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FROM THE CHIEF EDITOR Modernisation issues of Russia’s regions Currently, profound changes are going on in the world economy. Its leaders (the USA, Japan, the European Union) try to preserve their dominance at all costs, and the Asian Tigers, aspiring to take their place, are increasingly expanding the spheres of their influence to the international level. China has been actively developing in the context of economic integration; it asserted itself as a global power, Vladimir A. ILYIN implementing a wide range of political, economic, military, cultural Doctor of Economics, and other modernisation transformations that lay the foundations for Professor, Honoured the mighty modern state1. Scientist of the Russian Advanced development of new technological modes is crucially Federation, Director of ISEDT RAS, important in the implementation of modernisation. Domestic [email protected] researchers note that in order to join the fastest-growing economies through an actual breakthrough, Russia should establish the technological mode, which would make it possible to achieve 8% of the sixth mode and 31% of the fifth mode by 2020. By 2030 these modes should prevail in the structure of the Russian economy – 20% and 40%, respectively2. At the same time, it is necessary to make significant progress in science, education, healthcare, social development in general. Now it is very important not to miss the available opportunities, and first of all – to enhance the efficiency of state management. In recent years Russia has been undertaking certain measures to accelerate modernisation reforms. The centre for the development and commercialization of new technologies “Skolkovo”, the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies “RUSNANO” were established. The stratification of the higher education system was initiated, with the allocation of federal and national research universities and universities with special status (Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University). 1 Sharko S.V. Russia and China: opportunities for and development of regional integration: monograph. Moscow: ООО “In-kvarto”, 2010. 2 Kuzyk B.N. Innovation model of Russia’s development. The journal of the New Economic Association. 2010. No. 7. P. 153. Economic and social changes: facts, trends, forecast 4 (28) 2013 5 Modernisation issues of Russia’s regions Certain measures are being taken to increase The nature, trends, factors and specifics of the salaries of the staff of academic institutes modernisation have been extensively studied and institutions of higher and secondary by scientists in different countries. Efficient professional education, and school teachers. methods for measuring the level of moder- R&D on the grant basis is being developed. nisation are being developed, based on the Strategic plans for the development of the comparison of key parameters of the socio- leading branches of national economy are being economic situation in a certain country and elaborated. the states leading in innovation development. A lot of analytical and forecasting research Immediately after assuming office as in this area has been recently performed by Russia’s President, on May 7, 2012, V.V. Putin Chinese scientists. In particular, the scientists signed 11 Decrees3 aimed at the implementation at the China Center for Modernisation of his election programme. They contain Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences instructions to the RF Government concerning (headed by Professor He Chuanqi) analysed the implementation of tasks, determining the the data on the development of 131 countries rate of modernisation acceleration in economic and defined the modernisation stages these and social spheres; they also determine the countries undergo4. Thus it has been revealed indicators, the achievement of which will ensure that in 2006 12 countries still represented a a sharp increase in Russia’s competitiveness, traditional agrarian society; 90 countries were enhancement of national security, creation in the primary stage of modernisation, which, of decent living conditions for its citizens. in fact, solves the problems of capitalism Essentially, these are the actions that will accompanied by socio-cultural evolution; facilitate a sharp reduction in the gap between 29 countries entered a stage of secondary Russia and the world economic leaders, and modernisation characterised by the high quality place Russia among the modern economies of life, ecologisation, informatisation of society. with a high quality of life. According to the proposed methodology, Russia ranked 41st (97% as compared to the 3 Decree “On the Presidential programme on the level of the leading countries) in 2006 in the improvement of qualification of engineering personnel primary modernisation (PM) rating, 31st (66%) for 2012–2014” No.594; Decree “On the long-term state in the secondary modernisation (SM) rating economic policy” No.596; Decree “On the activities for the implementation of the state social policy” No.597; Decree “On and 37th (59%) in the integrated modernisation the improvement of state