Presidential Grants Foundation Launched An Assessment Of Projects Realization

MOSCOW, MAY 21, 2021. PIR PRESS. «Participation in the PIR Center XX International School on Global Security in 2020 opened a new page in my life. This event let me not only gain new knowledge and expand my understanding of nonproliferation and disarmament issues, global security in general, but also define my research and professional priorities, and change a lot in my life. Besides, I met a lot of interesting people, more specifically, invited experts and lecturers, participants and organizers of the School, with their own views, ideas, initiatives, ambitions. And I warmly remember all of them,» ‒ a winner of the XX International School on Global Security of PIR Center, currently the Coordinator of the PIR Center Education & Training Program Elena Karnaukhova.

The Presidential Grants Foundation launched an assessment of projects realization of which was completed by the end of 2020. XX International School on Global Security organized by PIR Center in 2020 is among those projects to be assessed.

PIR Center International School on Global Security has been held annually over the past 20 years. The School is a unique platform where young civil servants, diplomats, officers, researchers, and students from different countries expand their professional horizons and improve their qualifications, meet with leading Russian experts, civil servants, staff members of non-governmental organizations, etc. Over the last years, the compilation of main topics of the PIR Center International School has encompassed nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, information security, new technologies, cybersecurity, the future of nuclear energy, nuclear security, regional aspects of international security, etc. The International School is famous for the variety of formats, including lectures, seminars, foresight sessions, debates, etc. Among the lecturers and invited experts of the School are traditionally theorists and practitioners in the field of international relations and global security, representatives of the academic community and government officials. The International School lays the groundwork for the establishment of a Russian-speaking community of young diplomats and experts within the CIS, as well as for a constructive discussion around the key problems of international security.

For the first time, the Timerbaev Debates were held within the framework of the XX International School, timed to the birthday of Roland Timerbaev, an outstanding Soviet and Russian diplomat, one of the founders of the modern architecture of nuclear nonproliferation. Traditional lectures and seminars were accompanied by numerous interactive formats. For example, within the framework of a foresight session moderated by Dmitry Polikanov, a member of PIR Center Executive Board, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, the participants, divided into 4 teams, proposed their vision of global security in 2030. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also met with the XX International School participants and engaged in discussions about the current state of international relations. In general, as part of the educational process, the participants of the 2020 International School were able to discuss a wide range of issues in the field of global security, ranging from nonproliferation and arms control to the present and future of Eurasian security, problems of new technologies, digital transformation, information security and norms of behavior in cyberspace, as well as the main trends in the field of modern armed conflicts. In 2020 PIR Center International School on Global Security made a significant contribution to the promotion of young talents and the realization of their scientific capacity, as well as the formation of a community of young international specialists within the CIS.

The participants recall the XX International School with warm and grateful comments. “I would like to express my deep gratitude for the highly professional organization of the School, which deserves high marks. The number and variety of lectures, seminars, round tables, debates, as well as group work on a joint project let me broaden my professional horizons, deepen my knowledge of nuclear nonproliferation, digital transformation, as well as establish contacts with participants and experts of the School,” PhD in Education, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics of the Institute of International Relations, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI Elena Tsyvkunova notes.

“PIR Center International School allows you to acquire useful knowledge and skills tantamount to a whole university semester in a short time and a concentrated form, encourage you to do research independently, push boundaries. This is due to the highest level of experts, the selection of participants – all of them are highly motivated, and a friendly atmosphere with elements of useful competition,” participant, one of the winners of the XX International School on Global Security Victoria Silaeva comments.

“Among the speakers are renowned experts in a particular area of international security from different high-level organizations such as PIR Center, IMEMO RAS, State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, and the Kommersant Publishing House. Besides, the participants of the School have the opportunity to communicate in an informal atmosphere and get closer. It was also possible to “catch” any expert “on the sidelines”,” candidate of Historical sciences, lecturer at the Department of Political Science, History and Regional Studies, Irkutsk State University Sergey Sebekin states. “It is a very interesting and useful event both for expanding knowledge on international security and for sharing experience with colleagues. The School itself was held at a high level. The organizers did their best,” PhD (Politics), Senior Research Fellow, Institute for the U.S. and Canadian Studies, RAS Oleg Krivolapov shares his impressions.

“PIR Center International School on Global Security is not only a traditional platform for an expert meeting but also a platform for high-quality, multifaceted, and in-depth analysis of the most important global issues. PIR Center’s approach to organizing the work of the School, including the invitation of unique professionals, the very configuration of the School, the participation of young experts from several countries, make the gained experience unique and irreplaceable,” Corporate Secretary, Head of the Information and Analytical Work Sector at the Foreign Policy Research Institute under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Osman Dosov notes.

“PIR Center International School helped me understand how I can apply my skills and knowledge gained at MGIMO. It has opened new paths to the world of significant and major topics, prepared me for future studies, it gave a powerful impetus to my research activities. On the sidelines of the School, I met many experts, among whom I managed to find a supervisor for my undergraduate thesis at the university, namely Ivan A. Safranchuk, associate professor at MGIMO, member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy (SVOP), member of PIR Center Alumni Community (in 1997-2001 Ivan A. Safranchuk was a research associate at PIR Center, then PIR Center “Nuclear Arms Control” project director – editor’s note). The School inspired me to stay in touch with PIR Center, now I am participating in the PIR Center internship program,” 4th-year MGIMO student Darya Kheyrie, one of the winners of the XX International School on Global Security.

“PIR Center International School on Global Security has become one of the brightest intellectual events of the year. In 2020 excellent experts, the smartest young participants and guests conducted a fascinating educational program on nuclear nonproliferation, new technologies, and world politics. Such a platform is unique and represents a full-fledged advanced training program for diplomats, military staff, and academicians involved in international relations,” Assistant of the Department of Modern History and World Politics at Tyumen State University Vladimir Nezhdanov.

Until June 20, 2021, PIR Center project XX International School on Global Security («МеждународнаяШколамолодыхлидеровстранСНГ «Глобальныевызовыбезопасностииукреплениесотрудничестванаевразийскомпространстве»), as the winner of the Presidential Grants Foundation previous contest, will participate in the assessment of the results of 2020 projects implementation. The experts of the Foundation, representatives of federal and regional executive authorities, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, regional civic chambers, as well as all interested citizens who want to support the best project are involved in assessing the projects. To assess the PIR Center International School on Global Security, you need to go through a simple registration procedure on the website https://www.sozidateli.ru, then follow the link https://оценка.гранты.рф and log in via «ВойтичерезСозидатели».

Afterwards you are required tofind the project in the general list by its name or number 19-2-004187 and put your rating. On the page of this project, you can also find more information and photographs of the XX International School on Global Security. The history, goals and accomplishments of the International School of PIR Center can be found via link https://pircenter.org/projects/34-international-summer-school-on-global-security.

For more information on PIR Center Education & Training program please contact us via e-mail edu@pircenter.org.