Alexander Sokolov

On November 4-6, as part of Inventing the Future International Symposium hosted by the National Centre RUSSIA, the HSE Centre for Language and Brain facilitated a discussion titled 'Evolution of the Brain: How Does the World Change Us?' Researchers from the country's leading universities, along with health professionals and neuroscience popularisers, discussed specific aspects of human brain function.

An intersessional meeting of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development took place on October 21–22, 2024, at the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. ProfessorAlexander Sokolov presented new methods of scientific forecasting in his report titled ‘Science and Technology Foresight: Responding to New Agenda.’

The population of African countries is growing so fast that the continent is likely to play a significant role in global development. However, the socio-economic situation in African States remains dramatic. Access to high-quality education, the development of science and high technologies are crucial in addressing these challenges. Professor Alexander Sokolov, Head of the UNESCO Chair on Future Studies at HSE University, spoke at the International Forum of UNESCO Chairs and Partners ‘Transforming Knowledge for Africa’s Future.’ The event took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In September, the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge hosted an international working meeting with representatives from Brazilian, Egyptian, and Indian think tanks. The participants discussed opportunities for cooperation, including joint surveys, comparative studies, databases, and publications on foresight, technology, and innovation. It was also decided to draft a multilateral agreement to establish the BRICS Foresight Association.

On September 19–20, Skoltech hosted the First International Workshop on Technological Sustainability of BRICS: University-Industry Partnerships, organised jointly with HSE University Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Center. The meeting was held as part of the BRICS working group on technology foresight and science and technology studies.

The 2nd Congress of Young Scientists was held at the Sirius Park of Science and Art in Sochi. HSE University representatives took an active part in it, working at various venues where a wide range of topics were discussed—from university development to machine learning and scientific cinema.

Professor Alexander Sokolov, Head of the Higher School of Economics UNESCO Futures Studies Chair, took part in the International Conference “Transforming knowledge for just and sustainable futures” held to mark the 30th anniversary of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs programme. The event took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, on 3-4 November 2022.

The Twelfth International Academic Conference ‘Foresight and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy’ is kicking off at HSE University on November 22. Alexander Sokolov, chair of the organising committee, talked to the HSE News Service about the evolution of the foresight agenda. Two of the conference speakers, Ibon Zugasti from Spain and Mlungisi Cele from South Africa, shared some highlights of their research.

In 2022, a HSE University department joined the ranks of UNESCO Futures Literacy Chairs. This builds on the work of the ISSEK International Research and Educational Foresight Centre, and the activity of the Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Centre. Professor Alexander Sokolov, head of the new department, Director of the International Research and Educational Foresight Centre, and Deputy Director of HSE ISSEK, spoke about the establishment, aims and objectives of the UNESCO Chair on Future Studies.

The Human Capital Interdisciplinary Research Centre (HCIRC) is a world-class research centre comprising a consortium of HSE University, RANEPA, MGIMO University, and the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). Its work was highly rated by the RAS in 2021. Lilia Ovcharova, HSE University Vice Rector and initiator of the centre’s creation, talked to the HSE News Service about integration in international studies on active ageing, creating a database on development trends in human potential, studying the effects of digitalisation, and the centre’s priority activities for the future.

Volume of R&D funding and number of Scopus-indexed publications of the BRICS countries in total already exceed those of the EU-total and the United States. These metrics have opportunity for further growth if the five developing countries strengthen scientific cooperation with other countries from Global South that have significant growth potential. Researchers from the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge Alexander Sokolov, Sergey Shashnov, and Maxim Kotsemir analysed the opportunities for research collaboration within these clusters of countries along with the obstacles standing in the way of greater cooperation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated our swift adaptation to big challenges and strengthened cooperation ties between researchers, politicians, and entrepreneurs on national and global levels. The accumulated life and goal setting practices in the new reality will be discussed on October 15–26, 2021 by participants of the XI International Academic Conference ‘Foresight and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy’ organised by the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK).

To what extent do the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) benefit from an open economy? What financial, scientific, and educational policy tools will contribute to the implementation of the recently approved ‘Strategic Directions for the Development of Eurasian Economic integration until 2025’? These questions were discussed by participants in a series of expert discussions at the XXII April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development organised by HSE University and Sberbank.

