Aim. To determine the processes of formation and implementation of sustainable development goals in Russian regions.

Tasks. To consider the strategy of sustainable development in the Russian Federation (RF); to analyze the state of Russian regions based on the principles of environmental, social and corporate governance; to identify the centers of implementation of sustainable development goals in Russian regions; to develop the processes of formation and implementation of sustainable development goals in Russian regions.

Methods. The research is based on the dialectical method of cognition. Using the abstract-logical method, theoretical generalization and the formation of conclusions are provided; using system and comparative approaches, as well as using statistical data, the elements of the concept of formation and implementation of sustainable development goals at the regional level are investigated. The graphic method was applied to reflect analytical information and separate processes.

Results. An assessment of the state of Russian regions based on the principles of environmental, social and corporate governance is given. The system of elements of the processes of formation and implementation of sustainable development at the regional level is presented. The conclusion about the economic development of the regions taking into account the implementation of the principles of environmental, social and corporate governance is made.

Conclusions. Depending on the extent to which the region adheres to the goals of sustainable development, determine the position of the region as a subject of the Russian Federation, taking into account the application of the principles of environmental, social and corporate governance. Currently, the regions of the Russian Federation have different positions based on the priorities of sustainable development. The presented processes of formation and implementation of sustainable development goals in the region will contribute to its promotion at the environmental, social and corporate levels.

Aim. To propose measures to combat overtourism and its negative consequences at the global level and at the level of Sochi Destination.

Tasks. To study the processes and risks associated with overtourism; to use the term “overtourism” to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which, as a rule, are associated with the explosive growth of popularity of certain places in the world, attracting more and more attention from both ordinary tourists and social network users; to conduct the practical part of the study on the example of the resort city of Sochi.

Methods. In this article the international and domestic experience of levelling the risks of overtourism is investigated with the help of analysis, system approach and statistical methods. Measures to combat overtourism and its negative consequences both at the global level and at the level of Sochi destination are proposed.

Results. With the overall positive situation in the Sochi destination with signs of overtourism, the formation of its initial manifestations can be traced, which requires the development of preventive measures. In this case it is recommended to take into account the information of the Association of restaurateurs and hoteliers HOTREC, proposed to solve the problems of overtourism in European countries.

Conclusions. In the case of signs of overtourism detected by different assessment methods, regional tourism administrations should be advised to develop appropriate prevention strategies. It can be assumed that such strategies should be formed depending on the stages of the life cycle of the destination.

Aim. To identify common and specific features in the approaches of countries in the aspect of formation of national policy of financial market regulation in order to motivate investors to finance sustainable development.

Tasks. To analyze the approaches of countries to the legislative fixation and introduction of mandatory accounting of ESG factors in the activities of investors; to study the practice of voluntary accounting of ESG factors in the activities of investors; to systematize the ESG approaches of countries used by them in the financial segment of the national economy.

Methods. The study of foreign experience of integration of ESG factors into the national financial policy is based on the traditional methodological approach, including methods of structural-logical, systemic and comparative analysis. The analysis of national normative legal acts, documents of voluntary national associations of financial organizations and investors, regulating the rules of conduct of financial market participants to take into account ESG factors in their strategies and activities was carried out. These are open access documents posted on the Internet on the websites of relevant organizations.

Results. The following facts were found: 1) regulatory impact has different degrees of rigor; 2) creating demand for sustainable finance is the key challenge that countries are primarily seeking to address; 3) creating incentives for investors to motivate them to engage in sustainable finance is recognized as the main challenge. Countries are choosing different strategies to address it. First, simultaneously influencing both the supply of and demand for sustainable development projects. Second, creating and stimulating demand for sustainable development projects primarily from investors.

Conclusions. Principles and standards for ESG risk assessment and ESG investor reporting are now being actively incorporated into supervisory rules, procedures and investor management systems, although a wait-and-see approach still prevails in most of them.  

