Vol. 22 No. 1 (2020)

The article is devoted to the Gaidar Forum, which was held on January 15 and 16, 2020 at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. The author identified three key topics that were actively discussed at the Forum - the attitude of the authorities to history; economic development in modern conditions; improvement of public administration. It is noted that the modern interest in history is not accidental, today, when a variety of crisis phenomena are observed, the governing bodies are looking in the past for that experience that can help comprehend the present. During the Gaidar forum, several expert discussions were devoted to this topic, and the well-known foreign historians, who had books published, also in Russian, spoke. The economic problems of the country and the world were also studied in the course of discussions at the Forum from various sides - there were discussions on the financial sector, the development of small and medium-sized businesses, and the focus was on the problems of managing in compliance with the requirements of environmental protection. Finally, discussions related to management, public service, and personnel policy were of great interest at the Forum. These events were attended by top officials of federal ministries and departments, governors. Discussions showed that public service structures are looking for new, more effective methods of working with personnel, and personnel policy of departments has become more open. However, the system remains not perfect. There are still many problems that need to be solved. The author concludes that the Gaidar Forum once again showed the interdependence and complexity of governance structures, their resistance to ongoing changes.

The Gaidar Forum, which has become a traditional expert venue of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, which identifies the main development trends of the coming year and identifies priority tasks, underwent some changes in the program this year due to the fact that the Message from President V.V. Putin's Federal Assembly took place on the day of the opening of the forum. The expert discussions received a new impetus, and the politicians, scientists, businessmen who took part in the discussion of the previously announced topics corrected their speeches, focusing on the issues that were presented.

The article was based on the author’s presentation on the topic “Greater Europe: in the making?”, which took place at the Gaidar Forum 2020. Participants in the discussion moderated by Giles Merritt, founder and chairman of Friends of Europe, and Igor Yurgens, board member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, exchanged views on tools and mechanisms to overcome differences on the implementation of the Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok project and beyond progress on agreed issues. The author’s view on the fundamental issues of the modern international agenda represents the official position of the Russian side on cooperation on the European continent and contains a systematic assessment of the current stage of relations between Russia and the European Union.

The article emphasizes that modern governments, working in unique socio-economic, historical and cultural conditions, must take into account global trends, as well as the growth of citizens’ expectations associated with the rapid development of information technologies and other factors. In such circumstances, special attention is paid to the effectiveness of public administration. The article discusses some of the significant factors impacting the effectiveness of public administration, such as the professionalization of the state apparatus, the legibility of the institutional framework, the optimization of information flows and corporate culture. In accordance with this, on the basis of work experience in the public administration system and analysis of civil service reforms in the countries of the region, the main challenges and possible solutions are shown. In the professionalization of the state apparatus, the importance of the merit principles in the selection and promotion stages of personnel through the empowerment of human resource (HR) management services, the integrity of tools and approaches at all stages of selection process, and the responsibility of the selection board are noted. The author focuses on the need to ensure a balance of powers, responsibility and resources, delimitation of powers between political and administrative civil servants, optimization of information flows. Particular importance is paid to corporate culture, which is one of the main factors affecting the efficiency of the state apparatus. It is noted that central values of corporate culture and leadership in state bodies of the countries of our region, along with generally accepted in the modern leadership theory, should be respect for the dignity, work and time of employees.

The article is devoted to revealing the specifics of the implementation of such areas of constitutional law as the constitutionalization of international law and the internationalization of constitutional law by the example of additions to Article 79 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as the practices of the Italian Constitutional Court, the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, etc. The author examined in sufficient detail the procedures for extending the effect of international law and international treaties of Russia to the national legal system, analyzed the concept of counter-limits in European and national judicial practice, presented the basic principles of interaction between European and national courts (the principle of subsidiarity, the principle of proportionality, the principle of ‘sincere cooperation’, method of ‘dialogue of judges’). There is a need for an updated understanding of the term ‘constitutional sovereignty of the state’, which is based on domestic norms on fundamental rights and norms on the foundations of the constitutional system, which presupposes the inadmissibility of any foreign or international influence that violates the requirement of priority of the norms and principles of the national Constitution in the national legal system. The article substantiates the expediency of using the doctrine of counter-limits in the Russian Federation as an instrument of constitutional self-defense, ensuring constitutional sovereignty and preserving constitutional identity.

