CANADA
Professor of Political Science, Director of the Center for Governance and Public Policy at Carleton University, Ottawa
Previous positions: Fellow of St. Peter's and Nuffield Colleges in Oxford, Visiting Professor at Berkeley University, Institute for International Relations (USA), taught at Warsaw University, Poland (1977-1989) and Queen's University (1990-1993) in Kingston, Ontario. Editor-in-Chief of a 21-volume series on “Local and Regional Development in Poland and Eastern Europe“ (1986-1989) and co-editor of 12 books
Director of four large-scale projects on regional development, unemployment insurance, labor market and social policies, expert for youth at risk project in Russia, a member of a Canadian Official State delegation to Russia in 2003
Selected publications: “New Europe. The Impact of the First Decade, Volume 1: Trends and Prospects”; “Theory and Practice of the Civil Society in Russia”, “Basics of Local Governance”, “NATO Looks East”, “Ukraine: Social and Economic Transformation”, “The Worst is Over?”, “Democracy Without Liberalism”, “Unemployment Insurance in Canada“ (all are co-edited). He is also the author of many chapters in books and articles in professional journals
Received the Russian Federation’s Order of Friendship from President Dmitry Medvedev (2009)
CHINA
Dean, School of Advanced International and Area Studies (SAIAS), East China Normal University; Director, Centre for Russian Studies, East China Normal University; Member of the Sino-Russian Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development; Editor-in-Chief for the core journal “Russian Studies”
Research interests: Russian history; international relations history; political thought history and culture
Selected publications: “Russia in the 20th Century“, (2007);“Transition Era“ (2005);“Domestic Transition and Foreign Relations: Russia since 1992“ (1997)
Chief Researcher with the Center for Global Challenges Studies, Xinhua News Agency; Chief Researcher at the Institute for Social Development of Eurasia (the Center for Development Research under the State Council of the People's Republic of China)
Previous positions: translator, style editor and editor at Xinhua News Agency (1964-2002), correspondent and Deputy Chief at Xinhua, Moscow (1978-2000)
Research interests: Russia and the CIS countries, international relations in general
Selected publications: books: “How to be a Translator for Mass Media”, “Eyewitnesses of Sudden Events”, “Round-the-World Tour”, “Chinese Neighbors”; articles: “The New Kingdom of Three: China, Russia, USA”, “Russian National Projects”, “Russian Ideologies”, “The Rise of Russia”, “Medvedev – Happy and Not So Much”, “Has Obama Rebooted the Relationship with Russia?”, “System of Collective Security for Russia”, “Will Belarus Find Happiness without Russia?”, “How Russia is Overcoming the Economic Crisis”
CZECH REPUBLIC
Alexej KELIN
Member of the Board, “Russian tradition” Society; member, editorial corporate staff, Russkoe Slovo journal; member, grant committee of the Czech Republic; member, NTS management committee; member of the Board, Czech/Moravian Slavonic association
FRANCE
Chief columnist (foreign policy) at le Figaro
Previous positions: Professor of History, École Normale Supérieure (Paris), War College (Paris); Teaching position : University Paris VIII, War Defense College (Paris), Journalist and columnist: Liberation, Le Monde, French public Radio France Culture
Research interests: foreign affairs, military policy and strategy, world economics
Selected publications: Four books on geopolitics (American Policy, Turkey and Iran, the Middle East)
Permanent Secretary of the French Academy; Foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Previous positions: Professor of Russian History and Russian Politics in Sorbonne and Institute d'Estudes politiques de Paris, Member of European Parliament (1994-1999)
Research interests: Russian History (Eighteenth-Twentieth centuries); Soviet politics; nationality problems in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and nationality relations in present-day Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus. Russian foreign policy, Russian demography
Selected publications: “Reform and the Revolution in Central Asia”; “The Great Challenge (Nationalities and the Bolshevik State 1917-1930)”;“The Russian Syndrome”; “The Decline of an Empire”; “Lenin, Nicolas II, Catherine II, Alexander II, l'Empire d'Eurasie”
Russian award: Great golden medal Lomonosov, Russian Academy of Sciences
Arnaud DUBIEN
Director of Russia and CIS Programmes, IRIS, Paris; regular consultant of the Quai d’Orsay and French MoD
Director of the Russia/ Newly Independent States Centre at IFRI (French Institute of International Relations based in Paris and Brussels)
Previous positions: Lavoisier Fellow at the State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO), Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Security Studies (European Union – Paris) and Marie Curie Fellow at Department of War Studies (King’s College – London), lecturer on international affairs at the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan; co-director of the IFRI/CSIS project Europe, Russia, and the United States: Finding a New Balance (2008)Research interests: post-Soviet space
Selected publications: “Russian Civil-Military Relations: Putin’s Legacy”, (2008); “Russie.Nei.Visions” (2009); “EU-Russia Relations, Toward a Way Out of Depression” (2008). Articles: “L’Europe marginal-isée”, (2008); “Russia Alone Forever? The Kremlin’s Strategic Solitude”(2008);“Washington-Moscou: la nouvelle donne”(2009); “Obama and Russia: Facing the Heritage of the Bush Years”(2009)
Arnaud KALIKA
Chief Editor, Confidential Newsletter Strategic Information TTU; lecturer, department for the study of organized crime, University of Paris II
Carole LANDRY
Deputy Chief Editor for Europe and Africa, Agence France Presse (since 2010)
Christian MAKARIAN
France Deputy Editor, L’Express news magazine (since 1999)
Head of Multimedia project in Agence France Presse (AFP), Paris
Previous positions: Moscow bureau chief, chief editor for Europe, Global Editor-in-Chief with responsibility for managing AFP news coverage worldwide
Research interests: Russian history, human rights, religion
Author of a TV documentary film about Solzhenitsyn and The Gulag Archipelago (2008)
Founder and President of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI); Professor Emeritus at the Ecole Polytechnique and Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers; Member of the Académie des Sciences morales et Politiques of the Institut de France and a foreign member of a number of academies including the Academy of Sciences of Russia, columnist at le Monde (since 2002)
Previous positions: launched the World Policy Conference at Evian, France, with the participation of presidents Medvedev and Sarkozy (2008); First Chairman of the Foundation for Strategic Research (1993-2001); Founder and first director (1973-1979) of the Policy Planning Staff (Centre d’Analyse et de Prévision) at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Author of numerous publications and over 10 books on economics and international relations
Awarded the Legion of Honor and a number of state awards from France and other countries, including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania
Pierre ROUSSELIN
Foreign Editor, Le Figaro (since 2004)
Piotr SMOLAR
Reporter, foreign desk, Le Monde (since 2007)
Anne de TINGUI
Tenured Professor, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales – INALCO (since 2005) and Sciences po, Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI). Member of the governing body of INALCO; Co-leader, CERI Transversal Project “Migrations and international relations”
GERMANY
Head of the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation Moscow Office
Previous positions: Head of the Central Asian Office in Tashkent, Friedrich Ebert Foundation (2003-2007), Central and Eastern Europe desk, Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in Berlin (2002 – 2003), Editor, Foreign Department, Der Spiegel, based in Hamburg, covering Eastern Europe and South Asia (1998 – 2002), Russia correspondent, Der Spiegel, based in Moscow (1996 – 1998), Baltic Correspondent, German Press Agency (DPA), based in Riga, Latvia (1994 -1996), Freelance writer for Der Tagesspiegel (Berlin) and Der Aufbau (New York), (1993 – 1994); Reporter and editor for the English-language service of the Russian News Agency ITAR-TASS in Moscow (1991 – 1992)
Research interests: History of Eastern Europe, Russian-German and Russian-European relations, politics in Central Asia
Selected publications: Monograph “Isaac Babel” (2006), “Central Asia, Internal View”(2007),“The Role of Women in Modern Muslim Societies” (co-edited) (2006)
Journalist, coeditor of the largest daily newspaper in Germany “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”
Honorary Professor of Politics and Communication at the University of Leipzig; member of the board of the German Council for Foreign Policy; member of the Council of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London
Previous Positions: Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department of the University of Wuppertal teaching a wide range of Political Science approaches (1975-1982), editor in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (since1982), Senior Foreign Editor (appointed in 1986), Member of the board of publishers (1994); member of the council of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt Main (2001-2007)
Author of numerous articles on German politics and international issues, particularly European integration.