Aim. To identify priorities and limitations of the development of international scientific cooperation of circumpolar countries in the field of sustainable development of the Arctic.

Tasks. To characterize circumpolar countries with identification of their natural, climatic and socio-economic features; to assess the impact of climate change on the sustainable development of circumpolar countries; to identify priorities for the development of international scientific cooperation in the field of sustainable development of the Arctic in the context of climate change; to identify the features of Arctic policy of circumpolar countries in modern conditions.

Methods. The methodology of the presented study was developed based on its goal and the set scientific objectives. Arctic climate change is assessed by comparing a set of indicators for the period from 1971 to the present. The key priorities of the state Arctic policies of circumpolar countries are identified on the basis of the analysis of their political and program documents. The priorities for the development of international cooperation in the field of sustainable development of the Arctic are identified on the basis of the author’s works and correlated with the opinion of authoritative Arctic researchers.

Results. The conducted research has shown that the rapid climate change in the Arctic has become the main challenge of natural origin to the sustainable development of circumpolar countries. The following priorities of scientific research within the framework of international cooperation of circumpolar countries in the field of sustainable development of the Arctic have been identified: first, comprehensive study of natural, anthropogenic, socio-economic processes in the Arctic; second, thorough documentation of the identified features; third, creation of a unified international database reflecting the ecological, economic, and social state of the Arctic territories; fourth, comprehensive modeling and assessment of the impact of climate change on the sustainable development of the Arctic; third, creation of a single international database reflecting the ecological, economic, and social state of the Arctic territories; third, creation of a single international database reflecting the ecological, economic, and social state of the Arctic territories; fourth, comprehensive modeling and assessment of the impact of climate change in the Arctic.

Conclusions. The climate challenge of sustainable development of the Arctic territories can only be met through individual and joint efforts of all circumpolar countries. Initially, the national strategies of the circumpolar countries were based on a common aspiration: to work through close cooperation, including scientific cooperation, with international partners to achieve the common goal of creating a peaceful, economically successful and sustainable future for the Arctic. The exclusion of the Russian Federation (RF) from international scientific cooperation on issues of environmental management in the context of climate change repeatedly increases the risks of sustainable development of the Arctic territories.  

Aim. To analyze the potential and directions of development of the Russian pulp and paper industry taking into account the historical retrospective and international comparisons.

Tasks. To analyze the historical retrospective of the dynamics of pulp and paper production volumes in Russia taking into account the spatial distribution of the industry’s production capacities; to assess the potential for growth of domestic demand for the pulp and paper industry products on the basis of international comparisons.

Methods. The research was carried out by means of system analysis of the industry development on the basis of statistical reconstructions and international comparisons.

Results. The Russian pulp and paper industry for thirty years after the collapse of the USSR overcame the transformation crisis and returned to the peak production volumes, bringing the technological level and the nomenclature of products to the level of the leading countries. As a result of transformations, there was an excessive concentration of the sector’s production capacities in the European part of the country, which in modern conditions leads to difficulties in marketing export-oriented products. The gap in the levels of per capita consumption of certain types of paper and paperboard products in Russia compared to the leading forestry countries indicates the possibility of further growth of domestic demand for the sector’s products.

Conclusions. The growth of pulp and paper industry production volumes can be associated with the growth of the domestic market, which will require the outstripping growth of the population’s income.  

Aim. To study the peculiarities and problems of adaptation of the production sector of the economy of North-West Russia to the strengthening of sanctions pressure.

Tasks. To assess the changes in the performance of enterprises of the production sector of the economy of the North-West of Russia in modern economic conditions; to identify the factors that hinder the development of production; to analyze the features of the transformation of supply chains and adaptation of enterprises to the strengthening of sanctions; to assess the financial condition and investment activity of enterprises; to characterize the degree of approval of the managers of enterprises of the implemented economic policy and show the expected directions of state policy.

Methods. The methodological and informational basis of the study was provided by questionnaire surveys conducted by the Center for Structural Research and Forecasting of Territorial Development of the Vologda Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (VolNTs RAS) in April-May 2022 and 2023.

