The Centre for International Projects

     Director of the Centre

     Anna Pikalova

     Candidate of Science (Hist.)

The mission of the Centre for International Projects (CIP) ISSEK HSE is strengthening of science and technology (S&T) cooperation between Russia and foreign countries. The Centre provides analytical, methodical, organisational, informational and consulting support to the international cooperation in S&T sphere.

The Centre’s team members carry out administrative and financial management of ISSEK international projects, organise at HSE and other cities across Russia international meetings, conferences, seminars and information days. They also deliver presentations at the international events both in Russia and abroad.

CIP’s analytical activity is focused on identifying good practices and barriers to fruitful mutually-beneficial EU-Russia S&T cooperation, the strengths and weaknesses (SWOT analysis) of the bilateral and national EU Member States (MS) - Russia S&T programmes, on an inventory of existing legal documents and agreements regulating S&T cooperation, including bilateral agreements between Russia and EU MS, and instruments for their implementation. Centre assesses positive effects and barriers for participation of the Russian researchers in the EU framework programmes for research and technological development.

Special attention is given to identifying areas of mutual interest for co-operation of EU Member States and Russia. For this purpose, the CIP is engaged in the following activities:

•  quantitative research capacity’s analysis (bibliometric analysis of joint publications, monitoring of the partner organisations participation in the EU framework programmes as well as within other programmes etc.);
• qualitative research capacity’s analysis (personal interviews with representatives of key research organizations as well as organisations responsible for S&T cooperation - ministries, agencies, etc.);
• organisation of discussions with participation of international experts, political and academic organisations;
• development of scenarios and recommendations for further development of productive S&T cooperation.

To increase the involvement of Russian researchers into joint international projects experts of the Centre issue methodical materials, proposals and recommendations aimed at the improvement of methods and tools, as well as scenarios for coordinated approach to sustainable development of EU-Russia S&T cooperation.

CIP team implements a dozen of projects financed by European Commission, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and other institutions.

The main CIP projects’ aims are the following:

• creating S&T international cooperation network for Eastern European and Central Asian Countries;
• developing mechanisms for joint financing of scientific research;
• improving coordination and cooperation of science and technology and innovation systems of Russia and the European Union.

The CIP undertakes activities to promote the strengthening S&T cooperation between EU MS and Associated to FP7 Countries and Eastern European & Central Asian (EECA) countries. Centre participates in the organisation of the experts’ discussions on strategies and priority areas of cooperation, including the global problems on a series of strategic conferences in different countries.

The Center also contributes to the incrEAST portal, which provides a platform for S&T information exchange between EU, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. CIP created a database of Russian leading scientific organisations - potential partners for international projects, regularly updates information about Russian research and technology policy and S&T events.

The Centre is actively involved in the development of the S&T Gate RUS.EU information platform designed to intensify international S&T cooperation in science and technology, and ensure the EU-Russia up-to-date information exchange about collaborative programmes and political development of research and technology.

The International Centre for Promotion of Mobility of Researchers, Students and Postgraduates functioning within CIP was set up in 2005 at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in order to facilitate EU-Russia cooperation in academic mobility. It aims at developing a network of regional information centres for international mobility, at carrying out the monitoring of Russian participation in the EU "People" programme. This initiative was supported by the Federal Agency for Science and Innovation of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, within the Federal Target Programme "Research and Development in Priority Areas of S&T". The Centre publishes and widely disseminates a monthly electronic newsletter covering the Russian researchers’ participation in the EU "People" programme.

According to decision of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation two National Contact Points (NCPs) "People" and "INCO" have been established within the CIP. NCPs’ activities are focused on support of the joint Russia-EU S&T projects realisation, as well as on implementation of actions defined by the EU-Russia Road Map on the Common Space of Research and Education, Including Cultural Aspects under Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology between the European Community and the Government of the Russian Federation.

"People" and "INCO" NCPs participate in international projects aimed at deepening cooperation with the NCPs in other countries through the experience and best practices exchange, enhancing the quality of NCP services throughout Europe and beyond.

The Centre for International Projects ISSEK HSE holds conferences, seminars and information days devoted to the strengthening of international S&T cooperation, including academic mobility. The events bring together scientists, representatives of governmental bodies, international and scientific organisations, universities, enterprises from Russia, the EU and the EECA countries.

Since 2011, Anna Pikalova, Director of the Centre for International Projects ISSEK is a member of the Joint Russia-EU Working Group on Researcher Mobility in the framework of the Joint Russia-EU S&T Cooperation Committee.