Officier dans l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur
Director of the Russia/Eurasia Program, German Council on Foreign Relations, Berlin (since 1995)
Previous positions: scientist on the project “Russian Elite”, Federal Institute for Russian, East European and International Studies (BIOst), Cologne (1977-1985), consultant in the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica (1986-1994), Professor h.c. at the Moscow State Institute on Foreign Relations (2003), Member of the Executive Committee of the Petersburg Dialogue (since 2004) and Coordinator of its working group “Future Workshop” (Since 2003), political and economic advisor and commentator on TV and Radio.
Selected publications: “Russland gibt Gas” (2008), Biographies of Mikhail Gorbachev (1987), Vladimir Putin (2002) and Dmitry Medvedev (2008), several strategy papers for the European Commission and European Parliament, numerous analyses for the German Council on Foreign Relations.
Received the Order for Good Cooperation of the Foreign Ministry of Russia (2009)
Chief Correspondent Foreign Affairs,“Handelsblatt”
Previous positions: Deputy Chief Berlin Office, “Handelsblatt” (since 2004); Berlin Office, “Handelsblatt”(since 2000); Deputy Chief Political section at “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” (1988-1999). Senior political correspondent, Reuters
Head of the Russia/CIS Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Professor for East European History at Bremen University
Also a member of the board of the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde“, the journal “Osteuropa” and the “Bertelsmann Transformation Index“, editor of the “Russlandanalysen” and coeditor of the “Russian Analytical Digest”
Previous positions: Assistant professor for East European history at the Ruhr-University Bochum (1981-1986), Senior analyst at the , East European and International Studies (BIOst), Cologne (1986-2000)
Research interests: Role of élites in the Russian transition process after 1991, Soviet/Russian defense and security policy
Selected publications: “What Kind of Political Regime Does Russia Have?“, “Politics and the Ruling Group in Putin's Russia“ (2008),“The Caucasus Crisis: International Perceptions and Policy Implications for Germany and Europe“(2008)
Head of Research Group and member of the Executive Board of the Peace Research Institute, Frankfurt
Previous Positions: Research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London (1987-1988), member (since 2005) and chairman (since 2007) of the Advisory Board on “Civilian Crisis Prevention, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building”of the German Foreign Ministry
Selected publications: “After the Caucasian War: Engaging, not Containing Russia” (2008, coauthor); “Power without Purpose – George W. Bush’s Failed Policy towards Russia” (2008);“Between Ground Zero and Square One. How George W. Bush failed on Russia”(2008), “EU-Russland: Was bleibt von der strategischen Partnerschaft?” (2007), “Paradoxe Kontinuitäten: Die deutsche Russlandpolitik und die koalitionären Farbenlehren” (2005),“Modernisierung contra Demokratisierung. Putins Russischer Weg” (2004)
Andreas Umland
DAAD Lecturer in Political Science, National University of Kyiv – Mohyla Academy, Ukraine (since 2010)
Foreign policy commentator, foreign policy editor in the Hungarian conservative daily newspaper“Magyar Nemzet”(since 2000)
Previous positions: head of the Moscow bureau of the newspaper“Magyar Nemzet”(1995-1997)
Research interests: post-Soviet space, Central and Eastern Europe
Selected publications: author of many publications on major international problems, specifically on the development of contemporary Russia, its place in the world and its relations with CIS countries, including “The Empire's Revalued Backyard”, “Russia Discovers Central Europe once Again; “What Shall we do with Russia?” Books:“The Putin Mystery”(2000)
Received many Hungarian journalist awards, and the Republic of Poland's Knight's Cross for his contribution to strengthening ties between the two countries
Editor-in-Chief of the newspapers The Hindu, Business line, monthly magazine Frontline and the magazine The Sportstar. President of the Indian Harmony Association
Previous positions: Guest speaker at various scientific and social forums in India (National School of Law, University of Bangalore), Canada, USA (universities of Harvard, Chicago, Brown), Great Britain (London School of Eastern and African Studies, Oxford University), China (University of Beijing) and in Sri Lanka
Research interests: Indian political system, relationship between the coalition in power and the opposition, the matters of political relations with the USA, China, Russia and other CIS countries, Indian nuclear policy, the influence of nuclear matters in bilateral American-Indian relationship, the freedom of speech, mass media, tradition and the role of media in India, the matters of ethnicity
Selected publications:“The Role of Intellectuals in Third World Countries in the Forthcoming Century”,“Nuclear Dispute: The Indian perspective”, the book “India and the USA: the Clash of Opinions”
Was awarded with the B.D. Goenka award for success in journalism (1989) and with the Padma Bhushan order for success in journalism, which was presented by the president of India (1990)
IRAN
Head of Russian and Eastern Europe Studies Department of World Studies Institute, Tehran University (since 2005), Member of Parliament of IRI (since 2008)
Previous positions: Visiting professor (permanent member) at Moscow Humanities University, Political Sciences Faculty (1999-2004), The Head of Institute of Culture of ECO Regional Organization (2005 –2006), Cultural attaché at the Embassy of IRI in Russia (1999 – 2003), Cultural attaché at the Embassy of IRI in Kazakhstan (1995 – 1998)
Author of eight books in Persian and Russian
Jahangir KARAMI
Assistant professor, faculty of World Studies, Department of Russian Studies, University of Tehran
ISRAEL
Zvi MAGEN
Research Fellow, Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University
ITALY
Professional journalist; former Member of the European parliament (2004-2009)
Previous positions: correspondent in Moscow for “L’Unita” newspaper, of the Communist Party of Italy (1980 -1989); special correspondent and political analyst in Moscow for the Italian newspaper “La Stampa” (1990-2000). Founded the “Megachip-Democracy in Communication” association (2000), independent web-TV channel (2009)
Author of a dozen books on the Soviet Union and Russia, five of them translated and published in Russia, beginning from “Farewell Russia”(1997);“Transition to Democracy”(co-author).
Head of the New Europe desk, specializing in Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union
Previous positions: correspondent in Moscow for the Italian daily Il Messaggero (1990-1995), worked for various media organizations, in particular for the European multilingual TV channel Euronews. Contributes to a number of publications, included Limes, the main Italian geo-political magazine
Research interests: Russia and Caucasus in particular
Coauthor of the book “Chechnya“
Bruno SERGI
Bruno Sergi is currently teaching International Economics at the University of Messina and is a Principal Research Fellow & member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for EMEA Banking, Finance and Economics at the London Metropolitan Business School, and an Honorary Fellow of the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
He has authored, co-authored and co-edited several books on transition economics and global business. Some include Economic Dynamics in Transitional Economies (Routledge 2003); Global Business Management (Ashgate 2007); The Political Economy of Southeast Europe from the 1990 to the Present (Continuum 2008); and Misinterpreting Modern Russia: Western Views of Putin and His Presidency (Continuum 2009).