Results. According to official statistics, the deterioration of the economic situation in the North-West of Russia is confirmed by the results of surveys of managers of enterprises in the production sector of the economy. The main factors restraining the development of production are insufficient demand in the domestic market, uncertainty of the economic situation, high prices for production resources and the level of taxation. Due to the deep integration of the economy of the north-west of the country with the economies of unfriendly countries, the transformation of supply chains due to sanctions has affected the majority of enterprises in the region. The change in the configuration of chains is manifested primarily in their spatial reorientation and simplification of interaction directions. The enterprises of the Northwestern Federal District (NWFD) have a significant potential for the realization of the course on the complication of the national economy and strengthening the use of the potential of the domestic market. However, the transition to this trajectory is constrained by the lack of investment resources. The development of the production sector of the economy, according to managers of enterprises, will be promoted by reducing the tax burden, limiting production inflation, supporting domestic solvent demand, as well as strengthening the fight against bureaucracy and corruption.

Conclusions. The complication of the geopolitical situation has significantly changed the conditions of functioning of the production sector of the economy of the North-West of Russia, led to the deterioration of the financial performance of enterprises, the decline in some performance indicators of their organizations. Active adaptation activities of enterprises (optimization of production processes, reorientation to new suppliers and consumers, transformation of interaction directions, etc.) with the assistance of the authorities contributed to a significant leveling of the negative consequences of the sanctions pressure and transition to a new development trajectory — to the complication of the national economy and increased use of the domestic market potential.  

Aim. To consider the relationship between vocational education and the industrial sphere, as well as to assess the level of personnel training for industry and changes at the end of the difficult year 2022 on the example of St. Petersburg.

Tasks. To determine the current trends in the training of personnel for industry, differences in the assessment of the quality of graduates of St. Petersburg universities and colleges by different groups of economic entities, the dynamics of changes in the last two years.

Methods. The article analyses the processes of changes in society and their impact on the system of professional education, industrial adaptation of graduates of St. Petersburg higher and secondary educational institutions on the basis of monitoring of enterprises-members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg.

Results. The article discusses socio-economic processes in modern conditions characterised by increasing technological capabilities and transformation of production relations. The influence of these processes on the social aura and structure of the society, the system of professional education and the production sphere is estimated. The guidelines for ensuring national technological sovereignty on the basis of balanced staffing of various components of the domestic economy are considered. Attention is paid to the formation of rational educational orientations among young people taking into account historically grounded mentality and creative skills, permanent generation of new knowledge and complication of production processes. The conditional division of economically active population into levels by basic categories: age, education, professional hierarchy is proposed.

Conclusions. The authors proposed to intensify activities to raise the prestige of engineering labour and promote national scientific and technological achievements, the practice of transferring experience from qualified workers with experience to young people through the mentoring system, attracting teachers with experience in business and industry. Measures to achieve a balance between the system of higher and secondary vocational education and the needs of the labour market were discussed. The division of economically active population in the interests of industrial staffing into levels by basic categories: age, education, professional hierarchy is proposed.  

Aim. To identify key problems and prospects for the development of legal support for the transformation of the Russian economy in the transition to a data economy in a multipolar world.

Tasks. To substantiate the role and significance of the transition to the data economy from the position of the multipolar world policy development; to identify the key directions of legal support for the formation and development of the data economy, as well as the solution of problems arising in this process.

Methods. The research was conducted on the basis of a set of general scientific methods (system analysis, method of dialectical cognition, etc.) and special methods (legal modeling, formal-legal, comparative-legal).

Results. The author has revealed the main regularities associated with the impact of the development of data economy on the foreign policy realized by the Russian Federation (RF) on the formation of a multipolar world. The necessity of proper legal support of these processes has been substantiated. The key directions of development of legal support, as well as the existing problems in this area are identified.