The article gives a summary of the discussion ‘Dialogue of Civil Dialogues' held within the framework of the Gaidar Forum 2020 at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. The topic of the event was issues of interstate dialogue forums of civil societies and international interuniversity cooperation with the participation of the RANEPA, problems and prospects of interaction between civil societies of European countries. The work of four forums-dialogues of civil societies between Russia and Austria, Germany, Italy, and France is briefly described. Heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of embassies and universities of Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, and France spoke in the discussion organized by the IPACS of the RANEPA. In the first part, representatives of the embassies of the participating countries and heads of permanent forums-dialogues summed up the results of 2019 and discussed the urgent tasks of the forums. In the second part, representatives of European universities - partners of the RANEPA for international educational programs spoke. Guests of the Forum were presented with the book ‘Russia - Austria: Milestones in Joint History' - a collection of articles written based on the results of a joint scientific and educational project of the Russian-Austrian Commission of Historians, the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for the Study of the Consequences of Wars. Also on the sidelines of the Gaidar Forum, a meeting of representatives of the Russian-French University, created in 2016, was held.

Globalization is the greatest factor in international development. It should be noted that globalization brings enormous opportunities, but also great risks. Often one goes with the other. However, expanding international cooperation and leveraging successful partner experiences can lead to unprecedented prosperity in the world. At the same time, the risk is increasing that, as a result of globalization, this prosperity will be distributed more and more unevenly and that a growing proportion of the world’s population will be disadvantaged. The same goes for increasing wealth when it is bought at the cost of shifting the main burden on future generations. So we need a shared, responsible globalization that includes all people. Such a thing can be successful only if cooperation between states is strengthened and responsibility is shared. The author analyzes the ambitious agenda proposed by the President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, which highlights such tasks as concluding a European "green" deal; developing an economy that works for people; creating a Europe that is equipped for the digital age; protecting what makes Europe Europe; strengthening Europe in the world; giving a new impetus to democracy in Europe. It is emphasized that the Commission wants to play a responsible leadership role throughout the world. The EU has the courage to put forward new initiatives for a strong, open and fair international trade agenda. The EU is still the world's largest exporter of manufactured goods and services, as well as the largest export market for 80 countries.

The article is devoted to problems in relations between the EU and Russia. Multiple methods are considered that are aimed at solving the problem of multilateralism in current conditions. The author selected and studied specific documents on essential aspects that are devoted to this topic. Studying the arising problems requires careful consideration since, in the modern world, cooperation between global actors such as the EU and Russia cannot be ignored. Despite all the challenges faced by the parties in their fields, all difficulties are conquerable, and the article provides specific methods for its solving. The article discusses some aspects and problems that require particular attention from specialists in this field. The author concludes that strong US-EU coalition could seem more coherent with history and with the traditional East-West divide. However, the recent evolution of the US attitude towards international relations weakens the probability of such coalition and its perceived payoffs. A more or less defensive Russia-China coalition has been tried with limited results; moreover, if it were possible and probable, the two western players would change their strategy to prevent it or to contain its depth. In fact, we live in a world where many talks of a serious possibility of G2 governance, a peculiar type of coalition where the US and China keep hostile and nationalistic attitudes but join forces to set the global stage in their favor, pursuing a qualitatively limited but quantitatively rich payoff. In such world, as a counterpart of this payoff, both the divided Europe and the economically much smaller Russia would lose power and suffer several kinds of economic disadvantages. Therefore, Greater Europe would be good for Russia and for the EU as well.

