News & Events - RJOAS: Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences

Faculty of Administrative Science (FIA) at Universitas Brawijaya (UB) once again held its annual international event, the 3rd International Conference on Public Administration and Governance (ICOPAG) 2024, on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. With the theme "Synergies between Public Administration, Library Science, Education, Social Sciences, and Life Sciences," the conference invited academics and practitioners to deepen insights into challenges and solutions in public administration.

In a broader collaborative effort, ICOPAG 2024 partnered with academic institutions from two Southeast Asian universities: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Visayas State University in the Philippines. The event was attended by delegates from various countries, including Argentina, Brazil, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and others, reflecting high enthusiasm for discussions on critical issues in public administration.

In his opening remarks, Aulia Luqman Aziz, S.S., S.Pd., M.Pd., the Chair of ICOPAG 2024, expressed appreciation for the attendance of academics and participants, including non-presenters from different countries.

"We received a total of 90 papers presented by academics from eight countries, with publications to be featured in international journals," Aulia Luqman Aziz stated. He also thanked Dr. Freda Hidayati and Dr. Ahmed Amiruddin for their significant contributions to the success of previous ICOPAG editions.

Meanwhile, Prof. Drs. Andy Fefta Wijaya, MDA., Ph.D., Dean of FIA UB, highlighted the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in addressing various global challenges in his remarks.

"In this increasingly interconnected era, the role of public administration is becoming more complex. As administrators, policymakers, and academics, we must adapt to global issues such as environmental sustainability and technological transformation," Prof. Andy Fefta Wijaya said.

He emphasized that solutions must consider local contexts and leverage local knowledge to maximize benefits for both local and global communities.

ICOPAG 2024 focused on various strategic issues relevant to current conditions, ranging from public administration and policy, library and information sciences, educational management, business and finance, to public health and gender studies.

Discussion sessions and paper presentations covered topics such as innovations in public policy, the role of technology in information management, educational management strategies, approaches to poverty alleviation, and sustainable economic development.

As keynote speakers, ICOPAG 2024 hosted experts from several countries, including Professor Aslam Fataar from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, Professor Yuzuru Shimada from Nagoya University in Japan, and Dr. Corrienna Abdul Talib from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Each speaker brought unique perspectives from various fields to enrich participants' insights into increasingly complex challenges in public administration.

Prof. Andy Fefta Wijaya hoped that the conference would serve as a platform for participants to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and find practical and innovative solutions.

"I am confident that the discussions and findings presented here will contribute not only to our individual academic fields but also to more holistic governance approaches that benefit society as a whole," he added.

With a range of engaging topics discussed, ICOPAG 2024 provided a space for participants to collaborate in efforts to realize adaptive and inclusive governance. FIA UB is committed to continuously developing this conference as an annual event that advances knowledge and public governance practices, while strengthening academic ties between nations.

On October 17, 2024, in Yerevan (Republic of Armenia), the Rosatom State Corporation held a seminar dedicated to the technological capabilities of Rosatom in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Armenia and the involvement of local suppliers in the project.

The seminar discussed the socio-economic effects of constructing a nuclear power plant using Russian technology; Rosatom's technological solutions; integrating a nuclear power plant into the energy system of Armenia; and scenarios for the participation of local suppliers in potential projects.

Special attention was paid to the issue of attracting local industry. Using the examples of India and China, Rosatom explained that local suppliers can be involved in all stages of the plant's construction - surveys and design, construction and installation work, supply of equipment and materials, provision of transport and logistics, commissioning, which in turn will have a positive impact on economic development.

Currently, the prospects of construction and operation of small modular reactors in cooperation with American companies, considered by the Government of Armenia, look attractive in terms of financial costs compared to the commissioning of classic nuclear power units. At the same time, the bright prospects of small modular reactors are overshadowed by the study of scientists from Stanford University and the University of British Columbia. They studied the reactors of NuScale Power, Toshiba and Terrestrial Energy, and came to the conclusion that small modular reactors for generating comparable volumes of energy will produce 5 times more spent nuclear fuel, 30 times more long-lived highly radioactive waste and 35 times more waste with low and medium levels of radioactivity. In addition, the waste from small reactors will be chemically more active, and this promises serious problems with disposal.

Another disadvantage is the cost of a kilowatt-hour generated by a compact reactor. In the same Toshiba 4S project, the cost of electricity from a 10 MW reactor (the experiment was conducted in Galena, Alaska) was around 56 cents per kWh, which is significantly more expensive than even electricity from diesel generators. According to M.V. Ramana, the Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security and Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada): - "This was a death foretold; the red flags have been obvious for years now. Although there were problems specific to that project, the financial challenges and cost trends witnessed in this case will afflict any small modular nuclear reactor project. In a rational world, no utility or government would invest another dime on these theoretical reactor concepts."

A landmark event took place in one of the Muslim republics of Russia - the international scientific and practical conference "Traditional Islamic Medicine through the Prism of Innovations: Towards Cultural and Spiritual Unity of the BRICS Countries". The event was attended by authoritative scientists and businessmen from the countries of the Islamic world that are part of the integration association.

