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4th ‘Russia and Iberoamerica in a Global World: History and Modernity’ International Forum Concludes in St. Petersburg

4 October 2019
В Санкт-Петербурге завершился Четвертый международный форум «Россия и Ибероамерика в глобализирующемся мире: история и современность»

The 4th ‘Russia and Iberoamerica in a Global World: History and Modernity’ International Forum was held at Saint Petersburg State University on 13 October. Over the course of three days, prominent scientists, politicians, and journalists from Iberoamerican countries and the Russian Federation held discussions concerning socio-political and economic topics, Latin America’s place in the world as well as relations with Russia. The Forum was attended by about 700 members of the expert community from 35 countries.

Forum events included major conferences, thematic roundtables, presentations of scientific publications, public lectures, and art exhibitions. Members of the Forum Organizing Committee also presented awards to the winners of the Iberoamerica Young Researchers Competition.

The distinguished speakers and moderators included: María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Chairwoman of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly (2018–2019); Dr. Manuel Antonio Garreton from the University of Chile; Victor Jeifets, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Director of the Centre for Iberoamerican Studies at Saint Petersburg State University; Andres Serbin, Director of the Regional Coordinator of Economic and Social Research (Argentina); Lazar Jeifets, Professor at the Department of American Studies at Saint Petersburg State University, Doctor of History, and Chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee; Vladimir Davydov, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Academic Supervisor of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and President of the Russian Association of Researchers of the Iberoamerican World; Beatriz de Jesús Sánchez Muñoz, Head of the Broad Front coalition and a former presidential candidate in Chile; Isidro Morales Moreno, Editor-in-Chief of Latin American Policy; Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Economics and Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh; Lyudmila Okuneva, Chair of the Department of History and Politics of European and American Countries at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO); Ignacio Ramonet, Founder of the Spanish version of the newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique en español and author of biographies on Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez; Dr. Ricardo Ffrench-Davis, Professor at the University of Chile and a specialist on the study of economic reforms; Dr. Karina Batthyány, Head of the Latin American Council for Social Sciences; Daniela Kravets Miranda, UN Special Rapporteur and former fellow at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; Dr. Manuel Alcantara Saez, Professor at the University of Salamanca, and many others.

«The Russian—Iberoamerican Forum has turned into the most representative platform in Russia and Eastern Europe, bringing together participants from 35 countries ranging from America and Europe to Africa and Asia. The events not only brought together Russian and foreign experts, but also served as a model for cooperation and collaboration among leading international associations in this field — the Latin American Studies Association (LASA), the European Council for Social Research on Latin America (CEISAL), and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO). It’s not only important that issues concerning Russian-Latin American relations are being discussed, but also that there are debates about the prospects for the economic and political development of Latin America, and leading scientists from a number of countries are already accustomed to doing this in St. Petersburg», said Victor Jeifets, Director of the Centre for Iberoamerican Studies at Saint Petersburg State University and Chairman of the Forum’s Programme Committee.

«The Forum is devoted to Russian-Latin American cooperation and is a promising platform for building relationships in the era of a multipolar world. Our foreign colleagues have shown great interest in the event and a readiness to discuss new areas of focus in the development of Latin America in the context of globalization. The number of participants presenting at the Forum has been increasing each year. The event is held at a high level and attracts numerous scientists and politicians», Roscongress Foundation CEO and Chairman of the Board Alexander Stuglev said.

Sergey Brilyov, President of the Bering-Bellingshausen Institute for the Americas and an expert at the Roscongress Foundation, said: «The Forum is a first-class, global-scale platform that has become prestigious for anyone who studies Latin America to attend».

The Forum participants discussed issues of an economic, political, historical, social, and cultural nature. They also touched upon foreign policy issues and addressed problems related to education in Latin America.