Conclusions. In modern conditions the policy of multipolar world pursued by Russia can be realized only under the condition of independence, including technological, and ensuring a high level of economic development of the state. The data economy allows already today to talk about the prospects for the development of new technological modes and markets of the future. The necessity of a comprehensive approach to the legal support of the formation and development of the data economy on the basis of systematization of Russian legislation in electronic form has been substantiated, which will greatly facilitate the task of identifying problems related to the quality of normative legal acts and increase the efficiency of law enforcement. In the process of systematization of modern legislation in order to effectively implement it in all spheres of management, it is important to establish general requirements for the functioning of systematization processes and the use of various information technologies. The adoption of the basic law on artificial intelligence, as well as the Digital Code of the Russian Federation is proposed. The problems related to their adoption and their content are highlighted.  

Aim. To study the transformations of economic development trends and changes in the priorities of economic policy in the period of modern political and economic turbulence associated with the transition to a new quasi-stable state of the economy — post-normality.

Tasks. To consider the features of the modern Russian economic model; to describe the mechanism of the impact of macro shocks of 2020 and 2022 on the Russian and world economy; to characterize the target — postnormal — state of the national and world economy; to offer recommendations for improving economic policy in the new conditions.

Methods. The author of the article used both general scientific methods of research, including systemic, retrospective, institutional and macroeconomic (positive and normative) analysis, and specialized methods of studying economic evolution, economic dynamics and statics, situational and scenario modeling, economic statistics and others.

Results. In recent years, the conditions of foreign economic interaction of many national economies, especially the Russian economy, have changed. During the post-Soviet period, Russia has consistently and systematically pursued a policy of economic liberalization, in particular, foreign economic liberalization. The first significant blow to the openness of national economies was the COVID-19 pandemic. The second was the sanctions imposed against Russia by the countries of the “collective West”, which gradually affected an increasing number of countries. The essence of these shocks from the point of view of macroeconomic analysis is a jump-like increase in the closedness of the national economy. Under these conditions, it is established that national economies of post-industrial type turn out to be unstable and unviable under the new realities. This should be taken into account in economic policy. Attention should also be paid to the fact that the processes of growing crisis of the currently prevailing model of open economy will inevitably affect not only economic, but also political, cultural and other processes. An attempt to overcome the sanctions on Russia by geographical reorientation of foreign economic interactions can be effective only in the short term, as a tactical measure. Strategically, it will not work, because the flaws of the open economy model, consisting in high (and in some cases — critical) dependence of the national economy on foreign economic interactions, cannot disappear. Therefore, this openness should be reduced in areas critical for national development. Special attention in economic policy should be paid to the issues of social justice, without the solution of which it is impossible to achieve public consensus and ensure the effectiveness of the institutional changes necessary in connection with the transition to post-normality.

Conclusions. The modern Russian economy is at another transitional stage of development. In general, constant transformations are a systemic property of the economy, a condition for its existence. At the same time, in modern realities there is a transformation of strategic nature associated with the change of the key feature of the existing economic model — its degree of openness. Although the Russian economy as a whole has been able to adapt to the new conditions of functioning, but this is a tactical adaptation, in the strategic aspect it is not enough for a successful transition to the post-normal stage of development. In this regard, a more balanced and active participation of the state in the management of economic development processes and their regulation is required, subject to the formation of effective economic and other incentives to support such processes for both business and the population. In view of this, it is advisable to take into account the recommendations proposed by the author of the article in the economic policy.

Aim. To analyse investment activity in modern Russia in the context of new conditions and tasks of the country’s economic development, as well as to identify the directions of its stimulation and development.

Tasks. To analyse the current state and prospects of development of the Russian economy in the context of external sanctions; to study and assess the level and features of business investment activity in modern Russia; to propose tools and directions of stimulation and development of investment, considered as a way to restart the mechanisms of economic growth.