One of them is the founder of the company "Suwaidi Pearls" Abdulla Rashed Al Suwaidi (the cover face of the magazine "Forbes. Middle East" in September 2013). During conference speech he highly appreciated the role of Russia in creating conditions for the implementation of humanitarian initiatives, its focus on strengthening and developing international relations, as well as joint scientific research with the Islamic countries - members of BRICS. He noted the prospects for further equal and mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of this association.

On the eve of the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan and the transition of the BRICS presidency to Brazil next year, leading Brazilian political scientist and President of the BRICS Business Council Vicente Barrientos will act as an ambassador for a major humanitarian project, the BRICS Art Games.

This project will become an important international event in 2025, will unite various areas of youth scientific potential, and will promote the further development of independent cooperation and mutual enrichment of the cultures of the BRICS member countries.

Despite the background of new challenges and crisis situations, the global scientific community continues to demonstrate resilience and an unyielding desire to make life better for humanity. In these uncertain times only a sober assessment of the intellectuals of their time allows peoples and nations not to plunge into the abyss of strife and chaos of war.

At the end of April 2024 a regular meeting Humboldt-Kolleg NANO-2024: «Quo Vadis – Ethics of the Scientific Research» was held. More than 100 scientists from 11 countries attended the forum. Steffen Mehlich, the director of the department of Alexander von Humbolt’s fund promotion abroad, opened this event.

Wilfred van der Wiel, a world-famous scientist, the professor of The Institute for Nanotechnology MESA+ of the University of Twente (Netherlands), spoke as an invited guest.

Participants noted that along with the colossal positive impact of science on society there is also a negative side of this phenomenon, namely the danger of using scientific results for inhumane purposes by short-sighted but ambitious politicians and criminal structures.

Realizing the moral responsibility of the scientific community to all humanity for the possible use of the results of their scientific activities for inhumane purposes, the members of Humboldt-Kolleg advocated the formation of unified approaches in the process of monitoring the use of breakthrough technologies, in particular:

uncontrolled gene-modifying experiments in closed biological laboratories capable of creating new viruses;
chaotic development of artificial intelligence systems;
unconscious large-scale use of nanomaterials that can cause severe pathologies.

The participants called for the elimination of emerging discrimination based on nationality against international scientific teams and research groups. It was stated that only by expanding the boundaries and creating conditions for participation in scientific activities for all scientists interested in the prosperity of mankind truly great results may be achieved.

This week the one of the largest international events – World Youth Festival 2024 – concluded in Sochi. WYF 2024 brought together over 20,000 delegates from 190 countries.

The Russian Society, Znanie, organized a panel discussion which was held on March 5, 2024. The topic of discussion was "Science-Education-Cooperation: International Dialogue". Experts from the Thailand, Brazil, Turkey and Russia took part in the discussion of topical issues. They shared information about opportunities available for younger generations and prospects for equal international interaction in the scientific and educational spheres.

One of the speakers – Professor Vicente Barrientos – Head of the Ibero-American Institute (IAI), Latin-American expert and President of the Coordinating Council of the joint BRICS Business Cooperation Center. He expressed support to the potential of educational systems of the BRICS countries and the extended opportunities for international interuniversity interactions that are opening up: "I was born and raised in Brazilian multilingual environment, there I went to school with two languages, finished it with four, and graduated university with six. I think there is nothing complicated about it, just love for the subject of study and the desire to learn something new. Since then I have spent 30 years in the education system, because it was interesting to communicate with students whose eyes were burning with the desire to learn something new."

He also expressed the initiative to create a periodical of the BRICS countries: "I have an idea to create a regional geography magazine about the member states of BRICS, which will contain describing regions’ features of Russia, their economy, climate, education, science and culture. When a foreigner reads for example about the Ivanovo region, he will better understand what he can get from studying in the country. In this way we will popularize our countries and education in them."

In this regard it is significant that the Russian Federation has become the organizer of the World Festival of Youth, which served as an open platform for dialogue of young people from all over the world.

On March 1-7, 2024, the Russian city of Sochi hosted a large-scale international event – the “World Youth Festival 2024”, which became an open platform for independent dialogue between young scientists from all over the world.

At the closing of the event, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin during his speech focused primary attention on importance of further development of equal interstate cooperation in the educational and scientific spheres.

It is noteworthy that in the context of growing misinformation on the need to «isolate the Moscow» and the non-recognition of the scheduled Russian presidential elections, the event was attended by young researchers, political scientists, journalists and media persons from significant number of countries. Such interest from the international community indicates that Russia remains a center of attraction for scientists and researchers from all over the world, and the recent statements of different politicians are just unlucky attempts to justify geopolitical failures and discredit the legitimacy of the future Russian government on the eve of the election campaign.

Taking into account development plans and ongoing large-scale programs of international cooperation, it is clear that the officials of the Russian Federation are ready to confidently act as a conductor of multipolar and fair international cooperation.

RJOAS: Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences

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