Content

Program duration: 1 semester

Participants: International and Russian students

Teachers: Professors from St. Petersburg State University;visiting Professors from European partner Universities;

Training methods: lectures, case studiesand group discussions

Program Scheme: Compulsory courses + Elective courses

Course description Faced with the disappearance of the Soviet Union thetask of understanding and explaining Russian Foreign policies, scholars can pursue one of two broad options. The first option – and focus of most discussion and publication since December 1991 is description anddocumentation of Russian policy. The second option is explicitly theoretical. This approach is less focused upon the policy itself and more intent on the dynamic processes of policy formation, evolution and change. This course offers a combination of these two options. To do so, we begin with investigation of the sources of the Russian conduct (theories, frameworks and approaches) and analyze the foreign policy institutions and priorities of Russia. We will examine several theoretical models that focus on the impact of different factors on Russian Foreign Policy: type of government,ideology, leadership politics, bureaucratic and interest group politics, the European security system, Russia’s historic borderlands and “empire”, and international economic system. The second part of the course isaimed at close examination of regional aspects of Russian Foreign Policy with particular attention to relation with the West, newly independent states of the former Soviet Union, and the Far East.

 2. Russia in Global Economy The course aims at showing the transition and current priorities in relations of Russia with main trading partners and international institutions.

Course description Modern Russian economy dramatically differs from the Soviet one. Novelty of the situation in many cases results from developments in scope & scale of inward and outward international economic co-operation. “New Russia” provides foreign economic agents (international economic organisations, national governments, private companies) with new challenges, new threats and opportunities. The course reveals the process of Russia’s external economic activity’s transformation, its current priorities and relations with main partners andinternational institutions.
 

Elective courses  

1.      Innovations and high-tech in Russia 

Prof. Sergey Valdaytsev

 Modernization and innovations are the key words in Russian business life not only the Russian government promotes them. To modernize and to develop and introduce technological innovation is the practical induced task for private owners of Russian companies in many sectors of the economy – especially in high-tech. Because the opposite option will be to sell their businesses, while they as yet cost anything. In other words, before the relevant companies lose the Russian market under the pressure of foreign imports (with import duties decreasing after Russia joins the WTO) and foreign direct investments in Russian economy. Especially dangerous is the latter, since after Russian companies find themselves  under control of their foreign competitors (or foreign firms construct new facilities in Russia), new technologies come from abroad. Together with the opportunity  to use the Russian national comparative advantages (first of all cheap energy and energetic goods) this will, as a matter of fact, make those, who do not innovate and modernize, worthless.  

2.      Energy Security and Russian Politics  

Prof. Nikita Lomagin 

Energy constitutes a major lifeline in all societies and one of the most crucial sources of maintaining and developing global life. At the same time, “the energy business” is a very complex topic. In order to understand it, one must deal with a myriad of different issues connected to this topic.The class focuses on trade policy and energy security understood in the context of global and Eurasian political economy and international relations. The course offers different perceptions of energy security in importing and exporting nations, and aims at contemporary development in providing energy security on global, regional and national levels. Special attention will be given to EU-Russia energy dialogue as well as to energy policy of the former Soviet states. Students will analyze the current developments in the energy sector from political, economic, legal, and environmental  angles. 

3.      Financial Markets in Russia 

Prof. Ivan Darushin

 The course deals with the main questions of Russian financial system functioning. There are  two main ways of capital flow: through the securities market and through the banking sector.The course has two parts. Firstly, the features of Russian securities and derivatives markets will be seen. You will learn the history of their foundation and development, present state and some specifics connected to the markets regulation and stock exchanges. The second part of the course will be concerned with the questions of Russian banking system present state and development. You will study the main aspects of banking regulation and main types of national banks services. At the end we will see prospective of financial market development and some modern tendencies such as assets securitization etc.