The article is devoted to problems in the field of communication between the states. It investigates the role of language in modern society, its impact on understanding and the image of the country as a whole. The author analyzes the perception of the language by the recipients and adaptation of the acquired skills through the language. Learning and understanding the language is quite important for the best work in the field of trade, culture, and the exchange of experience. The concept of “cultural diplomacy” and its role between the participating countries in the international arena are considered. The author explains the concept of “soft power”, its specific role in the field of close cooperation and the creation of an international network of collaboration. Cultural diplomacy may seem more indefinite than other traditional diplomatic practices related to the economic-commercial or political sector, exists clearly and has also been in practice for years, at least bilaterally. Cultural diplomacy is operated by the European Union, with the promotion of cultural diversity. The underlying logic is to place cultural cooperation at the center of the Union’s diplomatic relations with third partner countries. From a broader perspective, this strategy also contributes to the foreign policy priority of making the EU a stronger global player on the world stage.

The interview is a reflection of the famous Dutch diplomat and politician Renee Jones-Bos, who in 2016-2019 worked as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Russian Federation. The main topic of the article is the need for cooperation between countries in various fields. In particular, the interview talks about interaction in the field of environmental protection, exchange of experience in the development of ‘smart cities’, and the features of the Dutch economy based on a pragmatic approach to development due to the geographical location of the country. In particular, it is noted that the achievements of the Netherlands in the field of environmental conservation are caused not only by the understanding of the importance of this topic in the issue of human survival, but, above all, are determined by the country’s characteristics: a small territory and a population that is quantitatively comparable to the population of a small Russian region. The importance of academic and university projects and exchanges as part of people-to-people diplomacy is emphasized; the role of the undergraduate educational program in the field of Ecosystem Management ‘Eco-Management’, implemented by the Faculty of Foreign Regional Studies and Regional Administration of the IPACS of the RANEPA since 2019, is disclosed.

The article raises topical issues related to the university of the future, which will be based on university consortia and alliances actively created around the world. This trend will ultimately provide an opportunity to build a platform for a single educational space, which will contribute to the development of civil dialogue between societies of different countries. A project related to the expansion of bilateral Russian-Spanish cooperation in the field of education was examined, opening up new prospects for academic development for universities in both countries: the Alliance of Russian and Spanish Universities. The author emphasizes the need to achieve higher levels of implementation of the processes of internationalization of modern higher education, revision of the criteria for the development of educational systems, the combination of which will offer future generations improved learning formats that meet the needs of young generations of today. It is noted that the formation of professional skills and personal qualities in the learning process at the higher education level poses the task of training international experts who are able to conduct a constructive dialogue based on the acceptance of differences and the ability to find interaction points for cooperation on mutually beneficial parity principles. The ability to think and make effective decisions, promote national interests in the international arena, understand the mentalities of the peoples of other countries are the distinctive qualities of professionals - graduates of the university of the future. The desire for unification, and not for separation, is one of the principles of existence that will allow humanity to successfully develop for the good and in the name of the bright principles of tomorrow.

The article reveals the approaches of the Russian Treasury to solving the problem of operational management of risks arising during the budget cycle, the most important parameters that affect the efficiency of the financial and budgetary system, by introducing information technologies in the activities of Control and Supervisory bodies. We are talking about increasing the degree of automation of control processes and increasing the level of openness of the government in the implementation of national projects, including those related to the creation of capital construction projects. The topic of functioning of the state integrated information system for public finance management ‘Electronic budget', through which citizens can track the results of the state's activities on federal and regional projects, is discussed in detail. As an effective tool for tracking control points of national (federal, regional) projects, it is proposed to introduce a unique identifier for the project result. It is important to create risk profiles for each individual project, for which the Russian Treasury, together with Rosfinmonitoring, has developed a mechanism for information interaction that allows identifying unscrupulous performers of state contracts. We are talking about the need for a risk-based approach to control, in which control and supervisory authorities can remotely analyze the object of control and coordinate their control and supervisory activities with other authorized bodies. An important condition for the sustainable development of the state is the solution of the problem of monitoring the achievement of national goals with minimal costs, without excessive pressure on the controlled environment.

