Famous Russian economist gives a speech at the "Eurasian Lecture Hall"

On the afternoon of May 23rd, the tenth of the “Eurasian Lecture Hall” was held in Room 728, the main building of Mingde, Renmin University of China. The event was organized by Renmin University of China-Russian Research Center of St. Petersburg State University (hereinafter referred to as “Russian Research Center”), National Academy of Development and Strategy of Renmin University of China, School of Economics of Renmin University of China, and Education Council of China-Russia Friendship, Peace, and Development Committee.

St. Petersburg State University Honorary Professor and Professor of Economics Leonid G. Kirochord and St. Petersburg State University Professor of Economics Victor Ryazanov attended the event and delivered a keynote speech. Yang Shuang, Professor of the Russian Research Center of the China Foreign Affairs University, Wang Lijiu, Research Fellow of the Russia Institute of Central Asian Studies, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Cheng Yijun, Researcher of the Institute of Russian East Europe and Central Asia Research, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Hu Xia, Song Lifang, Cheng Dawei, Wang Xiaosong from School of Economics of Renmin University of China, , associate professors Zhang Guofeng, Jiang Shaomin, Fan Zhiyong, Zhao Yong, and Wang Xianju, deputy director of Russian Research Center and other guests attended the event.

The Event was moderated by Professor Guan Xueling, Director of Russian Research Center and Party Secretary and Deputy Dean of School of Economics of Renmin University of China.

Prof. Victor Ryazanov gave a speech titled "The era of Russian economy 4.0: From depression to high quality growth". He has divided Russia's economic development into four phases in the past 20 years: 1999-2007 for Russia's economic recovery and growth stage, which is version 1.0; in 2008-2009 stage of world economic crisis, Russia's economy has dropped sharply, namely version 2.0; 2010-2014 is an unstable period of economic growth, due to Western sanctions, low international oil prices and other factors; 2015-2016 is the new crisis period. It is collectively referred to as version 3.0. Since 2017, the Russian economy has gradually emerged from the crisis and a stable trend has emerged. That is version 4.0. Professor Ryazanov believes that in order to achieve sustainable development in the future, the Russian economy must focus on changing economic policies, promoting economic structural reforms, strengthening the driving role of technological innovation on economic growth, and establishing effective mechanisms in a market economy environment to promote the transfer of military technology to civilian areas, which is the potential for innovation and development.

Prof. Leonid Hirotorard gave a speech on the topic of “Inequalities in Modern Russia and Their Countermeasures”. He took a historical perspective and analyzed the social problems in Russia from the Soviet Union to the present day. . He pointed out that since the 1980s, Russia began to undergo market economic restructuring. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the national economy rapidly declined. The wealth accumulated during the Soviet Union was arbitrarily plundered by capitalists under market economy and even transferred abroad. The greatest merit of President Putin since he took office is that it greatly restricted the looting and organically integrated the construction market relations with the state management system, overcoming the huge social injustice during the period of Gorbachev and Yeltsin and accelerating the Russian economy. Many of the huge legacy social problems caused by the dissolution are gradually being solved.

Subsequently, Cheng Dawei, Wang Xianju, Cheng Yijun, Wang Lijiu, Yang Chuang, Wang Xiaosong, Song Lifang, Zhang Guofeng and other guests made active interaction and exchanged ideas with two Russian experts on Russian economic outlook and development path, Russia’s response after Western sanctions, and how President Putin’s “entered the Top 5 world economy”, how to carry out structural reforms and other issues.

Representatives of various media such as the Guangming Daily, the Global Times, the Chinese Social Science Journal, and the Russian Satellite News Agency, representatives from academic institutions, and colleges and universities also participated in the event.

The Eurasian Lecture Hall is an important international academic exchange platform and brand activity for the Russian Research Center. It is also one of the series of high-end think tanks held by the Renmin University of China. The lecture hall aims to invite prominent Chinese and foreign national activists, politicians, diplomats, experts, scholars, and other outstanding people to deliver insightful speeches on domestic and international situations and major international issues, and to communicate with teachers, students, and experts and scholars. Since May 2016, the Eurasian Lecture Hall has been held for nine periods. Mr. Li Fenglin, former Chinese ambassador to Russia, Mr. Andrey Denisov, Russian ambassador to China, and Rashid Alimov, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other well-known diplomats made speeches through the Euro-Asian Lecture Theatre and had a wide range of social influence.