policy in health care sphere” No.598; (IM) rating. Decree “On the measures for the implementation of state By 2010, the country’s position in the world policy in the sphere of education and science” No.599; Decree “On the measures for providing the citizens with affordable and rating has changed insignificantly. It ranks comfortable housing and enhancing the quality of housing and 43rd by PM, 29th – by SM, 36th – by IM (tab. 1). communal services” No.600; Decree “On the main guidelines of improving the state management system” No.601; Decree At present, Russia is among the group of “On the provision of inter-ethnic concord” No.602; Decree countries with a medium level of development, “On the implementation of plans (programmes) for the alongside Spain, Greece, Portugal. construction and development of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other forces, military formations and How can it be that our country with its bodies, and modernisation of the defense-industrial complex” enormous production, labour, intellectual, raw No.603; Decree “On the further improvement of military materials and other basic resources is among service in the Russian Federation” No.604; Decree “On the measures for the implementation of the foreign policy of the the ‘average performers’? Russian Federation” No.605; Decree “On the measures for the implementation of demographic policy in the Russian 4 He Chuanqi. Survey report on modernisation in the Federation” No.606. Source: Decrees of the President of the world and in China (2001–2010). Translated from English Russian Federation V.V. Putin dated May 7, 2012. Available at: under general editorship of N.I. Lapin, foreword by N.I. Lapin, http://www.rsr online.ru/doc/2012_06_25/6.pdf G.A. Tosunyan. Moscow: Ves Mir, 2011. 6 4 (28) 2013 Economic and social changes: facts, trends, forecast FROM THE CHIEF EDITOR V.A. Ilyin Table 1. National modernisation of Russia (among 131 countries) Modernisation indicator 2000 2005 2008 2009 2010 Primary modernisation index (Rank of the PM index) 92 (52) 96 (45) 99.7 (40) 99.9 (41) 99.9 (43) Secondary modernisation index (Rank of the SМ index) 62 (29) 66 (29) 70 (30) 70 (30) 72 (29) Integrated index of modernisation (Rank of the IM index) 54 (37) 58 (39) 63 (36) 65 (38) 66 (36) Source: Research Group for China Modernization Strategies, et al. 2008. China Modernization Report 2008: International Modernization. Beijing: Peking University Press. World Bank. 2008. World development Indicators 2008. Washington DC: World Bank. According to most analysts and experts5, the competitiveness and enhancement of national reforms, connected with the change in the security in all the spheres of socio-economic social system, that Russia went through over development. the past 20 years, have been implemented Modernisation of the country in general is with gross errors (first of all, in privatisation, determined by the modernisation of its liberalisation of foreign trade relations, regions. In this regard, defining the trends in organisation of compensatory measures for the level and rate of modernisation in the the conservation of people’s savings). This regions is the most important research and led to deindustrialisation, the aggravation of practical task. This issue became the basis territorial differentiation, extension of social of a major research project “Socio-cultural degradation, significant reduction in the level modernisation of Russia’s regions”, which has of the country’s competitiveness, and to other been implemented since 2006 by the Centre negative phenomena. for the Study of Social and Cultural Change Taking into account the fact that in its of the Institute of Philosophy of RAS under historical past the Soviet Union was actually the number two power in the world, the key the leadership of RAS Corresponding Member guidelines of V.V. Putin’s activity during his N.I. Lapin with the support of the Russian third presidency were aimed at achieving by Humanitarian Science Foundation. At that, 2018–2025 of the development indicators the tools of Chinese colleagues were adapted ensuring a significant increase in the country’s to Russian conditions6. 5 See, for example: Modernisation and economic security 6 Lapin N.I. On the experience of analysing of Russia. Vol.1. Ed. by Academician N.Ya. Petrakov. Moscow: modernisation. Obshchestvenniye nauki i sovremennost. Finance and credit, 2010; Modernisation and economic 2012. No.2. P. 53 57. The tools have been adapted to Russian security of Russia. Vol.2. Ed. by Academician N.Ya. Petrakov. conditions (some indicators, relevant for Russia, were added), Moscow, Saint Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriya, 2010; Glazyev the changes have been made according to the specifics of S.Yu., Lokosov V.V. Assessment of the critical threshold regional statistics. So, in the SM index the “Number of TV values of the indicators of the state of Russian society and sets per 1000 persons” has been replaced with the “Number their use in the socio-economic development management. of TV sets per 100 households,” in the SM and IM indices Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2012.