomes of their projects, and offer their ideas for scaling up the practice of working for good causes. In order to roll out some of the most successful practices, the Innosocium Foundation will act as an accelerator and mentor for the winners over the course of an entire year.
A discussion entitled Social Communications of Business as a Driving Force for Positive Social Change will bring together business representatives to consider what is meant by sustainable development. They will also discuss how to determine one’s role in the process of sustainable transformation, and how to overcome the scepticism of those yet to believe in change.
Collaboration between the public and private sectors is another vital area for achieving sustainable development goals, and will form the focus of a session organized with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Mars Incorporated. Participants will discuss what resources could be used to increase efficiency in the field.
A unique exhibition entitled Inalienable, featuring art by people with developmental issues, will also be a highlight of the Innosocium LAB at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Donations will be collected at the exhibition, which will help fund new art studios at psychoneurological care homes for people with developmental issues. The exhibition will be opened by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Olga Golodets.
In addition, Innosocium LAB will feature an area for interviews with Russian business leaders, government representatives working in the field, and public figures. There will also be a networking area and a library with a wide range of literature focusing on current social themes.
To find out more about the programme, visit the SPIEF 2019 website: https://www.forumspb.com/en/programme/building-trust/
