Abstract: The paper analyzes the foreign policy strategy of the Russian Federation towards Central Asia, one of the most significant regions in Russia’s foreign policy. The research subject is the role of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the region and its place within the Central Asian strategy of the Russian Federation. The authors study the key factors, influencing the contemporary Russia’s foreign policy strategy formation and their potential danger to Russia’s national interests. The authors analyze the shortcomings of Russia’s regional strategy and formulate recommendations for the formation of an effective foreign policy strategy towards Central Asia. The research methodology is based on general scientific methods and approaches together with the complex approach, involving the wide range of social sciences. The authors come to the conclusion about the necessity to extend multilateral cooperation in the context of regional political and economic challenges. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the consideration of Russia’s strategy towards the Republic of Kazakhstan with a special emphasis on the economic interests of the Russian Federation in Central Asia in the context of its broader geopolitical interests. 

Keywords: bilateral relations, cooperation, national interests, regional strategy, post-Soviet space, Central Asia, Russia-Kazakhstan relations, Eurasian economic union, regional interests, strategic partnership

Abstract: The research object is energy cooperation between South Asian states; the research subject is energy policy of the states of the region (resources, problems of energy commodities transportation and access to freshwater) and interaction of regional states aimed at guaranteeing regional stability and security. The research subject actualizes the fact that in the current context, interrelations between the leading actors in the world energy sector often define regional balance of power and affect global security in general. The proposed topic is a complex problem; therefore, the author applies complex research methodology. It includes interdisciplinary, complex, system and problem approaches, the methods of political science, economics, history and sociology, the comparative method and other research methods. The author considers energy cooperation of regional states, the impact of interregional and external factors on energy market, and concludes that, in the modern context of globalization, energy cooperation is a complex system of measures aimed at meeting the demands of the regional states for energy and sustainable development. Energy supplies crises lead to the formation of new geopolitical and economic realia and global changes in the international relations system. The present study helps define the global character of energy problems and their growing politicization; in the current context, the energy factor becomes the determinant factor of regional development, regional and global security, and international relations. 

Keywords: global politics, global problem, National security, Regional cooperation, energy resources shortage, Energy sphere, South Asia, region, Energy factor, Regional security

Abstract: The authors consider the range of key aspects of the new American administration, which can change the political paradigm of both internal and foreign policy of the USA; taking into account the political and economic importance of the USA, one can affirm that it will have significant impact on the whole world and the balance of sectoral and regional priorities, and can cause serious transformation of geopolitical and geo-economic landscape of our planet. Using the methods of comparative analysis of the key macroeconomic indicators and some instruments of cognitive analysis, the authors demonstrate that Donald Trump’s unexpected victory has proved the inconsistency of the previous models and methods of public opinion analysis and political and economic events prognostication. The author’s conclusions prove the controversial character of political and economic steps, proposed by Donald Trump, and demonstrate that the geo-economic world order has equal chances to be significantly transformed and maintain relatively stable. One mustn’t rule out the possibility of worsening relations with Russia, especially taking into account that the current atmosphere of international relations resembles that of the period of Senator McCarthy. The analysis shows that America’s role can consist in the correction of the paradigm of the further expansion to new markets, and should be aimed at the internal transformation of the national economics, including reforms in military-industrial complex and oil and gas sector, and the revision of the economic symbiosis of “Chimerica”. In this context, Russia can focus on its own national interests in the upcoming epoch of geopolitical and geo-economic uncertainty, and should remain the key actor of the international security system. 

Keywords: New Marshall Plan, TTIP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, establishment, geo-economics, Donald Trump, geopolitics, Chimerica, Asia-Pacific Region, international security

Abstract: The study is aimed at the development of an effective university reforming matrix with account of global trends in this sphere. The research object is the higher education system, and the research subject is the policy of the higher education system reforming in the context of global trends and challenges. The tasks of the paper are: -         To study international political, economic, social, humanitarian, cultural dimensions of state reforms in the sphere of higher education; -         To detect the main trends of their development; -         To create the university reforming matrix; -         To formulate recommendations in relation to further state reforming of higher education, which could be applied in Russia. The research methodology is based on the institutional approach. The author applies the comparative, functional, and system methods, and document analysis. The author reveals the challenges to the modern system of higher education and the responses to them within the new socio-political paradigm; the comparative analysis of different systems of university education gives the opportunity to reveal the global trends of reforming of this system; the author formulates the system of theoretical provisions, which, on the one hand, are the responses to the current challenges, and, on the other hand, are the constituting features of the policy of reforming and the very modern university itself. The author creates an informal matrix of the higher education system reforming, which can be used as the system of practical recommendations for effective modernization of university education both in Russia and in the countries, which have undertaken such an important challenge. 