He is the founder and Editor-In-Chief of International Journal of Trade and Global Markets; International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies and International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance.
JAPAN
Taisuke ABIRU
Japan Research Fellow, The Tokyo Foundation (TKFD); Head, “Energy Issues and Japanese Foreign Policy”; Project Member, “Eurasia Information Network”.
Professor, Hosei Faculty of law and Politics, Tokyo, Japan
Previous positions: Researcher at Moscow State University, Birmingham University (U.K.), Harvard Russian Research Center, W.Wilson Center (Washington), LSE Ideas and others. Columnist of the Asahi Shimbun (1998-2001), President of the Japan Association of International Relations (2002-2004); Member of Russo-Japanese Wiseperson Group (2004-2006)
Research interests: Russian and CIS politics and history; Cold War in Asia
Selected publications: “Soviet Politics and Trade Unions: A Political History of the NEP“, (1982); “Moscow under Stalinist Rule 1931-34“ (1991); “Northern Territories and Beyond“ (co-author) (1995); “Moscow and Kim Il Sung“ (2006), “Korea and Russia“ (2009) and another 20 books
POLAND
Adam MICHNIK
Editor-in-chief, Gazeta Wyborcza; historian
Leader of the Democratic left Alliance
Previous positions: former Prime Minister of Poland (2001-2004). During that period Poland was accepted as a member of the European Union. A deputy in the Seim (Parliament) (1991-2005), Minister of Labor and Social Policy (1993-1997), Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration. While in the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, carried out the research project “The Place of New Poland in Eastern Europe”
Author of articles and publications concerned with the economic policy of the European Union and international problems. Book: “The Way It Was” with a foreword by Gunter Ferhoigen on the acceptance of Poland into the European Union
Andrzej ROZENEK
Deputy Editor-in-Chief, NIE (No) newspaper (since 2006); Deputy Chairman, Polish-German Club for Good Neighborliness
RUSSIA
President of the Association for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, Ambassador
Previous positions: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR (1986-1990); Soviet/Russian Ambassador to Italy (1990-1992); First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (1992-1994); Russian Ambassador to Great Britain (1994-1997); Minister of the Russian Federation for CIS Countries Cooperation (1997-1998); Vice President, International Affairs, “SISTEMA“ Joint-Stock Financial Corporation, Мoscow, Russia (1998-2005); Guest Scholar, Jennings Randolph Fellowship Program, U.S. Institute of Peace (2006-2007)
Holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Author of a number of scientific and journalistic papers on a wide range of international problems; memoirs; several books in Russian: “White Sun of Angola” (2001) and Italian: “The Sunset of the Great Empire”(1993)
Awarded with a number of medals and orders by Russian and foreign governments
Macroeconomic Research Director, State University – Higher School of Economics (since 2008); Board member, Aeroflot-Russian Airlines (since 2008)
Previous positions: Worked at the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1986-1989); at the Commission for Economic Reform of the Soviet Council of Ministers (the Abalkin Commission), helped develop the 500 Days Program on economic reform (1990-1991); Deputy Finance Minister of Russia (1993-1995); First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia (1995-1998); Deputy General Director, then Executive Director of the Interros holding company (2000-2004); President of Antanta Capital (2004-2006), Managing Director and later Head of the Russian branch of Merrill Lynch Investment Bank in Moscow (2006-2008); Honorary Professor of Jilin University, Changchun, China (1997)
Author of the book The Fight for the Rouble (1999), and many publications in Russian and foreign scientific journals on taxation issues, privatization, and economic sociology
Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti
Previous positions: Co-founder of the Russian Information Agency (RIA), which by President Boris Yeltsin’s decree was merged with the Novosti Press Agency (APN) into RIA Novosti (1991); special correspondent and later a political commentator, RIA Novosti; Program director at Radio Panorama (1993-1995); Director for foreign relations at the Effective Policy Foundation (1995-1996); Editor-in-Chief of the Burda Publishing House (1996-2000); Deputy Director General of RIA Novosti (2000)
Deputy Executive Director, Council of Foreign and Defense Policy (since 1994)
Previous positions: Military interpreter with the Soviet Military Advisory Group in Ethiopia (1979); Psychological Operations Officer, HQ of the Far Eastern Military District (1980-1983); Lecturer, Tambov Air Force Pilot College (1986-88); Assistant to Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Committee on Defense (1991); Analyst, Office of the State Counselor on Defense, Russian Federation (1992); Senior Analyst, Office of the First Deputy Minister of Defense (1992-94)
Selected publications: “Political Portrait of the Officers Corps of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Khabarovsk, HQ of the Far Eastern Military District”(1982); “Needed: A Russian Defense Reform” (1992); “Reflections on Russian Foreign Policy”(1994); “A Military in Charge of Itself: Civilian Control is a Russian Myth”(Co-authored) (1995); “Post-Soviet Russian Foreign Policy” (1997); “Civilian Control: Russian Myths and Reality,“ (1999); “U.S.-Russian Relations at the Turn of the Century. Reports of the Working Groups on U.S.-Russian Relations organized by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Washington) and the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy (Moscow)”. (Co-editor and contributor) (2000); “Strategy for Russia: Agenda for the President-2000. (Co-editor and contributor), (2000); “Russian-U.S. Relations after September 11” (2002);“Military Construction and Modernization of the Russia’s Armed Forces. (Co-editor and contributor) (2004); “Russia and the United States: From Partnership to Antagonism?”(2006)
Lev BELOUSOV
Head, European and American Modern and Contemporary History, History Department, Moscow State Lomonosov University; Deputy Chairman, Editorial Board, Russia in Global Affairs magazine
Editor-in-Chief of Russkymir.ru magazine (since 2007); Co-Chairman of the Federal Political Council of the Pravoe Delo Party (since 2008)
Previous positions: Worked at the Department of History in Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences; editor and head of the political section of Kommersant newspaper; Editor-in-Chief of Izvestia newspaper (since 1992); Editor-in-Chief of business magazines Profile and Karyera (Career), published by the Rodionov Publishing House (2004-2007)
Acting Associate Professor of the Department of World Economy and World Politics at the State University – Higher School of Economics; Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the State University – Higher School of Economics; Director of Research Programs at the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy (since 2003)
Previous positions: junior senior research associate in institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1998-2001); Executive Secretary of Pro et Contra magazine at the Carnegie Moscow Center (1998-2003), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine (2003-2007)
Research interests: Russian-European relations and international politics of the European Union, relations between the state and business in Europe and European and international security
Author of the book “New Interventionism and Modern Peace-Building” (1998). The co-author of over 100 analytical materials for Russia’s state authorities on the development of the European Union and its relations with Russia (in 2004-2006)
Deputy Director of Rossiya Television Channel (since 2006); Anchor for the channel’s roundup program Vesti Nedeli; Member of the Russian Television Academy
Previous positions: Correspondent for Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper (1991-1993); Special correspondent for the international section of Moskovskiye Novosti newspaper (1993-1995); special correspondent of the Vesti news program at the RTR (Rossiya) Television Channel (1995-1996); RTR’s London bureau chief (1996-2001); Anchor for the channel’s evening news program Vesti (2001-2003), Deputy Director of the RTR Information Programs Directorate, Anchor for the channel’s summary program Vesti Nedeli (2003-2006)
Finalist of the Russian Television Academy Award TEFI in the Best Reporter nomination (1995); TEFI winner in the News Program Anchor nomination (2002); A prize winner of the Luchsheye Pero Rossii (Russia’s Best Pen) journalist award (2002). TEFI winner for the Best News and Analysis Program (2005)
Managing Director, Interros Holding Company
Previous positions: faculty member, Deputy Dean at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (1976-1979); worked at the Foreign Ministry of the Soviet Union at the Soviet Permanent Mission to the United Nations (1979-1991); Advisor to the President, Deputy Department Head at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London (1991-1993); The Russian Federation’s Envoy to the World Bank group, Executive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Financial Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in Washington (1993-2001); Director of Investment Department, board member, Deputy Chairman of the board at the Interros Holding Company (2002-2006)
Holds diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, first class
Vladimir BULDAKOV
Russia Senior fellow, Russian History Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences; Editor-in-Chief, Soviet and Post-Soviet Review magazine, Leiden, the Netherlands; D.Sc. in History
President of the Energy and Finance Institute Foundation (since 2004); leading Research Fellow of the Institute ofWord Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (since 2001)
Dean of the Management Department at the International University, Moscow (since 2005); Member of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy; President of the Association of Independent Centers of Economic Analysis
Previous positions: held scientific and administrative posts at the Institute of Word Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1971-1991); Deputy Minister -Chairman of the Foreign Investment Committee of the Russian Economics and Finance Ministry (1991-1992); Adviser to the Russian Directorate of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (1992-1997); Director General of the Bureau of Economic Analysis (1997-2001)
Author and co-author of several dozen papers on economics
Since October 2002: Director at the Institute of Strategic Studies and Analysis, Editor-in-chief of Vestnik Analitika (Analyst's Bulletin); member of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy.