HSE University has signed cooperation agreements with two of the world's leading research centres, NISTEP (Japan) and TIFAC (India), which provide their governments with analytical support to inform science and technology forecasting and science and technology policy.

Elsevier (operated by Scopus) has awarded its prestigious Research Excellence Award since 2005. This year, it celebrates the Year of Science and Technology in Russia. On March 30, Elsevier awarded the winning scholars, which included Maxim Kotsemir, Research Fellow at the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, and Dmitry Vetrov, Professor at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science.

This week, researchers from all over the world have gathered online for the 10^th annual International Academic Conference ‘Foresight and STI Policy’ at HSE University. One of the cross-cutting themes of the anniversary forum, which will be held from November 9 to 13, is lessons learned from the pandemic and the crisis’s effects in future scenarios.

Jonathan Calof has been cooperating with HSE since 2009. In an interview with HSE News Service he talks about how his involvement with HSE began, what projects he has been part of, and how he has organized his online work during the recent lockdown.

The digital era, which has come to stay, is creating demand for ever more competent managers for innovation and R&D. The English-taught master’s programme in Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation offered by HSE University enables its graduates to pursue careers in top IT corporations such as Google and Yandex, research institutions and universities, government agencies and international organizations. It also prepares them to launch successful start-ups.

Alexander Sokolov, the Deputy Director of HSE’s Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, in a large interview with the EU research project S4D4C ('Using Science for / in Diplomacy for addressing global Challenges'), talks about aspects of science diplomacy in the HSE projects and its importance in the development of the HSE itself.

On December 4, a forum on developments in science, technology and innovation (STI) was held in Pretoria, South Africa. There, a 10-year development plan was presented, based on an S&T forecast commissioned by the South African government and developed by the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge.

On 28 June, 2019 a graduation ceremony of the ISSEK Master’s Programme ‘Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation’ took place at the Higher School of Economics.

Alexander Sokolov, Director of the Foresight Centre and Deputy Director of the HSE ISSEK, visited Shanghai (PRC) in early May to take part in the International Pujiang Innovation Forum. The forum is annually hosted by the PRC Ministry of Science and Technology jointly with the Shanghai Municipal Government to discuss and coordinate decisions in the science, technology, and innovation policy area. This year the participants shared their expectations about the period until 2035.

Is big data going to replace conventional statistical observations of the science, technology, and innovation sphere? Participants of workshops hosted by the ISSEK and a number of partner research centres in Austria and Germany in Vienna on 6–7 March agreed that the role of statistics is only going to increase. The experts outlined the potential for cooperation in the scope of S&T research projects and educational programmes.

On January 28, HSE and the Korea-Russia Science and Technology Cooperation Centre (KORUSTEC) jointly hosted a Korean-Russian Open Lecture on Science and Technology Policy at HSE University in Moscow. Founded in 1990 following a Korean-Russian Cooperation Agreement, KORUSTEC was re-opened in 2007 as the Moscow office of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), bringing together six similar centres in various Russian cities (NRF is similar to the USA’s National Science Foundation).

On January 18, several university staff members were awarded HSE medals and notes of acknowledgement from the Rector.

The Organising Committee of the Enlightener 2018 Award has published a long list of 24 books, each of which has a chance to become the best popular science book of the new season. Among other titles, the long list includes 'Atlas of Future Technologies' which presents results of the Global Technology Trends Monitoring study. This ongoing project is being implemented by the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) for more than five years. The award winners will be announced in the early October.

The labour market is changing rapidly and radically. The changes are already apparent and are certain to become even more pronounced in the coming years. Accordingly, the question 'which professions are going to be in demand in 5-10 years’ time' becomes increasingly important: what qualifications should be acquired now to have labour market-relevant knowledge and skills upon graduation? The HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) experts addressed these issues in the scope of the targeted project to identify professions for the future.

On June 4–5, 2018, the main European foresight conference — FTA2018 conference was held in Brussels. Future in the making #foresight4EU. It was organised by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, which has a long history of partnership with the HSE ISSEK Foresight Centre. The staff of the centre Alexander Sokolov, Alexander Chulok, Sergey Shashnov, Ozcan Saritas and Maxim Kotsemir took part in the event.

ISSEK staff members Gulnara Abdrakhmanova, Leonid Gokhberg, and Alexander Sokolov have written a chapter – ‘Indicators of Information and Communication Technology’ – for a 10-volume set of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, edited by Mehdi Khosrow-Pour (Information Resources Management Association, USA). This publication came out in July 2017.

