Working language: Russian with simultaneous English translation

Discussion Context:
The global economy is undergoing the most profound transformation in recent decades. Russia is adapting to new realities by building a renewed framework of relations with countries in the Global South. Key priorities include export expansions, independent transport corridors, and strategic import substitution. Yet these measures alone are not sufficient to secure sustainable growth. Today’s Russian economic agenda calls for a new quality of the investment climate – from advanced infrastructure and modern communications to effective mechanisms for supporting development projects. It also demands new technological and institutional value chains to enable large-scale adoption of AI and robotics across domestic industries. Equally important are targeted initiatives to train specialists in high-demand fields and boost productivity in key sectors.

Working language: English

Venue: UrFU, 25 Gogolya St., Co-working (room 013). 

Working language: English

The global transition away from a hydrocarbon-based economy is not ushering in a post-resource era, but rather pivoting to a new, high-stakes paradigm centered on critical minerals. These elements—lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and copper—are the indispensable building blocks of the 21st century, powering everything from electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure to advanced defense systems. This shift is fundamentally reshaping the architecture of global power, moving the strategic center of gravity from oil fields to mineral supply chains. The expanded BRICS bloc sits at the very heart of this transformation, embodying its complex dynamics: it is both a dominant collective supplier, with members like China, Russia, and South Africa controlling vast reserves and processing capabilities, and a massive internal consumer, with nations like India and new partners driving immense demand. This positions BRICS not merely as a participant, but as a central arena where internal tensions between competition and cooperation will be negotiated. Externally, its actions directly challenge Western supply chain security and ignite a new "Great Game" for resource access across the Global South. Thus, this session will focus on various critical aspects of this shift, including the geopolitics of supply chains, the internal dynamics of the BRICS alliance, the rise of resource nationalism, and the strategic responses from major global powers as they navigate this new terrain beyondhydrocarbon.