On April 22, 2016 the eurasian integration issues were discussed by scientists from Russia, France, Romania and Belgium at the Round table «Eurasian integration in new geopolitical conditions» in Saint Petersburg State University.
The dean of the School of International Relations of SPBU, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor Irina Novikova welcomed the audience. She said: «It was a little over a year ago when the Treaty establishing the Eurasian Economic Union came into force. We are at the beginning of a difficult way! This union must be a real link between the East and the West. So it is necessary to take into account all the mistakes we made establishing other integration associations in the post-Soviet space. However, the university community should be concerned about humanitarian, cultural and educational components of integration. The universities could play one of the most important roles in EAEU integration».
The Consul General of France in St. Petersburg Thibault Furrier mentioned in his opening speech such topics as migration and experience of the European Union. These topics «are at the forefront of political thought» and «are the headlines of the media» in EU and in the post-Soviet space. However, there are serious differences, «EAEU countries are very different in economic and political sense». Therefore, it is necessary to develop and implement joint projects for migration problem solution.
The head of SPBU Department of World Policy, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor Vatanyar Yagya welcomed participants on behalf of the Chairman of Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly V. S. Makarov. Professor V. Yagya addressed the origins of Eurasianism and the philosophical foundations of integration processes in the post-Soviet space.
The Round table discussion was focused on comparison of EAEU and EU experience. The speakers S. L. Tkachenko, N.G. Zaslavskya, I. V. Ivannikov, Sh. Weinblum and I .V. Chernov paid attention to borrowing of EU experience and taking into account all the problems that Europe faces today.
The interesting reports were presented by guests of the University: professor I. F. Kefeli (Baltic State Technical University), E. M. Kuzmina (Institute of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow), E. V. Koldunova and A. V. Abramova (MGIMO), P. V. Shlykov (Moscow State University), I. Y. Kravchenko (Historical Archives Institute of Russian State University for the Humanities), E. G. Bessonov and M. V. Miguleva (Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University) and R. Boyarkov (Higher School of Economics).
Not only specialists in the field of international relations, but also sociologists were interested in the eurasian integration in the new geopolitical conditions. A PhD in Sociology A. Tavrovskiy presented the report «The Russian policy of integration and rights of migrants». A lecturer of SPBU Graduate School of Management Olga L. Garanina told about Russian-Chinese relations in the oil and gas sector in the conditions of Western sectoral sanctions.
The topics of «The Russian World», integration between civil societies (presented by Maria Lagutina and Elena Stetsko, respectively), the Arctic issues (Nadezhda Harlampieva), multiculturalism and many other ones were discussed in different sections of the Round table.
The participation of Saint Petersburg State University in the integration of EAEU through educational services was noticed during the discussion. «Our University is actively working in the post-Soviet space attracting foreign enrollees», - said Associate Professor of SPBU Department of World Politics Tamara Nemchinova.