MOSCOW. DECEMBER 2, 2024. PIR PRESS. «Practice has shown that the establishment of the Evstafiev Award by PIR Center in 2021 had become an essential catalyst for the active involvement of young Russian and foreign researchers in international security studies. All five research papers submitted for the 2024 Evstafiev Award competition were completed at a commendable level and covered a wide range of global security issues. The works contain non-trivial analysis and undoubtedly contribute the significant academic merit», — Colonel-General (retired) Viktor Esin, Leading Researcher at the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Member of the PIR Center Advisory Board.
On November 15, 2024, the results of the IV Evstafiev Award competition were announced! Thus, Sviatoslav Arov, PIR Center Research Fellow – Executive Assistant to the Director, and Roman Kalinin, PIR Center Research Fellow, became the winners of the IV Evstafiev Award (2024). The Award Ceremony took place on the sidelines of the PIR Executive Board Meeting commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Yaderny Kontrol journal.
List of previous Evstafiev Award winners: Sergey Semenov, Strategic Offensive Arms Control in Russia-U.S. Relations: Lessons Learned (2021); Leonid Tsukanov, The Ups and Downs of the Cyber Caliphate: Al-Qaeda* and ISIS* in the Digital Space (2022); and Alexandra Zubenko, The Role of Nuclear Weapons in France’s Modern Strategic Culture (2023).
The competition is held among young Russian and foreign researchers whose works were published in the PIR Center’s Security Index and Security Index Occasional Paper Series, as well as in the Reports Series and Analyses (as part of the Yaderny Kontrol E-Bulletin), or were accepted by the Commission on the Legacy of Lieutenant General Gennady M. Evstafiev. Within the competition, PIR Center seeks to receive research papers dedicated to relevant issues of international security.
This year, five research papers were shortlisted for participation in the competition (all — in Russian):
All selected research papers were reviewed and assessed by the members of the Commission on the Legacy of Lieutenant General Gennady M. Evstafiev, established in 2021.
The Chairman of the Commission is PIR Center Founding Director Dr. Vladimir Orlov. The list of Commission members includes:
- Lieutenant-General (retired) Evgeny Buzhinskiy, Chairman of the PIR Center Executive Board; Professor of the Institute for Advanced Strategic Studies, Higher School of Economics (HSE University); Associate Professor and Head of Center for Applied Political-Military Research of School of World Politics, Lomonosov Moscow State University.
- Colonel-General (retired) Vladimir Verkhovtsev, 7th Head of the 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (2005-2011); General Director of ARMZ Rosatom.
- Dr. Dmitry Evstafiev, Professor of the Department of Theory of Law and State at Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN); member of the Security Index Yearbook Editorial Board.
- Colonel-General (retired) Viktor Esin, Leading Researcher at the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; member of the PIR Center Advisory Board.
- Mr. Albert Zulkharneev, Head of the Representative Office of Rossotrudnichestvo — Russian House in Bishkek; member of the PIR Center Advisory Board.
- Dr. Vadim Kozyulin, Chief Researcher of the Center for Global Studies and International Relations of the ICIS, Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; member of the PIR Center Executive Board; Consultant of the Global & Regional Security: New Ideas for Russia Program.
- Lieutenant-General (retired) Vasily Lata, member of the PIR Center Executive Board; Chief Research Fellow, Peter the Great Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces
- Mr. Viktor Litovkin, Military Observer of TASS.
- Dr. Vladimir Rudakov, Editor-in-Chief of Istorik (Historian) Journal; member of the PIR Center Advisory Board.
- Mr. Sergey Semenov, PIR Center Research Fellow.
- H.E. Oleg Stepanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Canada; member of the PIR Center Advisory Board.
- Dr. Dmitry Trenin, member of PIR Center Executive Board; Research Professor at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University; Academic Supervisor, Institute for Global Military Economics and Strategy, HSE University; Leading Researcher at the Section for Non-Proliferation and Arms Limitation of the Center for International Security, IMEMO RAS.
- Dr. Elena Chernenko, member of PIR Center Executive Board; Special Correspondent of the Kommersant Daily.
- Dr. Alexander Fedorov, member of PIR Center Executive Board; Associate Professor, Department of Information Security, Faculty of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Control Systems, Bauman Moscow State Technical University; Associate professor, Department of World Politics, Faculty of Political Science, State Academic University for the Humanities (GAUGN).
This year’s competition was exceptionally competitive, with Commission members unanimously highlighting the participants’ thorough preparation, the depth of their research, and the high quality of their conclusions.
“I was in a tough position to choose the best research paper from the submitted works because each one was unique. However, I believe we succeeded in selecting the best thanks to the joint efforts of the Commission on the Legacy of Lieutenant General Gennady M. Evstafiev”, — Colonel-General (retired) Viktor Esin, Leading Researcher at the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and member of the PIR Center Advisory Board.
“It was a difficult task for the Evstafiev Award jury this year. We wanted to highlight all the submitted research papers. They addressed extremely relevant and important topics and stood out for the depth of their research and the breadth of their sources. Some read like mini-dissertations, while others have already served as the basis for media publications. I congratulate the winners and all participants — you all deserve recognition!” — Dr. Elena Chernenko, member of PIR Center Executive Board and Special Correspondent of the Kommersant Daily.
Based on the selection results, the Commission awarded first place to the following research papers:
- Аров Святослав Александрович. Гражданские ядерные объекты во время вооруженных конфликтов: вопросы безопасности и предотвращения террористических актов (Eng.: Sviatoslav Arov. “Civilian Nuclear Facilities during Armed Conflicts: Security Issues and Prevention of Terrorist Acts”); and
- Калинин Роман Ренатович. Ключевые игроки на мировом рынке атомных подводных лодок (Eng.: Roman Kalinin. “Key Players in the Global Nuclear Submarine Market”).
“This year, the Commission on the Legacy of Lieutenant General Gennady M. Evstafiev faced an exceptional challenge. It was simply impossible to identify a single unequivocal winner. Therefore, the prize was divided between two laureates who received the same number of points. The official winners of the IV Evstafiev Award are Sviatoslav Arov and Roman Kalinin. We congratulate them and acknowledge the high level of their research!” — Dr. Vladimir Orlov, PIR Center Founding Director and the Chairman of the Commission on the Legacy of Lieutenant General Gennady M. Evstafiev, stressed during the Award Ceremony.
“Determining this year’s winners was especially difficult… All of the submitted works were of exceptionally high quality, addressed relevant topics, and offered significant analytical insights. Ultimately, after lengthy discussions, Sviatoslav Arov’s and Roman Kalinin’s works were recognized as winners. Congratulations to them!” — Dr. Dmitry Trenin, member of PIR Center Executive Board; Research Professor at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University; Academic Supervisor, Institute for Global Military Economics and Strategy, HSE University; Leading Researcher at the Section for Non-Proliferation and Arms Limitation of the Center for International Security, IMEMO RAS.
PIR Center congratulates the winners, thanks all the young researchers for their participation, and wishes them continued success in their academic endeavors!
* Terrorist organizations, banned in the Russian Federation
Key Words: Evstafiev Award; Security Index
EVS, SIGLO, SIRUS, REP
F4/SOR – 24/12/02