1989-1992: Head of Azerbaijan's KGB, Major-General.
1995-1996: Director of the AFK "Sistema" analytical center, Moscow.
Academic Supervisor of the Center for Postindustrial Society Studies
Previous positions: Consultant for the history and theory of socialism section at the magazine Kommunist of the Soviet Communist Party central committee (1991); Expert on economic problems of the parliamentary group of the Free Russia Party in the Supreme Council of the R.S.F.S.R. (1991-1992); specialist at the Moscow-based Inter-Bank Financial House joint-stock company (1992-1993); Deputy Director of a branch of the Kredit Moskva Commercial Bank (1993); Vice-President and (from 1995) First Deputy Chairman, then Chairman (1999) of the board of Moscow-Paris Bank; Founder and Head of the non-profit scientific organization Center for the Study of Post-Industrial Society, Moscow (1996); Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Svobodnaya Mysl magazine.
Author of 156 publications, and the books “Concerning the Theory of Post-Economic Social Formation” (1995); “Essays on the History of an Economic Social Formation”(1996); “Beyond the Limits of an Economic Society”(1999)
Deputy Director of the Institute of Europe at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the Department ofWorld Economy and World Politics at the State University – Higher School of Economics, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, Chairman of the editorial board of Russia in Global Affairs magazine
Previous positions: Fellow at the Institute of the U.S. and Canada of the USSR /Russia Academy of Sciences (1978-88) and later at the Institute of Europe (from 1988) of the USSR /Russia Academy of Sciences; member of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Council for Foreign Policy (1991); Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy (1992); Member of the Academic and Advisory Council of the Russian Security Council (1993); Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy (1994); Co-chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fund for Parliamentary Development in Russia (1996); Adviser to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office (2001); Consultant to several large Russian banks and corporations. Member of the Board of Gazprom-Media (since 1993)
Author and editor of numerous publications on the problems of economics, foreign policy, arms control, national security strategy, and Russia's foreign and military policy
Konstantin KHUDOLEY
Pro-Rector for International Relations (since 2007), Dean, School of International Relations, St. Petersburg State University (since 1994)
Host of the Vlast TV–program on the RTVI Channel (since 2006); political commentator, Radio Ekho Moskvy (since 2005); a member of the Russian Television Academy
Previous positions: translator with the group of Soviet military advisers at the Limited Contingent of Soviet Forces in Afghanistan (1979-1981); lecturer at the KGB Higher School (1982-1986); Fellow in Central Broadcasting for Foreign Countries (1986-1987); at Central Television (since 1987): Editor of the breaking news group at the International Department of the Vremya evening news program, anchor for the 90 minut and then Utro programs; special correspondent and contributor for Alexander Tikhomirov’s Sem Dnei and Vladimir Molchanov’s Do i Posle Polunochi; Editor and anchor at the TSN news program (1990-1991), at Russian television (since 1991): one of the authors and the presenter of Vesti, a news program on RTV Channel; GRTRK Ostankino; Editor of Itogi program on NTV; Vice-President of NTV Channel (since 1993); Chairman of the Board of NTV Channel (since 1997); General Director of NTV, then General Director of TV-6 (2000-2001); Editor-in-Chief of TVS private channel (2002-2003); Editor-in-Chief of Moskovskie Novosti newspaper (2003-2005)
Has two Russian Television Academy Awards (TEFIs) for his program Itogi (1996) and Glas Naroda talk show (2000); International Press Freedom Award (1995); The Golden Pen Award from the Russian Union of Journalists (2000) and other journalistic prizes.
Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Co-chairman of the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma, Co-Chairman of the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the European Cooperation, Deputy Chairman of deputy's group of faction "United Russia". Coordinating Chairman of the Deputy Group for connections with Benelux countries "Russia-Benelux". PhD in Economics.
Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti Political Columnist, TV and radio commentator; Asian expert
Previous positions: Nezavisimaya Gazeta (1997-2001), Chief of Foreign News Section, editor of Diplomatic Courier supplement. Own business (1995-1997). PR work for Hong Kong Image Alpha company (1993-1995). Rossiyskaya Gazeta (1991-1993), Diplomatic Columnist. Pravda (1978-1991), Foreign News Section, including the position of Southeast Asia Correspondent (1988-1991)
Selected publications: Columns on foreign policy, diplomacy, global changes, ideologies, with an emphasis on Asian developments. Notably, the rising of China, Indian issues, Central Asian policy, Southeast Asia
Writer of spy novels (pen name Master Chen): The Pet Monkey of the House of Tang (2006), The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas (2007), Amalia and the White Apparition (2008), Amalia and the Generalissimo (expected in 2009)
Editor–in–Chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine (since 2002)
Previous positions: Editor, then Senior Editor of the Department for Broadcasting to Northern Europe of International Radio Moscow (Voice of Russia) (1990-1993); Correspondent at the international desk of Segodnya newspaper (1994-1997); Editor of the international desk of Vremya MN newspaper. (1997-2000); Editor of the international desk, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vremya Novostei newspaper (2000-2002)
Member of the Scientific Council of the Carnegie Moscow Center, Professor at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) (since 2000)
Co-Chairman of the Ethnic Relations in Russia and CIS Countries program; Member of the scientific council of the Carnegie Moscow Center; one of Russia’s leading specialists in Islam
Previous positions: Leading research fellow, head of the sector concerned with Islamic studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1976-1982 and 1986-2001); Adviser to the Russian Academy of Sciences’ expedition to Libya (1979-1980); Editor with Problems of Peace and Socialism magazine (Prague) (1982-1986); Visiting Professor at the U.S. Colgate University (1990)
Research interests: Religion, society, security
Author of a large number of articles and books on issues of Islam, including: “Islam for Russia” (2007), “An Islamic Alternative and an Islamist Project”(2006), “Islamic Guidelines of the Northern Caucasus”(2001), “An Islamic Revival in Present-Day Russia”(1998)
leading research fellow, Institute for Scientific Information in Social Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (since 1999); Professor, Chair of Post-Soviet Countries; Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow (since 2008); recurrent visiting Professor, Central European University (Budapest), Department of History (since 1993)
Research interests: Empires and nationalism in history and current politics
Selected publications: “The Ukrainian Issue in the Policy of Power and Russian Public Opinion” (2000);“The Ukrainian Question. The Russian Empire and Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century“ (2003); “Nationalism and Empire”(2005);“The Romanov Empire and Nationalism”(2006, 2008); “Legacy of Empires and Russia’s Future”(2008)
Editor-in-Chief, Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti (since 2006)
Previous positions: MOST Group/Media MOST public relations department, ascending positions (1992-2000); CROS, Vice President (2000-2003), Chairperson, Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti (2003- 2006)
Received several media and state awards
Head of the Center for the Study of World Energy Markets at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Energy Research (since 2006)
