2024 Issue №4

The object of the study is international relations in the context of educational migration. The theoretical basis of the study includes the concepts of “soft power” and “smart power”, internationalisation of education, cultural exchange and scientific diplomacy. Historical aspects, as well as modern trends in higher education and international relations are considered. The state and dynamics of the export of educational services in the context of “soft power” in Russian foreign policy are determined. The author emphasizes the importance of education export as a way to influence political elites and societies, and also comes to the conclusion about the importance of improving the quality of education as an export product of Russia in order to increase its value at the international level, and accordingly, improve the image of Russia as a friendly state.

The article examines the dynamics of the development of relations between the countries of the Baltic region, the influence of NATO and the United States on them in the conditions of the emerging polycentric world order. The main risks and threats to Russian regional security at the present time are identified, and measures to localize and neutralize them are proposed. The development of the international situation in the Baltic Sea in the medium term is predicted, and the possible consequences of the military escalation of the alliance in the region for the security of the Kaliningrad Region, a strategically important subject of the Russian Federation, are assessed. Based on the results of this empirical study, it is concluded that NATO member states in the Baltic region have recently changed their approaches to ensuring security in the Baltic. As their military and political positions deteriorated in the Ukrainian crisis, they began to force the expansion of the alliance, strengthen its infrastructure, pursue an active militaristic and provocative policy, and prepare for an armed conflict with Russia, including the possible use of nuclear weapons. This has a negative impact on the entire European security and significantly worsens the situation of the Kaliningrad region, surrounded by hostile countries. In the course of the study, various modern methods of political science were used to identify signs of the most important risks that could cause significant political and economic damage to Russia in the Baltic region. For a qualitative, unbiased scientific analysis of the trends, challenges and threats to Russia’s security taking place in the region, there is a need to improve the indicative system for assessing their level of danger, determining thresholds and directions for the development of the situation in vital systems, which would make it possible to make the most correct management decisions. There are many works devoted to the Baltic theme in Russian science, but in recent years there has been a noticeable decrease in publications, especially fundamental research. The foreign scientific community views this problem tendentiously and one-sidedly, and therefore does not provide objective and verified assessments of the situation. The relevance of the topic is caused by the presence of Russian strategic interests in the Baltic region, the unpredictability and rapid dynamics of the military-political situation here, which requires constant scientific coverage.

The article is devoted to the analysis of strategies for optimising intraregional space in the context of implementing domestic state policy. The study focuses on comparing centralized and decentralized approaches to managing regional development, as well as their impact on the socio-economic situation of the regions. To assess the effectiveness of various management models, the paper uses an institutional research method and comparative analysis. The main findings emphasize the importance of a flexible approach to managing the intraregional space of the state, regardless of the form of political structure, which would take into account the unique conditions of each region, as well as the need for a balance between national integration and regional autonomy to achieve sustainable development of the country. At the same time, the article presents the characteristics of the processes of development and development of new territories in the system of priorities of regional policy of the modern state. The study of theoretical, methodological and applied aspects affecting the processes and mechanisms of development of new territories by the state is certainly relevant. The author of the article presented a classification of development types according to the criterion of the functional purpose of the development of new territories, as well as a typology based on the chronological criterion. Resource, institutional and network approaches to the development of territories are considered.

The article presents the results of using mental mapping in studying the concept of the border between Western and Eastern Europe. Since the collapse of the USSR the border under study has been transforming due to the aspirations of certain post-Soviet countries as well as the expanding scope of the Euro-Atlantic integration. The study is based on the survey of the MGIMO first-year students who drew the border between Eastern and Western Europe on a map and answered questions on travel frequency and Russia’s belonging to Europe. Three waves of the survey have been conducted sofar: in 2022 (before February 22), 2023 and 2024. This group of the respondents is of special interest, because they may form the core of Russia’s diplomacy in future. According to the survey, the “main” border of Western and Eastern Europe lies along the following route: the border between Russia and Finland — the Finnish Gulf — the Baltic Sea — the border between Poland and Germany — the border between the Check Republic and Germany — the border between the Check Republic and Austria — the border between Austria and Slovakia — the border between Austria and Hungary. This pattern overall remained the same over the whole period, however, in 2023 and 2024 the border became clearer, for instance, Croatia was more rarely identified as an Eastern European state, and the Baltics were more rarely attached to Western Europe. More frequent travelers were inclined to provide a more detailed and less stereotype pattern of the border. The study revealed unexpected gender differences in answers: women were more likely to push the border of the Eastern Europe closer to Russia.