Keywords: matrix, university, reform, trends and challenges, education, global, policy, educational, policies, of educational reform

Abstract: In the English-speaking segment of the global academic environment, the concept of the «Chinese School» is known also as the English School. Despite its young age and initially claimed position to follow the Western methodology and big theories, adherence to which has been daily confirmed by Chinese scholars in their articles, monographs and doctoral dissertations, the "Chinese School" from the very beginning of its existence proclaimed the main principle (not yet paradigm) - it will be based on Chinese culture and Chinese history, which should be included in the global international research on a par with Western culture and history.The article deals with the evolution of Chinese thought as a part of the international global context, which has passed its own "big" debates and entered into controversy with influential Western scholars for their right to methodological consciousness. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the author gives a general picture of the current state of international research in China, analyzes the complex process of development of the various "approaches", which now make up the concept, but not a single "Chinese school". The article concludes that Chinese scholars are becoming an integral part of the global academic environment, while reproducing the dominance of Western theories of international relations, and even its "innovations" are considered in the context of Western research paradigms.

Keywords: Chinese culture, Chinese history, methodological identity, three debates, Qinghua approuch, theory of relationship, Chinese school, traditional political ideas, Qin Yaqing, Yan Xuetong

Abstract: The research subject is social strain and protest activity as factors of political risk in the activities of the United Russia party. The author presents different interpretations and definitions of the term “social strain”. Special attention is given to the events of the last 2-3 years, which had significant impact on social strain and protest activity growth in the country and its regions (affiliation of Crimea and Sevastopol, anti-Russian sanctions, the “Platon” system launching, etc.). Besides, the author considers the socio-economic situation in the Zabaikalye territory (backdated wages, unemployment, inflation, etc.) as the factors of political risk in the work of the regional branch of the United Russia party. To solve the research tasks, the author uses general scientific research methods: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction. Besides, the author uses specific research methods: statistical, comparative, extrapolation, modeling, prognostication, content-analysis and analysis of social media. Based on the analysis, the author concludes that among the significant consequences of the economic and social crisis and dissatisfaction of the population with the party’s policy in Russia, are the party’s rating downgrade, increase of protest sentiment and social strain, electoral behavior change. According to the conducted research, the protest potential of the Zabaikalye territory is significantly higher than in Russia in general. The current socio-economic situation in Russia and in the Zabaikalye territory is one of the factors of political risk in the work of the United Russian party and its regional branch. 

Keywords: Zabaikalye territory, United Russia, backdated wages, economic crisis, political protest, electoral behavior, protest activity, social strain, political parties, political risks

Abstract: The research subject is France’s policy in Africa during the presidency of the fourth President of the Fifth Republic François Mitterrand. The author gives special attention to the motives and the forms of the Élysée Palace’s participation in the civil war in the Republic of Chad; to the goals and the reasons of organization of a military coup in Burkina Faso by French special services, and assassination of its president Thomas Sankara; to the assessment of the scale of responsibility of France and personally President François Mitterrand for Rwanda’s Tutsi genocide. The research methodology is based on historical materialism and the historicity principle. With the help of the historical reconstruction method, the author finds out the latent goals of French policy in Africa and characterizes it as a neocolonial policy and as interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Using the complex analysis of little-known historical sources (the materials of judicial and journalist investigations, evidences of well-known politicians and diplomats, etc.), the author studies the role of France in the initiation of the civil war in Chad, and demonstrates the peculiarities of the policy of the Fifth Republic towards other countries, involved in military actions in this region – the USA, Libya, Sudan. The author shows close connection between the events in the Republic of Chad and the war in Darfur. The paper substantiates the conclusion that France had inspired interreligious and interracial conflict in the Republic of Chad in order to maintain economic and political preferences of France in this rich in uranium and strategically important region. The author concludes that the assassination of Burkina Faso’s President Thomas Sankara was organized by French special services by order of François Mitterrand with the involvement of his son Jean-Christophe. The author concludes that France shares the responsibility for crimes against humanity in Rwanda and more than a million people deaths during genocide. The research was supported by the Russian Foundation for the Humanities, project No 15-01-00363 “External interference in the internal affairs of the Third World countries during the Cold War: the experience of multilevel analysis”. 