Previous positions: Worked in companies specializing in energy consulting – Eneco and Energo21; Worked in the laboratory concerned with the scientific foundations of the development and regulation of oil and gas supplies, the Institute of Energy Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences – the leading research institute of Russia in the area of integrated energy studies (1998)
Research interests: Analysis of the development of global energy markets and Russia’s energy export and import policies, analysis of the energy markets of Russia, CIS countries and Europe, including production and transportation of energy resources, demand, energy policy, pricing, taxation and market restructuring
Director for the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (since 2009); President for the Center for Strategic and Political Studies (since 1991); Editor-in-Chief of Vostok-ORIENS magazine of the Russian Academy of Sciences (since 1998); Member of the Scientific Council under the Security Council of Russia
Founder and Chairman of the Board, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Moscow (2006); Professor and Chair, Faculty of World Politics, Moscow State University (since 2003); Good Will Ambassador for the Alliance of Civilizations (2007)
Previous positions: researcher, head of the Middle East Center of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (1984-2008)
Visiting Professor, Department of Political Science, American University in Cairo (1991);Visiting Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley (2003); Research Fellow, Bellagio Center, Italy, Rockefeller Foundation (2004); Guest Observer, Abu-Dhabi TV Satellite Arabic Channel (2001-2002); Russian representative at the High Level Group, Alliance of Civilizations under Secretary General of the United Nations (2005-2006)
Author of about 500 publications in Russian, English, French, Arabic and other languages
Co-Founder and President of the Polity Foundation (since 1993); Executive Board Director of the Russki Mir Foundation (since 2007)
Non-paid adviser to the Chief of Staff of the Executive Office of the Russian President, member of the Political Consultative Council under the Russian President, member of the expert council of the Presidential Commission on Countering Political Extremism, member of the Human Rights Commission under the Russian President, Vice-President of the Moscow branch of the Presidential Programs Fund, Presidium Member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, board member of the Russian Socio-Political Center
Previous positions: junior, senior research fellow at the Subdepartment of Recent and Most Recent History in the Moscow State University History Department (1978-1988); After two years of work as a full-time secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Committee at the History Department of Moscow State University, was transferred to the Soviet Communist Party Central Committee as an instructor and later as head of a sector in the Ideological Division (1988-1989); Staff Member of the Executive Office of the U.S.S.R. President; adviser and head of the group of socio-economic analysis and political forecasting, aide to the staff head (1991); aide to the chairman of the KGB of the U.S.S.R. (1991); Adviser with the Department for Political and Inter-Ethnic Studies at the International Economic and Social Reforms Foundation (the Reforma Foundation of Sergei Shatalin, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences) (1992); Deputy of the 1st State Duma, chairman of the Subcommittee on International Security and Arms Control of the International Affairs Committee (1993-1995); President of the Unity for Russia Foundation (2003)
Ella PAMFILOVA
Russia Russian politician; former Chair, Civil Society Institution and Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation (2002-2010)
Alexander PROKHANOV
Prose writer; Editor-in-Chief, Zavtra newspaper
Head of the Subdepartment of Social and Political Communications, Department of State Administration, the Russian Government’s Academy of the National Economy; Co-Founder and Chief Editor of Polit.ru, an Internet publication (since 1999)
Previous positions: Freelance journalist, regular contributor to many publications including, Pro et Contra, Ekonomicheskaya Politika, Neprikosnovennyi Zapas, Osteuropa; regular contributor to Vedomosti newspaper (2002-2005); Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Kommersant newspaper (2005-2006)
Research interests: political and economic processes in post-Soviet Russia, 18th-19th century Russian literature and culture
Chairman of the All-Russia social movement“Vybor Rossii”; Member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy
Previous positions: lecturer at Altai State University, History Department (1990-1991); Deputy Head of the administration of the Altai Region (1991-1994); Member of the 1st through 4th State Dumas (Russia's Choice faction), Committee on Federation Affairs and Regional Policy, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Authorities of the Subjects of the Federation; Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Federation Affairs and Regional Policy (1996-1997); Deputy Head of the Our Home is Russia faction (1996-1997); First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma (1997-1999); Head of the Our Home is Russia faction (1999).
Author of more than 50 publications in political sciences in Russian and foreign printed media
Alexander SAGOMONYAN
Head, Theory and History of International Relations Department, Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU) (since 1999)
Denis SEKIRINSKY
PhD in History; senior research fellow, Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences; secretary, National Committee of the Russian Historians; CEO, Academic Educational Association for the Humanities
Deputy Head, News Department; Director, Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti International Service (since 2009)
Previous positions: news anchor, English department of the Voice of Russia World Service (1995), Сhief Editor of the World Desk of the “Rossiya” daily newspaper; commentator and later political observer, TV-Center Company (2003); news anchor at the“Vesti” TV company (2006 – 2009)
Author and Anchor of Sudite Sami talk show (Make Your Own Judgment) on the Russian nationalTV“Channel One“ and O Glavnom analytical program (About the Most Important with Maxim Shevchenko) on the federal FM radio station“Vesti FM“
One of the leading Russian journalists and experts on problems of ethno-cultural and religious policy; Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation; Founder of the Center for Strategic Research of the Modern Religion and Politics (2000)
Previous positions: teacher of Russian and West European history at the First Classical Orthodox School Radonezh Yasenevo (1993-1995); journalist for the Bulletin of Christian Democracy (1987-1991), First of September educational newspaper (1992-1995), author and Editor-in-Chief of the NG-Religion project and hot spots (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Chechnya, Dagestan, Yugoslavia, Israel, Palestine) correspondent for “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” (1995-2002), author of the project and Editor-in-Chief for Smysl (Reason) magazine (2003-2008)
Winner of the 2007 Golden Pen award of the Russian Union of Journalists
Chairman, Commission on Security Policy and Evaluation of Defense legislation, Public Council of the RF Ministry of Defense (since 2007) founding member of the non-governmental Council on Foreign and Defense Policy
Previous positions: served in the military intelligence of the Soviet General Staff (GRU) (1958-1988); Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Defense of the Russian Federation in the rank of Deputy Minister in the Russian government (1990-1992); Advisor to the President of the United Heavy Machinery Corporation, Russia’s largest engineering company and a significant weapons producer (2001-2004)
Research interests: defense economy and military policy