The effective implementation of national projects and the achievement of national goals requires both the coherence and synchronization of actions of government bodies and organizations at all levels, as well as ensuring close monitoring of the efficient use of budget funds. In this case, the main emphasis should be placed on risk assessment and preliminary control, i.e. prophylaxis and prevention of possible violations. The article discusses the issues of increasing the effectiveness of financial control while achieving the national development goals of the Russian Federation through the use of modern methods and tools of control, as well as the features of the organization and implementation of this process at the regional level. The author analyzes the conditions created in the city of Moscow for the effective implementation of control and supervision activities. The high importance of digitalization and automation of control processes is noted to ensure constant and comprehensive monitoring of budget expenditures. It is concluded that the main task of control and supervision bodies is to assist the executive in implementing state programs and national goals, and their achievement should become a criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the control and oversight bodies.

The article discusses the issues of control over the expenditure of funds in the implementation of national goals. The author refers to the documents that regulate this area of activity, connects their main provisions with public administration, shows how the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation participates in the audit of budget expenditures and thereby contributes to the sustainable development of the country, the formation of effective public administration systems. In 2019, the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation analyzed the progress of 8 of 13 national projects and identified significant risks that affect the achievement of the planned results. The audit results indicate systemic management weaknesses. Based on the analysis, the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation offered the Government of the Russian Federation to transform the internal financial audit of chief administrators of budget funds into an internal audit of the activities of state bodies. Regarding the main goal-setting of the internal audit, it is proposed to determine the tasks of analyzing the achievement of goals and assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the use of budget funds.

This article was prepared on the basis of a speech at the Gaidar Forum on January 16, 2020. It discusses the implementation of the Comprehensive plan for the modernization and expansion of the main infrastructure (CPMI). It has become a national project, distributed throughout the country, its results should be felt by the whole society. The author evaluates the successfully implemented projects for the development of the Central transport hub - the creation of the Moscow Central Ring and the Moscow Central Diameters. It is also about the revival of the Northern Sea Route, the development of the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway. These tasks were set in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 7, 2018 № 204 «On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2024». The infrastructure upgrade will also affect long-distance passenger traffic, rolling stock. The author considers the conclusion of a contract with the Tver Carriage Works as an example of the modernization that has begun, notes that it provides for the renewal of the Tver Carriage Works itself. The author pays special attention to monitoring the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for the modernization and expansion of the main infrastructure. It is indicated that when spending significant financial resources, it is extremely important to use modern control technologies, including BIM technologies. In addition, it is necessary to conduct work openly so that citizens can see in real time how national projects are being implemented.

The article is a continuation of the expert discussion ‘Legal education and the labor market. Transformation or stagnation in the digital economy’, uniting the leaders of leading Russian and foreign law schools, the scientific, pedagogical community at the Gaidar Forum 2020. The authors consider a wide range of issues related to the characterization of the current state of legal education, its integration into the Bologna system, noting the importance of the application of traditional methods and means of teaching law, taking into account modern realities. Particular attention is paid to the traditions of teaching law laid down by Roman lawyers, the history of the formation and development of domestic jurisprudence, as well as modern discussions on a given topic, in which representatives of the scientific community and practical lawyers take part. The authors draw attention to issues related to the new content of curricula and new ways of regulating legal education. The topic of state accreditation of educational programs in the field of jurisprudence and the role of the Association of Russian Lawyers in this process also seems important. The analysis of the main features of modern law is carried out, necessitating the comprehensive improvement of modern legal education. As a possible measure of the quality of legal education, the introduction of a single exam for entering the profession is proposed.