Keywords: Thomas Sankara, Francois Mitterrand, Darfur, France, Chad, Burkina Faso, Africa, Rwanda, genocide, Françafrique

Abstract: The authors study the formation of the mechanisms of global governance in the context of intersection of regional integration complexes using the example of Latin America and Asia-Pacific region. In the result of regionalization, the contemporary international relations are influenced by regional integration complexes. The authors note that regional powers offer their vision of the world order and, in their aspiration to create the security and stability belt, accelerate integration processes in the region. The authors give special attention to Latin America, combining the models of “good (effective, proper) governance” and regional consolidated cooperation. The research methodology is based on general scientific and special research methods: analysis and synthesis, generalization, comparison, historical and statistical methods, etc. The authors conclude about the possibility to use the “regional polyarchy” concept for the formation of the model of global governance, which could help states to participate in the discussion of the most important problems and experience equality/equivalence of all the subjects regardless of different financial and economic indicators and resource potential. 

Keywords: international relations, globalization, world politics, regional recurity, multilateral diplomacy, NAFTA, MERCOSUR, UN, Asia-Pasific Region, regional integration

Abstract: The paper studies the Arctic strategy of the Republic of Korea. The author considers economic and political reasons, urging South Korea to activate its policy in the region. Economic opportunities of the Arctic are connected with energy resources and exploitation of transport routes (the Northern Sea Route), transformation of the ports of South Korea into large logistic centers, and development of shipbuilding. The political aspect of the Arctic strategy is determined by Korea’s aspiration to extend its international influence and to be recognized as a middle power. The research methodology is based on general scientific and specific research methods: analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, the historical and statistical methods. The author concludes that in the Arctic institutions, South Korea positions itself as a middle power, and it is an appropriate country for such a role, taking into account its non-aggressive policy in the region. It is ready to serve as a link between the countries – permanent members of the Arctic council and non-Arctic countries, having interests in the region. 

Keywords: multilateral diplomacy, Arctic five, foreign policy, geopolitics, Arctic, energy resources , Northern Sea Route, South Korea , Northeast Asia, the Arctic

Abstract: The research subject covers the main problems and difficulties, faced by the founder of Pennsylvania - a colony on the east coast of North America, William Penn, in the organization of resettlement, the colony administration and arrangement. Special attention is given to the issues of religious tolerance, land disputes, colony administration, and pacifism in the context of a permanent military threat. The author describes the role of Quakers in the organization of the new society, characterizes Penn’s policy aimed at inviting investors to the colony. The purpose of the work is to find out the reasons of the failure of the “Holy Experiment”. The research is based on the general scientific method of structural system analysis, consisting in the consideration of the phenomenon in development and as a complex of all its components. The author studies the phenomenon as a single and inseparable complex of political history, all state institutions, social structure, different political, ideological and religious directions. The author applies the historicism principle as a method of studying the phenomena in the process of their birth and evolution, in close connection with the particular historical context; it helps detect the qualitative and quantitative uniqueness of the phenomena, the common and special features. The acquired conclusions can be used for studying the history of Pennsylvania and Quakers, social and political life in England at the turn of the 18th century, and for religious and philosophy studies, particularly, the origins of Protestantism and pacifism. The author formulates the list of the main reasons, which had led to the failure of the project in its initial form.  

Keywords: Thomas Loe, Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, Holy experiment, Pennsylvania, William Penn, New Jersey, Maryland, Society of Friends, pacifism