Author of numerous books and articles on these subjects, including publications in English“The Crisis in the Russian Economy.” Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. April 1994;“The Soviet System of Mobilization Preparedness,”“The Structural Militarization of the Soviet Economy: The Unknown Phenomenon,”chapters in“The Anatomy of Russian Defense Conversion.”Vlad E. Genin, General Editor. Foreword by William J. Perry. Vega Press, Walnut Creek, CA, 2001;“The Economics of Defense in Russia and the Legacy of Structural Militarization,“ chapter in Miller, Steven E. and Dmitri Trenin. The Russian Military: Power and Policy. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 2004
Editor-in-Chief of Russia Today (since 2005) and Rusiya Al-Yaum TV channels (since 2007)
Previous positions: reporter for Krasnodar TV and radio broadcasting company. (1999-2000); leading editor of news programs at Krasnodar TV and radio broadcasting company; reporter for the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) in Krasnodar; later special correspondent for the Vesti TV channel (2001-2002); covered the attack by Gelayev-led militants in the Kodori Gorge, Abkhazia; - member of the presidential pool of journalists (2002); covered the events in Beslan, North Ossetia (2004)
Received several journalistic and state awards
Professor of Economics, New Economic School and CEFIR
Member of the Association for Studies in Public Economics in Russia (ASPE), Member of the Board; International Society for New Institutional Economics, AEA, Econometric Society Fortnightly column in The Moscow Times and weekly column in Vedomosti (in Russian); Contributing Editor at the Russian edition of the SmartMoney magazine
Research interests: Political Economics, New Comparative Economics, Development, Auction Theory Previous positions: New Economic School and CEFIR, SUEK Assistant Professor (2001-08); Member, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA (2004-05); Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University, Post-doctoral Fellow (2000-01; Russian-European Center for Economic Policy, Senior Economist (1998-2000); Central Economics and Mathematics Institute, RAS, Research Fellow (1998-2001)
Selected publications: A Dynamic Theory of Contested Property Rights (with Sergei Guriev), Journal of Public Economics, 93(1-2), 1-13, February 2009; Coalition Formation in Nondemocracies (with Daron Acemoglu and Georgy Egorov), Review of Economic Studies, 75(4), 987-1009, December 2008; A Theory of Brinkmanship, Conflicts, and Commitment (with Michael Schwarz), Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, 24(1), 163-183; Are Russian Commercial Courts Biased? Evidence from a Bankruptcy Law Transplant (with Ariane Lambert-Mogiliansky and Ekaterina Zhuravskaya), Journal of Comparative Economics, symposium issue on Courts and Judges, 35-2, 253-442. June 2007; Krull Dimension of Malcev-Neumann Rings, Communications in Algebra, 26 (9), 1998, 2915-31 Award for Best Economist of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2002, 2003
Deputy Director for Research at the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy
Previous positions: International correspondent for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2002-2004); Coordinator of the Russia-U.S. program of the Institute of Foreign and Defense Policy (2003-2004)
Research interests: Regulation and manageability in the international system and in U.S. foreign policy, U.S. global strategy, Russian-U.S. relations; problems of European and Atlantic security, Russia’s foreign policy, relations between Russia and the European Union
Selected Publications: Co-authored over 150 analytical papers for government agencies concerning the internal development of the European Union and relations between Russia and the European Union; Main contributor of monthly analytical reviews on Russia-EU relations. Co-authored a number of books, including: “Where and How Russia Can Benefit from the Global Economic Crisis”(Moscow, GU-VShE, 2009), “Russia and the World: A New Era” (Moscow, 2008), “Global Politics” (Moscow, 2008),“The World Around Russia: 2017” (Moscow, 2007), “An Asian Polygon”(Moscow, 2007)
Director, Expert Council Chair Foreign and Security Policy; Director, Expert Council Chair, Program Chair at the Carnegie Moscow Center (since 2008)
Previous positions: USSR/Russian Armed Forces (1972-93, including: Liaison Officer, External Relations Branch, Group of Soviet Forces, Germany, Potsdam, 1978-83; Senior Lecturer, Military Institute, 1983-93; Staff member, USSR Delegation to U.S.-Soviet Nuclear & Space Arms Talks in Geneva, 1985-91); Senior Research Fellow, NATO Defense College, Rome (1993); Visiting Professor, Vrije University Brussels (1993-1994); Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences (1993-1997); Carnegie Moscow Center Expert Council Chair, Senior Associate, Program Chair (1993-2008)
Memberships: International Institute for Strategic Studies, London (1992—present); Russian International Studies Association (1999—present); Advisory Council, Pro et Contra magazine (1996—present) ; Editorial Board, International Politics (1998—present); Editorial Board, Baltic Course (2000—present); Expert Board, Moscow School of Political Studies (2000—present)
Authored 12 and edited six books
Editor-in-Chief, The Moscow News
Previous positions: editor of British Chess Magazine; editor of various English-language newspapers in Baku, Azerbaijan; Business Editor at The Moscow Times
Research interests: Soviet history, Caspian energy, globalization, organized crime, chess
Recent articles for The Moscow News include: “New car plan needed”(Re: Russian auto industry); “A small, victorious war”(Re: Georgian war anniversary);“The impossible takes a little longer”(Re: Resetting Russian-US relations);“The mother of all parliamentary scandals” (Re: British MPs’ expenses); “Red wedge”(Re: Rodchenko & Popova - constructivist art exhibition); “Facing up to an unpredictable past”(Re: History of The Moscow News); “Alms for an ex-oligarch”(Re: Alexander Lebedev’s Sochi mayoral bid)
First Deputy Chairman, State Duma Committee on the CIS Affairs and Contacts with Compatriots (since 2008); Director, Institute of the CIS Countries (since 1996)
Acting Chairman of the Board of the Interregional Fund of Presidential Programs (since 2000)
Previous positions: Aide to the Secretary of the Young Communist League Central Committee, political commentator of the YCL Central Committee (1987-1990); Executive and later General Director of the Soviet Association of Young Enterprise Directors (reorganised as the International Association of Business Leaders in 1991) (1989-1993); Member of the State Duma, Chairman of the Duma Committee on the CIS Affairs and Contacts with Compatriots, Chairman of the Duma Commission on the Black Sea Fleet (1993-1995); organised the Compatriots Council of the State Duma and became its Secretary (1995); member of the State Duma, member of the Duma Committee on the CIS Affairs and Contacts with Compatriots (2003-2005)
Director of the Russian Office at the John D. and CatherineT. MacArthur Foundation
Previous positions: Researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences (1981-1988); Researcher and department head at the Institute of the World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1988-1999); invited Professor at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, California University in Berkley, and George Washington University. Professor of Russian Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (2000-2005); Bureau Chief of Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti, Washington (2005- 2008)
Selected publications: Published five books, including: “Russia and Its New Diasporas” (2001), “Global Security in the New Millennium: Russian-American Prospects”(co-editor, 1999), “Modern Asia: Socio-Political Development and Human Rights” (1991), and also many articles
Editor-in-Chief, Russia Profile; Deputy Director, Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti International Service
Previous positions: Moscow Bureau manager, The Christian Science Monitor (1994-1996). Staff writer, The Moscow Times (1997-2003). Moscow correspondent, Ecumenical News International (1995-2003). Since 2003, has developed and run Russia Profile – originally print and online magazine, which since 2009 has moved entirely to the web.