The article is devoted to the review of current changes in the legislation on notaries related to the development of electronic civil circulation, analysis of existing digital risks and assessment of the role of notaries in combating them. In modern economic realities, a significant expansion of the sphere of competence of the notary is carried out by introducing completely new notarial actions into the scope of the notary's terms of reference. At the same time, the notary does not just follow the general ‘digital’ trend, but independently makes significant efforts to effectively perform the tasks of the social sphere regulator assigned to it by the state. The creation of the Unified Notary Information System as part of the formation of the technological infrastructure to ensure the security and stability of legal relations in the context of electronic civil circulation takes to a new level the quality of notarial services and the security of legally relevant information. The role of notaries significantly increases in conditions when the use of digital technologies in the economy, public administration, social sphere becomes one of the main vectors of world development, and society and the state inevitably face the flip side of this process - digital risks that jeopardize the safety of participants in civil turnover and their property. In 2020, as part of the implementation of the national program ‘Digital Economy’, it is planned to introduce a number of innovations that will create the basis for a stable and secure ‘digital’ turnover.

The review was prepared on the basis of the materials of the expert section ‘Scientometry 2.0: Digital Restart’, which took place as part of the Gaidar Forum 2020. It is devoted to a discussion of the role of applied scientometrics in assessing the effectiveness of scientists, as well as the prospects and possibilities of digitalization of science. The ‘tyranny of indicators’ and the crisis of confidence among the academic community in any formal assessment of their activities is one of the most important trends in the field of scientific administration in recent years. The object of public criticism is applied scientometrics as a tool for this assessment. During the discussion, experts made a number of significant comments regarding the widespread use of applied scientometrics. First, scientometric awareness needs to be formed. Scientometrics can be useful for both researchers and organizations. Scientometric literacy needs to be educated. It is such an approach for the future that can be an important step towards overcoming the systemic crisis in assessing scientific activity. Secondly, the scientometric assessment should be supported by expert assessment. If the first formalizes the assessment process and makes the management system more transparent, the second fills it with meaningful meaning. Thirdly, the digital transformation in the management of scientific activity at the moment is not able to remove the contradiction that has arisen. Moreover, as follows from the expert’s speech, neither the scientific community, nor the scientific management system itself, is yet ready for digital transformation.

The article is devoted to the topical issues of human resources development of public and municipal authorities. The authors traced the main stages of legal regulations at different directions of personnel policy concerning the public and municipal service both at the federal and regional levels. It is noted that the normative expansion of forms of professional development of civil servants is supported by the appearance of additional educational events, such as seminars, trainings, master classes, round tables and conferences, along with traditional forms of professional retraining and professional development.The experience of the Samara region in implementing state and municipal personnel policy in the period from 2018 to 2019 is presented. Examples of implemented project initiatives are given. Standardization, digitalization, and implementation of national projects are the main goals of the Samara region's personnel policy for 2020-2024. The public presentation of Strategy for personnel policy of the Samara region was held at the I Regional personnel practical session ‘Personnel 2.0. Human resources technologies for national projects' in December 2019.

Generally, China is still in the middle accelerating stage of urbanization. Rural idle homesteads are the main problems of rural areas in China, according to two elements (the population and land) can be divided into two types: the first is one household with houses, and the second is the population migration. Through the research questionnaire and interview analysis, the authors know that the traditional land concept is still deeply rooted among farmers. The phenomena of building houses only along the roads and the multi-story ostentation are prominent. The needs of traditional agricultural production have become a major obstacle to the management system of idle homesteads. The root cause for idle homesteads is the inevitable result of social and economic development, but also because the current law lags and inadequate management systems are not regulated properly, that is why it is becoming more and more serious. The authors suggest that the management system of idle homesteads should be divided into three steps based on villager autonomy: the first step is to promote the voluntary withdraw system of idle homesteads, the second step is to issue homesteads use right certificates, the third step is the classification of the ways of idle homesteads use.