Vietnam as a Linchpin Between Russia and ASEAN

The article presents an overview of the international conference Russia and ASEAN in Asia-Pacific Region: Dynamic of Cooperation, Regional Processes and the Global Context that was held at MGIMO University on October 15-16, 2021. The event was a part of the 13th Russian International Studies Association (RISA) Convention. This year the conference was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership and 30th anniversary of their bilateral relations. The overview is focused on the presentations, covering Russia-Vietnam relations and the role of Vietnam in ASEAN-Russia partnership, as well as Vietnams position within the region.

Affective Interventions and ‘the Hegemonic Other’ in Runestones from Västergötland and Södermanland, Sweden

In the eleventh century AD, the Scandinavian countries were in the final stage of the process of conversion to Christianity. Local and regional processes of negotiations towards a Christian hegemony took various courses in different parts of Scandinavia. There are few substantial indications that social tensions resulted in violence. Rather, archaeological evidence indicates a gradual change. This paper highlights how these processes of negotiations were expressed by counter-hegemonic groups that took advantage of the affective affordances of runestones. By raising specific runestones, these non-Christian groups were part of an agonistic political process, as described by the political philosopher Chantal Mouffe.

The ways of the scientist, the teacher and the citizen: Grigore Vasilescu, doctor habilitatus in philosophy, university professor, at 70 years anniversary

There is a saying that a talented person is talented in everything. This statement refers entirely to the doctor habilitatus in philosophy, the university professor Grigore Vasilescu, who reached the beautiful jubilee of his life and activity, with significant achievements on multiple levels. The paths of professional development and civic activity of Mr Vasilescu are fully described by his scientific articles, edited monographs and collections, developed conferences and international research projects, implemented social and civic activities, as well as by his PhD students who have defended their doctoral theses and today are his colleagues and by students, who, being guided by the Professor discover the most attractive secrets of the “international relations” profession and study new horizons in the field of political sciences, global processes and issues, European studies and regional processes. In all these fields, during the past decades, is highlighted the Professor with vocation, the Scientist, the Human, the Citizen and the Patriot, the doctor habilitatus in philosophy, the university professor Grigore VASILESCU, who his whole life is being delighted by everything that is beautiful, by poetry, music, painting and love for the people.

A new Holocene sea-level record for Singapore

Relative sea-level (RSL) records from far-field regions distal from ice sheets remain poorly understood, particularly in the early Holocene. Here, we extended the Holocene RSL data from Singapore by producing early Holocene sea-level index points (SLIPs) and limiting dates from a new ~40 m sediment core. We merged new and published RSL data to construct a standardized Singapore RSL database consisting of 88 SLIPs and limiting data. In the early Holocene, RSL rose rapidly from −21.0 to −0.7 m from ~9500 to 7000 cal. yrs. BP. Thereafter, the rate of RSL rise decelerated, reaching a mid-Holocene highstand of 4.0 ± 4.5 m at 5100 cal. yrs. BP, before falling to its present level. There is no evidence of any inflections in RSL when the full uncertainty of SLIPs is considered. When combined with other standardized data from the Malay-Thai Peninsula, our results also show substantial misfits between regional RSL reconstructions and glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) model predictions in the rate of early Holocene RSL rise, the timing of the mid-Holocene highstand and the nature of late-Holocene RSL fall towards the present. It is presently unknown whether these misfits are caused by regional processes, such as subsidence of the continental shelf, or inaccurate parameters used in the GIA model.

ANALYSIS OF THE MODERN SOURCE BASE OF THE PROBLEM OF UKRAINIANIZATION OF SCHOOLS IN THE INTERWAR TWENTY YEARS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

The article considers a number of modern publications dedicated to the study of various aspects of the problem of Ukrainianization of schools during the interwar period of twenty years of the 20th century in Ukraine. The preconditions and directly the process of implementation of the policy of Ukrainization in the period of the interwar twenty years of the 20th century in Ukraine have been analyzed.The objective of the article is to analyze the modern source base on the problem of Ukrainianization of schools in the interwar period of twenty years of the 20th century in Ukraine.Modern scientific articles, monographs and dissertations dedicated to the study of the problem of Ukrainization during the interwar twenty years of the 20th century have been analyzed. The considered scientific investigations in view of the time of writing have a certain subjective approach, but they give the opportunity to reveal the main directions of Ukrainianization of schools during the interwar twenty years of the 20th century. It is emphasized that the interest of scientists in the problems of Ukrainianization of school education began in the second half of the 1980-s. During this period, researchers began to study the accumulated archival material, taken from previously banned funds, and finally began a conceptual reassessment of events and processes that took place in the 1920-1930-s. The study of modern scientific publications dedicated to various aspects of the policy and the process of Ukrainianization of schools during the interwar period of twenty years of the 20th century in Ukraine led to the conclusion that they are conducted in the following areas: analysis of regional processes of Ukrainization, in particular in Volyn region in 1921-1939, the Ukrainization of schools in Slobozhanshchyna and eastern Galicia in the second half of the nineteenth – first half of the twentieth century; the problems of repressions and Ukrainization of the interwar period of twenty years of the 20th century; processes of Ukrainization of secondary school in Ukraine in the 1920-1930-s; processes of Ukrainization of higher technical school in the 1920-1930-s by examples of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

COMPONENTS OF FORMATION OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF UKRAINIAN MINERAL PRODUCTS ON THE WORLD MARKET IN CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL PROCESSES

The article considers the issue of studying the competitiveness of Ukrainian mineral products and establishing prospects for its increase in the world market in terms of regional processes. Factors influencing the competitiveness of the industry and products were identified internal and external. External ones include: activities of state authorities, economic conditions, development of new technologies, new materials and energy sources, market capacity and demand structure, consumer requirements, etc. The competitive advantages of the industry are resource and technology. To internal - the reputation of the enterprise, its organizational and production activities, staff qualifications, efficiency of resource potential, system of technological equipment, volumes and costs of sales. Among the factors of product competitiveness are the following: usefulness for the consumer (compliance with the requirements for this product by the buyer), product price, novelty (originality and uniqueness of the product), product quality. Based on the analysis of the competitiveness of Ukrainian mineral products on the world market, it was determined that Ukraine has a very large potential in the development of this sector on the world stage, as it is well supplied with many mineral resources. However, they are not always extracted rationally. During 2014-2020, the share of mineral products in total exports of Ukrainian goods decreased, which was due to reduced production during this period, state protectionism in traditional for Ukrainian products importing countries, lower prices for goods, including energy, closing Russian market for Ukrainian products. At the same time, during the analyzed period, the volume of exports of Ukrainian mineral products increased. Demand for mineral products in the raw materials market is increasing, especially for scarce products, but imports significantly outweigh exports, due to lack of state support for the development of Ukraine's mineral resources, significant depreciation of technologies and lack of development of new deposits and efficient use of existing ones.

Features and Priorities of Foreign Policy of Turkey in the Countries of the Middle East and North Africa

This paper examines the features of Turkish foreign policy in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. The attempt to analyze the influence of Anka-ra on global and regional processes has been made. The author examines the phenomenon of “neo-Ottomanism” in the context of regional policy of Turkey. The special attention is paid to the manifes-tations of this phenomenon in the post-Soviet re-gion and the Middle East, as well as “soft power” in Turkish diplomacy. Nowadays Turkey is positioning itself as a global player, which is involved in the main geopolitical processes and is trying to extend its influence to neighboring regions. It is concluded that the combination of military and political poten-tial with “soft” instruments gives Ankara the oppor-tunity to declare itself as an authoritative regional and global leader. The authors predict possible di-rections of Turkish foreign policy in the near future.