BRICS, W20 and Negotiations with Universities: Highlights of the HSE Delegation's Visit to India
An HSE University delegation led by Vice Rector Victoria Panova made a working visit to India in March 2023. HSE representatives took part in the eighth Raisina Dialogue multilateral conference, spoke at a meeting within the framework of the Women 20 (W20), and also held a number of bilateral meetings with leading Indian universities.
The Raisina Dialogue conference has been held annually since 2016 and is currently India's flagship event in the field of geopolitics and geo-economics. Every year, leaders in politics, business, media and civil society gather in New Delhi to discuss world problems and explore opportunities for cooperation on a wide range of issues. The conference is organised by the Observer Research Foundation, a global think tank headquartered in Delhi, and the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
In 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov took part in the Raisina Dialogue. HSE Vice Rector Victoria Panova spoke at a session dedicated to BRICS sustainable development. In her speech, she stressed: ‘We can see the growing popularity and influence of BRICS in the world, and the documents and agreements concluded in this format indicate the constant development of international relations. The idea of multilateralism serves as the fundamental principle of the association's interaction, so the BRICS countries can act as a new “Big Five” (permanent members of the UN Security Council—ed.).’
In addition, HSE representatives participated in the opening meeting of the Women 20 (one of the outreach formats, or dialogue partnerships, of the G20), which took place in Aurangabad. The themes of women's empowerment in the field of education and the development of skills among women entrepreneurs were discussed at the meeting. This topic is one of the priorities for India as Chairman of the W20 in 2023.
Ksenia Shevtsova, Head of the HSE International Partnerships Office and Russia's delegate to the Women 20, spoke about the results of work to increase the accessibility of education for women in G20 countries and shared Russia's best practices in expanding women's participation in economic, political and public life. Ksenia Shevtsova also noted the importance of including women's entrepreneurial projects in state support programmes to eliminate discriminatory norms and practices that create barriers for women in education.
Victoria Panova
Russian W20 Sherpa Victoria Panova noted: ‘In 2022, members of the Eurasian Women's Forum initiated a number of projects aimed at supporting women's entrepreneurial initiatives. Their goal is to create a mechanism for financial, social and expert support for women entrepreneurs who want to develop their potential in these industries. Since last year, coordination between the EWF and the W20 has allowed us to compare notes on the most important global issues.’
In addition to participating in expert events, the HSE delegation held fruitful talks with leading universities in India, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), as well as the United Service Institution of India (USI).
The parties discussed the prospects of cooperation, defined common points of interest, and outlined further steps to develop international relations. As a result of the negotiations, the parties agreed to increase academic mobility and the exchange of teaching and research experience. Indian universities have expressed interest in HSE BRICS projects, as well as in participating in the Yasin (April) Conference and International Partners’ Week, which will be held in June 2023.
Summing up the results of her visit to India, Victoria Panova stressed the importance of developing Russian-Indian relations, particularly in the humanitarian track. ‘The results of the scientific and educational dialogue achieved between Russia and India will allow us to multiply the indicators of our cooperation,’ she added. ‘At the moment, ten Indian citizens are conducting research at HSE University and 63 Indian students are studying in our degree programmes. The number of research projects with the participation of Indian universities is kept at a consistently high level every year. HSE is ready to continue participating in current initiatives in the field of humanitarian cooperation proposed by India as Chairman of the G20 in 2023.’
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