Methods. The methodological basis of the research was the provisions of macroeconomic theory, in particular such sections as the theory of economic growth, the theory of state regulation of the economy, the theory of investment. The methods of comparative and retrospective analysis, structural modelling, analogy, expert evaluation and qualitative methods of forecasting were used.

Results. It has been established that the Russian economy has entered the period of development characterised by high uncertainty of the main influencing factors. This negatively affects the behaviour of economic entities and weakens the potential for economic growth. One of the important factors of growth and sustainable economic development is investment. Despite the external sanctions pressure on the Russian economy, there was no decrease in investment activity in 2022. On the contrary, it has increased. This is a prerequisite for successfully overcoming the current crisis phenomena in the economy and further successful development of the national economy. At the same time, a number of problems restraining the investment activity of Russian business have been identified.

Conclusions. In modern conditions, the issues of creating effective incentives to support and develop the investment activity of Russian companies have become more relevant. The relevant measures should be built into a new model of economic policy aimed at creating the potential for long-term economic growth in Russia in post-normal conditions. These measures are related to the activities of development institutions acting as sources of “long” and “cheap” money, as well as to the adjustment of fiscal policy, oriented towards the creation of additional incentives for the growth of investments of economic entities.  

Aim. To consider the role of modern education in the context of using innovative educational technologies in the context of new challenges.

Tasks. To determine the trends in the development of domestic education; to analyse the modern challenges that affect it; to consider the impact of digitalization of the educational process on the educational potential of students.

Methods. This article traces the development of domestic education in various aspects with the help of general methods of scientific cognition. The tendencies characteristic of the current state are revealed, as well as the necessity and directions of further development of domestic education are determined.

Results. The main trends in the development of domestic education in the Russian Federation (RF) and modern challenges that affect it are highlighted. Various training needs, questions about the choice of individual educational trajectory, specific pace of learning material mastering, emphasis on self-education, the need to comply with scientific and technological changes are analysed. The influence of digitalisation of the educational process on the educational potential of students is considered.

Conclusions. The conclusion about the need for further transformation of education is formulated. In the conditions of new challenges it is necessary to introduce new innovative educational technologies in the educational process and to meet the modern demands of the market and society.

Aim. To assess the prospects of development of the network of councils for thesis defence for the degree of candidate of sciences, for the degree of doctor of sciences (dissertation councils — DCs) in the new conditions determined by the amendments introduced in the Federal Law of 23 August 1996 No. 127-FZ “On Science and State Scientific and Technical Policy”, which expand the range of organisations that have the right to independently create DCs. To investigate, on the basis of the analysis of the work of “pilot” DCs, a possible quantitative balance between the number of DCs created in accordance with the orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia and the number of DCs created within the framework of the implementation of the right of organisations to independently award academic degrees.

Tasks. To analyse the share of defences in the “pilot” DCs in relation to the total number of defences in 2017-2021; to investigate how the range of scientific specialties in the “pilot” DCs has changed in comparison with the DCs that were operating in organisations before they received the right to independently award degrees; to study the share of DCs and defences in organisations that in 2022 received the right to independently award degrees to assess the prospects for changing the structure of the attestation system.

Methods. In order to obtain quantitative indicators, statistical materials from open sources were used.

Results. “Pilot” organisations in general retained the structure of previously operating on their basis DSs, while expanding the range of scientific specialties. In the organisations that received in 2022 the right to independently award scientific degrees, in 2021 there were 290 DCs established by orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, which is about 17 % of the network of relevant DCs.

Conclusions. Expansion of the powers of leading educational and research organisations will significantly change the share of DCs created by orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia in the overall attestation system. This will have a positive effect on the reproduction of personnel in such organisations due to the integration of the processes of training and attestation of scientific personnel. For applicants from organisations that do not have the opportunity to independently create DCs, due to the reduction in the number of DCs created in accordance with the orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, and additional requirements imposed on the applicant in DCs created within the framework of the implementation of the organisations’ right to independently award degrees, the defence procedure may be significantly delayed due to the complication of the choice of the place of defence.