Gulnara Abdrakhmanova, Leonid Gokhberg, and Alexander Sokolov prepared a chapter “Indicators of Information and Communication Technology”  for 10-volume set of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (edited by Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA). Its Fourth Edition will be released in July, 2017 and it is available for pre-order.

On February 8, Russian Science Day, the Higher School of Economics, along with the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) and the Ministry of Education and Science, released its annual statistical data book on the state of science, technology, and innovation. Below, the Director of the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge and HSE First Vice Rector Leonid Gokhberg discusses how research on science in Russia is advancing.

On 13 December, the Higher School of Economics jointly with the Bank of Russia hosted a round table discussion “Financial technologies and the future of the banking sector”. Vadim Kalukhov, director of the RF Central Bank’s Financial Technologies, Projects, and Process Organisation Department, made a presentation on major relevant trends and the Bank of Russia’s key projects.

In their new book, Foresight for Science, Technology and Innovation (Springer, 2016), Ian Miles, Ozcan Saritas and Alexander Sokolov introduce the term ForSTI to describe future-oriented analyses, informed by participative processes (to assess evidence, articulate possibilities, and propose actions), that are designed  to feed into STI decision-making. The future considered is usually a long-term one; the issues examined go beyond the purely technical ones; the stakeholders involved reflect the wide spectrum of experience and knowledge relevant to these issues, and the actors whose mobilisation may be required to effect change. The book was presented during recent conference Foresight and STI conference at HSE.

This summer Alexander Sokolov, director of the HSE ISSEK Foresight Centre, took part in the International Panel of Futurists (IPF) in Morocco. The Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES) invited a pool of experts to suggest long-term scenarios for the country’s development, taking into account emerging global technology and social trends and the quite strong role the traditional way of life plays in this Maghreb country.

Policymakers are increasingly turning to foresight techniques for guidance when addressing the wide array of problems and challenges arising in their work. A new book co-edited by Leonid Gokhberg, Dirk Meissner, and Alexander Sokolov from the HSE ISSEK, attempts to add another dimension — namely, opportunities — that can come from proper application of foresight techniques.

Policymakers are increasingly turning to foresight techniques for guidance when addressing the wide array of problems and challenges arising in their work. A new book co-edited by Leonid Gokhberg, Dirk Meissner, and Alexander Sokolov from the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), attempts to add another dimension – namely, opportunities – that can come from proper application of foresight techniques.  Deploying Foresight for Policy and Strategy Makers: Creating Opportunities Through Public Policies and Corporate Strategies in Science, Technology and Innovation (Springer, 2016) features essays by more than a dozen scholars on various aspects of foresight application in today’s policy environment.

The paper presents an analysis of best practices in STI priority setting in the EU member states (UK, Germany, and Finland) and in the Russian Federation; compares priority systems adopted by various European countries; and identifies prospective subject areas for further development of international cooperation.

On September 24, 2015, a delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (MOST) visited HSE ISSEK. During the visit, Dr. Yi-Bing Lin, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, a world class IT expert, gave an interview to the HSE news portal, in which he shared his view of the future of IT, talked about the potential of partnership between Russia and Taiwan in different areas of science, cited some theses of Karl Marx’s theory and showed pencil drawings of Russian historical figures that he had made himself.

The annual foresight courses which have been running at Manchester University since 1999 are considered some of the most prestigious and important for researchers of the future. In July 2015 two researchers at the Foresight Centre at ISSEK who have been students on the courses themselves have been invited this year to come and teach.

From June 15 to 19, 2015, the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) held a joint summer school with Brazil’s Center for Strategic Studies and Management in Science, Technology and Innovation (CGEE). The aim of the summer school was to explore areas for collaboration  for both countries and institutions in the field of Foresight and STI policy following an earlier memorandum of understanding signed between CGEE and HSE.

On the 30th January 2014 the HSE hosted an international seminar on methods and practices to evaluate the effect of foresight research in Russia and the EU. It was organised by ISSEK, the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge.

The HSE Annual Conference on Foresight and STI Policy: Cooperation, Coordination, and Challenges has come to a close. For two days (October 30-31) at the HSE premises at the foot of the Shukhov Radio Tower, signals were analysed that will sooner or later show up in contemporary socio-economic policy and in future news stories.