Business programme

As the result of an attempt by a group of unfriendly countries led by the United States to inflict maximum damage on Russia, our country is being subjected to unprecedented pressure, which includes so-called “diplomatic” sanctions – the expulsion of diplomats, the closure of Russian diplomatic missions, and a squeezing of Russia out of multilateral diplomatic institutions among others – objectively reducing the potential and capabilities of classical diplomacy in today’s international political realities. Subsequently, in addition to preserving traditional forms of diplomatic interaction, the need to conceptualize and develop new tools for promoting Russia’s national interests, designed to ensure the geographic and functional diversification of the nation's foreign policy course for the foreseeable future takes on special importance.

Moderators
Olga Lebedeva, Professor of the Department of Diplomacy, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University
Vyacheslav Umanovsky, Rector, Media Industry Academy

Olga Lebedeva

Professor of the Department of Diplomacy, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University

Professor of the Department of Diplomacy. Doctor of History. She is the author of a number of textbooks and monographs on diplomacy, including Modern Methods and Practices of Diplomacy, History of the Russian Diplomatic Service, Institutions of Multilateral Diplomacy, Public Diplomacy Abroad, Consular Service of the Russian Federation.
Olga Lebedeva is a moderator of Russian and international conferences on foreign policy and diplomacy of Russia and foreign states, an author of numerous publications in Russia and abroad on international relations. She supervises candidate and doctoral dissertations. participant in the development of federal standards in the areas of "Foreign Regional Studies", "International Relations" , developer of a number of practice-oriented disciplines taught at MGIMO of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Education: School of International Relations (2002). Fluent in English and German.

Vyacheslav Umanovsky

Rector, Media Industry Academy

Graduated from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1986, specialising in literary journalism.
Worked in newspapers of the Tyumen region, then in the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.
From 2007 to 2016, general director of the State Radio Company "Radio Rossii".
Since 2016 – Secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists.
Since 2019 – Rector of the Academy of Media Industry.
Member of the Russian Academy of Radio.
Member of the International Academy of Television and Radio.
Winner of the Media Manager of the Year award.
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences.

Panellists
Alexander Bobrov, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Diplomacy, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University; Founder, Diplomatic Club named after A.G. Karpov
Grigoriy Gurov, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
Konstantin Kolpakov, Chairman, Council of Young Diplomats Russian Foreign Ministry
Alexander Pankin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Anatoly Torkunov, Rector, MGIMO University

Alexander Bobrov

Senior Lecturer at the Department of Diplomacy, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University; Founder, Diplomatic Club named after A.G. Karpov

Alexander is Associate Professor of the Department of Diplomacy and holds a PhD in History. He is Deputy Chairman of the Council of Young Diplomats of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
He is the author of a bestselling book Conceptual Foundations of Russia's Foreign Policy.
He is a speaker at international and Russian scientific conferences, commentator on international news in Russian and foreign media, and the author of a number of publications (chapters in textbooks, digests, articles) in specialized Russian and international publications. Alexander won several professional awards.
Alexander founded the Andrey Karlov Diplomatic Club. He developed the scientific and practical formats of youth interaction: “Briefing of a diplomat”, “Diplomatic Olympiad”.
Education: School of International Relations, MGIMO University. Fluent in French, English, German and Arabic.

Grigoriy Gurov

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation

As Deputy Minister, he oversees the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Work.
Born 31 October 1985 in Stavropol.
In 2007–2010, he worked in municipal and commercial organizations in Stavropol, and dealt with youth policy issues.
In 2010–2016, he worked in the Department of Internal Policy in the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary to the North Caucasus Federal District.
In 2017, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Russian Centre for Youth Entrepreneurship in Moscow.
In 2017–2020, Grigory Gurov worked in the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs.
In 2020, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs.
On 17 August 2021, Gurov was appointed Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Education: holds a masters degree and a PhD.

Konstantin Kolpakov

Chairman, Council of Young Diplomats Russian Foreign Ministry

Advisor of the Secretariat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.
He is a graduate of the Faculty of International Relations and the Faculty of Economics of Kazan State University. He is a specialist in international relations and financial management. His areas of expertise include Anglo-Saxon countries, the South Caucasus, soft power (work with young Russian and foreign diplomats). His PhD thesis is titled "Professionalization of young diplomats in the Russian Foreign Ministry based on the work of the Council of Young Diplomats (2001–2021)".
In 2006–2011, he was on a business trip in Canada. Since 2012, he has worked in the Secretariat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Since 2013, Kolpakov has been Chairman of the Council of Young Diplomats of the Russian Foreign Ministry. He is the author of the concept of "horizontal diplomacy".
He is Head of the Commission of the Public Council under Rossotrudnichestvo for international humanitarian and youth cooperation.
He is also Head of the Commission for International Youth Cooperation under the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.
He is the Honorary Ambassador of OIC Youth Capital 2022, the city of Kazan.

Anatoly Torkunov

Rector, MGIMO University

Anatoly V. Torkunov is the Rector of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University). He holds an MA and two doctoral degrees in History and Political Science.
Prof. Anatoly V. Torkunov is a leading expert on Russian foreign policy, regional subsystems in Asia-Pacific Region and North-Eastern Asia, history of Korea, history of diplomacy. He is the author of more than 200 publications, including 9 individual monographs. Several of them were published in the USA, South Korea, Japan, Poland and other countries.
Professor Torkunov also holds positions of the Chairman of the Russia-UN Association; President of the Russian International Studies Association; Member of the Academic Council at the Security Council of Russia; Member of the Board of the Russian Diplomatic Association; Chairman of the Curricula Development Association of Russian Schools of International Relations, Co-Chairman of Russian-Polish Group on Difficult Matters, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Russian Channel One.

Front row participants
Vladimir Kuznetsov, Director of the United Nations Information Center in Moscow
Sergei Pospelov, Executive Secretary, Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
Rishabh Sethi, President, Founder, Indian Center for Promotion of International Initiatives
Vladimir Chizhov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the EU

Vladimir Kuznetsov

Director of the United Nations Information Center in Moscow

Sergei Pospelov

Executive Secretary, Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization

Rishabh Sethi

President, Founder, Indian Center for Promotion of International Initiatives

Vladimir Chizhov

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the EU

Born December 3, 1953. Graduated with honours from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO - University) and joined diplomatic service in 1976. Started his diplomatic career in Greece, then worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow and in Cyprus. Served as Deputy Head of the Russian delegation to the OSCE in Vienna (Austria), Deputy High Representative for Bosnia Peace Implementation in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Russian Special Representative for Cyprus and the Balkans. In 2002 appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Since 2005 has occupied a post of Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community in Brussels (Belgium). Conducted analytical research on European security, OSCE, Russia-EU and Russia-NATO relations, Mediterranean, Balkans, problems of Cyprus and Northern Ireland, peace-keeping operations.