Research interests: Religion and politics, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian media
Author of over 1,000 articles in various publications
Andrey Zubov
Russia Professor of Philosophy, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, D.Sc. in History
SLOVAKIA
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia and former Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic
Previous positions: lawyer in Bratislava (1970-1981, 2003), participant in the dissident movement in Czechoslovakia (1981-1989), Deputy Head of the Federal Government of Czechoslovakia (1989-1990), Head of the Government of the Slovak Republic (1991-1992), MP of the Slovak Republic (1992-1998), Attorney General of the Slovak Republic (1998-2002), member of the Administrative Board of Higher School of Law in Bratislava (2004), Chairman of the Slovak-Russian Society (2006)
Selected publications: “They Suffered for Faith” (1991),“Seen from the Danube” (1997),“The Ways of Christian Democratic Movement”(2007); several papers in Slovakian and international publications
SWITZERlAND
Editorial Director of the Swiss media group Edipresse
Previous positions: political journalist for the major Swiss media: L'Hebdo magazine, Le Nouveau Quotidien, Le Temps, 24heures and La Tribune de Genève (since 1984); Chief Editor of L'Hebdo (since 1995); The Founder and the Director & Chief Editor of Le Temps (since 1998); Editorial Director of the Edipresse Group (since 2005); Member of the General Management of Edipresse Switzerland; Member of several Boards of Directors within press and television media, for example the Swiss Telegraphic Agency (ATS)
Selected publications: articles and reports on the USSR, the post-soviet and Russian evolution; book “A la Conquête du Caucase“ (2006), published in Russian (2008)
TURKEY
Professor of International Relations at Middle East Technical Universtiy in Ankara; TV and Radio Commentator inTurkey and а columnist for The New Anatolian
Also a member of IISS in London and Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels, Belgium; Deputy Director of Foreign Policy Institute in Ankara
Previous positions: Guest researcher at the German Society for Foreign Affairs, Bonn; Senior Fellow at the Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI), Bonn, the Austrian National Defence Academy in Vienna under the Ministry of Defense, Vienna; visiting Professor in Bonn University and Rome, La Sapienza University (2007) and in Lublin University, Poland (2008)
Author of several books and large number of articles on Turkish foreign policy and Turkish-German relations
Sinan OGAN
Founder and President, Center of International Relations and Strategic Analysis - TURKSAM (since 2004)
UKRAINE
Mikhail POGREBINSKY
Director, Kiev Center for Political and Conflict Studies (since 1993)
UNITED KINGDOM
Senior Fellow (Russia and Eurasia) at the IISS, London
Previous positions: worked at the Moscow office of Harvard Strengthening Democratic Institutions Project; Director of the IISS research and seminar program on military reform in Russia and the CIS (1998-2000); headed a research and seminar program on Russia's regional perspective on foreign and security policy focusing on Russia's relations with Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia (1999-2003); worked on a research project on Russian-EU relations (2004-2005)
Research interests: Russian foreign and security policies; Russia/CIS military reform issues; Regional politics in Russia; Caucasus and Caspian Sea Region (security issues, regional conflicts, political and energy issues); Central Asia (political and security issues); Ukraine (political and security issues)
Selected publications: “Russia and the European Union: Prospects for a New Relationship”(co-edited)
Foreign editor of The Times
Previous positions: diplomatic editor (2001-2008); focused on the Middle East; Moscow bureau chief (1994-98); Middle East correspondent; covered the civil war in Bosnia; a foreign news reporter based in London (1986-1991); a freelance correspondent in Beirut covering the civil war. He started his career in South Africa on the Financial Mail news magazine
Selected publications: interviews with the leaders of Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan and Georgia; General David Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Iraq, and Tony Blair
Neil BUCKLEY
Eastern Europe Editor, The Financial Times
Charles GRANT
Founder director, Centre for European Reform, London
Foreign leader writer for The Guardian
Previous positions: covered the conflicts in Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Chechnya, as well as the transition of Eastern Europe. Was sent to Moscow in 1992, becoming bureau chief in 1994. On leaving Russia in 1997, joined the foreign desk, became Europe editor and then Associate Foreign Editor
Geoffrey HOSKING
Emeritus Professor of Russian History, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London (since 2008)
Diplomatic correspondent for the BBC (since 1998)
Previous positions: joined the BBC in 1983; BBC Moscow correspondent (1989 to 1995), witnessed such dramatic events as Mikhail Gorbachev's attempts to reform the Soviet Communist Party, the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent military conflicts in Chechnya, Georgia and Tajikistan. Sent eyewitness reports of the dramatic coup in August 1991 and later covered Boris Yeltsin's rise to power. BBC correspondent in Washington (1994-1998)
Selected publications: interviews with several world leaders, including Vladimir Putin (2001).
The first woman to win the coveted James Cameron Award for distinguished journalism in 1992 for her reports on events in the former Soviet Union. Later that year, she won the Bronze Sony Radio Award as Reporter of the Year and was made an MBE in the 1994 New Year's Honors list
Professor, director of Research on Terrorism and International Relations at King’s College, london, senior fellow of the New America Foundation Fund, Washington
Previous positions: correspondent for The Times in South Asia and former Soviet Union; Editor-in-chief of the Strategic Comments magazine
Selected publications: Author of several books devoted to the former Soviet Union, including “Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power”(1998), “Ukraine and Russia: A Fraternal Rivalry”(1999), “Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism” (2004), and “Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World”(2006) (co-author)
Dominic LIEVEN
Professor of Russian History, London School of Economics; fellow, British Academy
Reuters Editor, Political and General News Europe, Middle East and Africa (since 2007)
Previous positions: journalist covering political and financial news from Reuters bureaus in London, Moscow, Vienna, Amsterdam/The Hague; editor for energy news, with a focus on energy security and the major oil and gas producers including Russia and OPEC nations
Research interests: politics, international relations, energy
European Editor, The Economist (since 2003)
Previous positions: Brussels correspondent, Business Affairs Editor, Executive Editor and Washington correspondent - all with The Economist. Before joining The Economist in 1986, worked as a government official for the Treasury and the Foreign Office
Research interests: European Union, the euro, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus
Selected publications: Surveys and special reports written for The Economist include the EU, European Monetary Union, Italy, Ireland, Spain and The Netherlands
Steve ROSENBERG
Diplomatic Correspondent, BBC
Professor of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent at Canterbury, an Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House
Previous positions: the Moscow Mir Publishing House dealing with science and technology (1980-1982), lecturer at the university of California, Santa Cruz (1982-1987)
Research interests: Soviet and post-communist Russian politics, problems of democratic development in Russia and other post-Soviet states, as well as the global challenges facing the former communist countries
Selected publications: published widely on Soviet, Russian and post-communist affairs. Recent books include: “Postcommunism“ (1999), “Contextualising Secession: Normative Aspects of Secession Struggles“ (2003) (co-edited with Bruno Coppieters) “Putin: Russia’s Choice“(2004), “Chechnya: From Past to Future“ (2005), “Russian Politics and Society“ (2008),“The Quality of Freedom: Khodorkovsky, Putin and the Yukos Affair“ (2009). He is currently working on“The Dual State in Russia: Factionalism and the Medvedev Succession“
Head, Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Queens Institute of International Relations, Chatham House
Previous positions: Fellow at the Advanced Research Assessment Group and Conflict Studies Research Centre of the UK Defense Academy (1995-2008), now a Senior Visiting Fellow of that institution; a member of the Social Studies Faculty of Oxford University. Served as a consultant to parliamentary and other official bodies on Russia and Ukraine; Special Adviser to the House of Commons Defense Committee (1998-2000); Director of Studies at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense Studies(1983-85) Research interests: Foreign and security policy of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, NATO/EU enlargement & the Black Sea Region Security, sector reform in post-Communist states, energy relationship between Russia, Ukraine and the EU
