Dear colleagues, We have an anniversary this year – XV April international academic conference on economic and social development. The conference will start as always with plenary meetings focused on special topics. This year we are glad to announce two new plenary meetings on Macroeconomics and Innovation and social aspects of development with the heads of the economic block in the Government and Administration of the President of Russia. Plenary meetings on three topics will be held in parallel after the lunch: “Social Politics and Governance”, “Institutional diversity in the modern economy” and “Cultural evolution and modernization”. The last one is organized under the guidance of Ronald Inglehart, Professor of the University of Michigan, Director of World Values Survey. Also Professors Martin Rama, the Chief Economist for the South Asia region of the World Bank, and Esko Aho, Prime Minister of Finland in 1991-1995, a senior fellow at Harvard University now will attend the plenary session. Plenary discussions will be attended by Professors Peter Hall, Harvard University, Katharina Blum, Free University of Berlin, Simeon Djankov, Rector of New Economic School, one of the authors of Doing Business Ranking. This year the conference will see many leading foreign scientists, who will make honorary and public lectures: Richard Pipes, Professor in Russian History of Harvard University; Leonardo Morlino famous Italian political scientist, Professor of University of Florence; Sebastian Galiani, Professor of Economics of the University of Maryland; Isaac Ehrlich, Melvin H. Baker Professor of American Enterprise; Paul D. Reynolds, famous researcher in entrepreneurship and small business; Tomasz Mickiewicz, Professor of the University of Birmingham. During the conference National Award in Applied Economics – common project of HSE, NES, UrFU ARETT, IMEMO and “Expert” magazine - will be held, that stimulates interest in research in Russia. Besides, the conference will see the Gaidar Award for young economists, founded and designed by Gaidar Fund to promote Russian economic science and to stimulate integration of young Russian scientists into the international scientific community. This year program is very diversified, so even the most demanding participant will find something new and interesting. I wish you all good luck and significant discussion! Chairman of Program Committee E. Yassin Contents Programme Committee ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Organizing Committee .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Contacts and useful information for the Conference participants ................................................................................................ 4 Conference overview ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Section meetings programme .................................................................................................................................................... 8 Section A. Macroeconomics and Growth .............................................................................................................................. 8 Section B. Special sessions and round tables ....................................................................................................................... 11 Section C. Statistics ........................................................................................................................................................... 17 Section D. Theoretical Economics ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Section Da. Special seminar. Diversity, social interaction and economic development ......................................................... 22 Section Db. Special seminar. Imperfect Markets Analysis and International Trade ............................................................... 24 Section E. Financial Institutions and Markets ..................................................................................................................... 26 Section Ea. HSE PhD Seminar in Finance .......................................................................................................................... 30 Section F. Law and Economics .......................................................................................................................................... 31 Section G. Urban and Regional Studies .............................................................................................................................. 32 Section Ha. Economic History ........................................................................................................................................... 35 Section Hb. Social History ................................................................................................................................................. 37 Section I. EACES-HSE PhD Seminar................................................................................................................................. 39 Section J. Methodology of Economics ................................................................................................................................ 40 Section Ka. International Affairs ........................................................................................................................................ 41 Section Kb. World Economy .............................................................................................................................................. 43 Section L. Firms and Markets ............................................................................................................................................ 44 Section M. Political Processes ............................................................................................................................................ 47 Section N. Third Sector and Civic Self-Organization .......................................................................................................... 51 Section O. State and Local Government Challenges ............................................................................................................ 52 Section Oa. Public Procurements........................................................................................................................................ 55 Section P. Demography and Labor Markets ........................................................................................................................ 56 Section Q. Media and Communications .............................................................................................................................. 58 Section R. Management ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 Section S. Science and Innovation ...................................................................................................................................... 63 Section Sa. Special Seminar. Long-term Forecast for Science, Technology and Innovations: Challenges for Science and Technology Policy ............................................................................................................................................................. 64 Section Ta. Social and Cultural Processes ........................................................................................................................... 67 Section Tb. Society and Social Policy................................................................................................................................. 70 Section Tc. Sociology ........................................................................................................................................................ 72 Section Td. Social Organisation of Economic Life .............................................................................................................. 74 Section Te. 4th LCSR International Workshop “Social and Cultural Changes in Cross-National Perspective: Values and Modernization” ................................................................................................................................................................. 75 Section U. Healthcare System Development ....................................................................................................................... 81 Section V. Development of Education. ............................................................................................................................... 82 Section Y. Instrumental Methods in the Analysis of Social and Economic Processes............................................................ 85 Section Z. Special seminars with presentation of results of HSE’s studies ............................................................................ 87 Section Zm. Political Processes ..................................................................................................................................... 87 Section Zta. Social and