VIII-th Scientific conference “Africa in the context of development of a new system of international relations”

On the 07 of February 2018 the VIII Scientific Conference "Africa in the Context of development of a New System of International Relations" on "Russian-African Relations: History and Modernity" (dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Ethiopia) was held at the Faculty of Humanity and Social Sciences. More than 118 researchers participated in the conference: academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences, director and scientists of the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, researchers from the leading universities of Russia, young scientists, students and also foreign scientists and representatives of Government: Grum Abay Teshome Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Russian Federation ; Mr Eloi A. Maxime Dovo, Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar in Russia (Madagascar Embassy in Moscow) and etc.

Over the past nine years, the RUDN University Department of Theory and History of International Relations annually holds a scientific conference "Africa in the context of the development of a new system of international relations". The permanent participants of these conferences are the leading Africanists of the Russian Federation - representatives of academic science from the Institutes of Africa and Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Asian and African Studies of Moscow State University, National Research University "Higher School of Economics", also participants from Armenia, Israel, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Rwanda attend the conference.

For many years of its existence, a scientific conference at RUDN University has become one of the central scientific events in Russia with its already established traditions and customs, dedicated to the problems of Africa.

The work of the sections:

1. Russian-Ethiopian relations: lessons from the past, today, look to the future.
2. Russian-African relations in the 21st century: results and prospects for development.

This year all participants pointed out the relevance and necessity of discussing contemporary problems of international relations and world politics related to the political processes and relations that take place in Africa. Organizers and participants valued the good organization of the scientific event and the high level of prepared reports presented at the conference. They also noted the usefulness and importance of regular meetings for discussing scientific problems and involving representatives of various scientific centers in Russia and abroad, as well as organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudichestvo), the Russian Council on International Affairs, Russian World Foundation and representatives of business. Speakers, discussing the issue of Russian-Ethiopian relations, touched upon such issues as Russian-Ethiopian relations: lessons from the past, today, a look into the future; Trade and economic relations between Russia and Ethiopia: current state and development prospects; Russian-Ethiopian cooperation in the scientific, technical and humanitarian fields.

The second session is devoted to the relations of Russia with the countries of Africa. The following topics were discussed: Russian-African relations in the 21st century: results and development prospects; Soft power in Russia's foreign policy on the African continent; Russian-African trade and economic relations: current state and development opportunities.

Last year the international conference was dedicated to «International conflicts and the problem of genocide in international relations». During the conference, its participants considered the following issues: the problem of genocide in Darfur. USA and modern armed conflicts in Africa, African conflicts and their role in China's foreign policy. The role of The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Nations and the African Union for the Prevention of Genocide in Southern Sudan. Participation of ethnic minorities in armed conflicts in southern Libya (2011-2016). Democratic Republic of the Congo. Children in war. Stereotyped visual symbols as a means of consolidating the public in the fight against genocide. War crimes of the Italy's fascist regime in Ethiopia (1935-1941). Contemporary conflicts in the Middle East, the problem of conflict resolution and prevention of genocide and many others.