Countering Medicines Trafficking in Russia in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Key Problems and Ways to Solve Them

The article examines a number of key problems in the fight against illicit medicines trafficking in Russia in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of a set of organizational and legal measures to increase the effectiveness of such a fight. The author concludes that the scale and severity of the various consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are, to a certain extent, due to imperfect state control over the shadow pharmaceutical sector. In particular, many standard measures of government response to drug trafficking are not effective enough to ensure reliable protection of the population from the negative impact of illegal circulation of counterfeit, substandard, unregistered, counterfeit drugs.The measures proposed by the author are aimed at improving the efficiency of the system for preventing drug trafficking not only in relation to the modern conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also designed to ensure state control over the production and circulation of drugs in any emergency conditions.

Russia's integration into the international market of high technology products

The article deals with digital financial technologies in Russia. The analysis of the level of penetration of financial technologies is carried out and the reasons hindering the development of FINTECH are identified, among which: the unattractiveness of the domestic market for external investors with the simultaneous lack of export opportunities for Russian digital financial services, elements of monopolization, imperfect state regulation, financial illiteracy of the population. The main drivers of the development of the FINTECH market and promising segments for inclusion in the roadmap, which will primarily develop innovative products and services in Russia, have been identified.

Aristotle's Wondering Children

Wonder is undoubtedly a term that floats around in today’s academic discussion both on ancient philosophy and on philosophy of education. Back in the 4th century B.C., Aristotle underlined the fact that philosophy begins in wonder (θαυμάζειν), without being very specific about the conditions and the effects of its emergence. He focused a great deal on children’s education, emphasizing its fundamental role in human beings’ moral fulfillment, though he never provided a systematic account of children’s moral status. The aim of this paper is to examine, on the one hand, if, to what extent, and under what conditions, Aristotle allows for philosophical wonder to emerge in children’s souls, and, on the other hand, how his approach to education may shed light to the link between wonder and the ultimate moral end, i.e. human flourishing. We will, thus, 1) try to offer a unified outlook of the philosopher’s views on children’s special cognitive and moral state, and 2) illustrate how wonder contributes in overcoming their imperfect state of being.