Selected publications: “The Implications of the Russia-Georgia War for European Security”(2008); “Russia's War in Georgia” (2009);“Russia & the West: A Reassessment”(monograph) (2008); “Security in the Black Sea Region: Back to Realpolitik?”, (2008); “Ukraine's Scissors: Between External Weakness & Internal Dependence” (monograph) (2006)
East Europe Editor for The Financial Times (since 1998)
Previous positions: started working as a journalist in 1979, and has been with The Financial Times since 1983; has held various positions in Britain and other countries, including Bureau Chief in Tokyo and New Delhi, and at different times has been the international news and industry editor
Lord SKIDELSKY
Emeritus professor of political economy, Department of Economics, Warwick University
USA
Reporter and Editor for The Wall Street Journal based in Brussels
Previous positions: correspondent for The Independent, then Editor-in-Chief of The Moscow Times (1994-1997). Also worked for The Financial Times editing European news, was a correspondent for The Independent in former Yugoslavia during the war, in Romania and Bulgaria following the collapse of the communist regimes, and in Washington, DC during the late 1980s
Selected publications: “How Far Will Russia Take Dispute With the West?” (2007), “Russia Agrees to Halt War”(2008)
Samuel CHARAP
Associate Director for Russia and Eurasia; Fellow, National Security and International Policy Program, Center for American Progress
Senior Research Fellow, Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Security, The Heritage Foundation
Previous positions: Regularly testifies before U.S. Congress, writes for The Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, and appears on CNN, FOX, BBC, and in other international media. Member, Council on Foreign Relations; International Institute for Strategic Studies; Association for Study of Nationalities. Advisory Boards: Institute for Analysis of Global Security; Central Asia and Caucasus Journal, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Research interests: Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus
Author of several books about Russia and Eurasia, including “Russian Imperialism: Development and Crisis” (1993), “Eurasia in Balance” (2005), “Kazkhastan: The Road to Independence” (2008)
Feldberg Professor of Government at Harvard University and Director of Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Research interests: current research concerns leadership, political parties, and the dynamics of regime change in Russia and Eurasia, relations between Russia and the other post-Soviet states, and trends in Russian-American relations
Selected publications: has written on many aspects of Soviet, Russian, and post-communist politics. Books:“The Dilemma of Reform in the Soviet Union” (1986),“Moscow: Governing the Socialist Metropolis”(1995),“Transitional Citizens: Voters and What Influences Them in the New Russia” (2000), and “Popular Choice and Managed Democracy”(co-author, 2003). His study“Yeltsin: A Political Life”, based on interviews with many of the principals in the story was published in 2008
Stephen FIDLER
Brussels Editor, The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires (since 2009); Consulting Senior Fellow, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London
Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
Previous positions: guest scholar at various research institutes in Russia, adviser to the Russian finance ministry and regional governments on issues of fiscal federalism
Research interests: Russian economy (since 1991)
Selected publications: “Russia's Virtual Economy“, “The Siberian Curse“. He is currently writing a book on the political economy of today's Russia and on the country's long-term growth prospects
Senior International Advisor, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld llP
Previous positions: Special Assistant to former President Bill Clinton and Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and the Eurasian States at the National Security Council (NSC) (1993); and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research (INR) (1993-1997); Senior Vice President for Policy Studies at the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) in New York City
Research interests: Russian foreign and economic policies and US-Russian relations, international organizations and US foreign policy
Selected publications: “Russia's New Law on Foreign Investment in Strategic Sectors and the Role of State Corporations in the Russian Economy,“ (2008);“U.S.-Russia Relations: What Should Be Done - and Not Done,”(2008); “Looking Beyond Oil,” (2008); “Renewable Energy in Russia’s Future,” (2008); “Diversification for Growth: What the Russian Economy Needs,” (2003);“The Political Dynamic”(co-author) (2003)
Kathryn W. Davis Professor of Russian Economics, Emeritus, Wellesley College; Associate Director of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
An internationally recognized authority on Russian economics, politics, and environmental policy; also known for the study and analysis of the political careers of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin
Selected publications: Author of a dozen books on the former Soviet Union and Russia, including “The Piratization of the Russian Economy”; “Lost Opportunity: Why Economic Reforms in Russia Have Not Worked”;“What Went Wrong with Perestroika: The Rise and Fall of Mikhail Gorbachev”; “Gorbachev's Challenge: Economic Reform in the Age of High Technology”; “Petrostate: Putin, Power and the New Russia“
Foreign Affairs Columnist for The Washington Post
Previous positions: reporter with the Rock Hill Evening Herald (1960), Copy Editor for The New York Times International Edition in Paris (1964). Joined The Washington Post (1966), Africa correspondent for The Washington Post (1969-1972), Middle East correspondent (1972-1975), Paris correspondent (1975-1977). Foreign Editor (1979), Assistant Managing Editor for Foreign News (since 1981). Associate Editor and Chief Foreign Correspondent (since1986). He was a Ford Foundation Fellow at Columbia University (1968/69)
Director, Europe and Eurasia, Eurasia Group
Previous positions: Vice President and Senior Fellow, the Nixon Center, Washington, DC; Vice President, Eurasia Foundation, Moscow; Deputy Coordinator of Assistance to Eurasia, US Department of State; Senior Advisor on Russia and Eurasia, U.S. House Committee on International Relations
Research interests: Russian politics, Russian energy sector, U.S. foreign policy
Author of numerous academic articles and essays on Russia, Eurasia, U.S. foreign policy, and Iran
Head of the Russian non-commercial foundation Institute of Democracy and Cooperation's office in New York (since 2008)
Previous positions: Member of the Presidential Advisory Council of the Russian Federation (1993-2000); Professor at MGIMO (since 1991); Senior Advisor of the Committee on International Relations in the Supreme Soviet (1992-1993), Senior expert of the Committee on CIS in the State Duma (1994-1995), Vice President of the Reforma Foundation (1993-2003); First Vice President of the Soglasie Foundation (2004-2008)
Selected publications: “Democracy and Morality”,“Russia in Search of Identity”,“Russia: from Chaos to Order?”
Was awarded with an Order of Honor by the decree of the president of the Russian Federation (2009); has four commendations from the presidents of the Russian Federation
Richard PIPES
Professor of History, Emeritus, Harvard
Professor of Government and Director, Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Brookings Institution; Vice Chair, World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Russia. Member, Council on Foreign Relations
Previous Positions: Fulbright Professor at MGIMO, Berlin Prize Fellow, American Academy, (fall 2008); Department of State’s Office of Policy Planning (1999-2001) National Intelligence Council (2004-2006)
Research interests: Russian foreign policy, focusing on Russian-German, European-Russian and US-Russian relations
Selected publications: “Russia and Germany Reborn: Unification, The Soviet Collapse and The New Europe”; “Restoration of Revolution in Putin’s Foreign Policy,”“Reluctant Europeans: Three Centuries of Russian Ambivalence Toward the West”,“Repairing US-Russian Relations: A Long Road Ahead”
Senior Fellow and Director of the Russia and Asia Program at the World Security Institute in Washington, D.C.
Serves on the editorial boards of several international academic periodicals, and is the Executive Editor of Demokratizatsiya
Previous positions: Professor at Moscow State University; joined the Center for Defense Information in Washington, D.C. (2001) as a Senior Fellow; Director of Russian and Asian Programs; President Emeritus of Washington Profile
Research interests: Russian foreign and domestic policies, Russian-American relations, foreign and domestic policies of the Eurasian countries, international security
Selected publications: The author of 11 books and more than 250 academic articles published in more than 15 languages. Books: “International Communications“ (2004),“The New Second World Order: Geopolitical Puzzles”, “Confrontation. USA-Russia”(with Vladimir Soloviev), and “In Washington’s Corridors of Power: The Moods of the American Elite” (with Lev Belousov) (all published in 2009). His editorial opinions have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, International Herald Tribune, and The Chicago Tribune, among other publications
Most read
Top multimedia
Image Galleries: Bear and dog’s friendship and other “animal stories”
Video: Week in review May 28-June 3
Infographics: Dangerous enterohemorrhagic bacteria E. coli
Cartoons: The fight against fresh vegetables
