This study is devoted to identifying potential risks, challenges, and threats of intensive development and active implementation of artificial intelligence technologies and in particular self-learning neural network algorithms in the current practice of socio-political communications associated with active information impact on mass consciousness. This study proves that contemporary digital technological transformations and the active spread of digital technologies most directly influence the transformation of traditional worldview systems and ideologies. Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that with the help of digital tools, there is a significant information and communication impact on mass consciousness in terms of influencing traditional worldview and ideological systems. In this regard, the author puts forward the thesis about the need to form and maintain the digital sovereignty of contemporary states as a key conclusion. It is viewed as a critical condition for preserving and protecting national worldview and ideological spaces in the conditions of current global technological transformations

Geopolitical tensions, increasing sanction pressure, inequality, and the slowdown of globalization serve as signals of fragmentation in the world economy. However, research on the social consequences of fragmentation remains limited. This study aims to identify the risks to the development of the Russian human capital in the context of geoeconomic fragmentation. Research methods include a systematic literature review and a comparative analysis of the country blocks based on the key indicators of technology development and human capital using World Bank data from 2011 to 2022. Based on political preferences and the level of socio-economic development, Western, Eastern, and Neutral blocks were identified and analyzed among 149 advanced and emerging economies. The results showed significant differences among the blocks in the level of human capital development and indicators of technological development. Russia has advantages in formal education at the level of Western block countries; however, health indicators of the population and the share of investment in science and education remain relatively low. Key risks in the context of fragmentation include further devaluation of human capital, losses associated with migration and health capital, a decrease in the share of high-tech sectors in the structure of value-added, and the proportion of scientific personnel

The transition from hyperglobalization to slowgbalization that began after the 2008 global financial crisis has increased skepticism about the future of globalization and motivation to adjust the architecture of international trade. The subsequent series of global shocks – the aggravation of the US-Chinese trade relations, the COVID-19 pandemic, the events in Ukraine in 2022-2023 – aggravated the situation, exacerbating the problem of stopping the negative consequences of the disruption of supply chains of goods and services. The purpose of the article is to clarify the contours of restructuring and outlooks for the development of cross-border trade in the context of new reality: the imposition of global shocks, increasing geopolitical uncertainty and increasing fragmentation of the world economy. The object of the study is the international trade in the perimeter of global value chains (GVCs), whose share in world trade increased from 34.93% in 1995 to 45.24% in 2007 and, after falling to 43.49% in 2020, quickly recovered and increased to 49.38% in 2022. The analysis of quantitative and structural shifts in GVC-trade was based on the methodology of structuring exports in the categories of value added by A. Borin and M. Mancini. The prospects for GVC-trade were assessed using the methods of identifying the “risk iness” of goods in the export-import turnover of S. Majune and V. Stolzenburg, the frequency of cross-border bilateral interactions of S. Liang, the agglomeration to global trade of K. Baris. The characteristics of the four main options for strengthening the resistance of GVCs in modern conditions are given – reshoring, diversification, regionalization and replication. The working hypothesis has been confirmed: all 4 considered trajectories are not mutually exclusive and none of them presupposes complete autarky of the country. The main conclusion is made, according to which the negative events in the global economy of the last decade reconfigured trade flows, accelerated the processes of regionalization of the global economy, but did not become a trigger for deglobalization.

A new generation of digital technologies that make it possible to speed up settlements and reduce their cost was born from crypto-currency projects, but the prospects of their economically effective and socially responsible application associate with central bank digital currency. The article discusses the issues of digitalization of central bank money in relation to interbank settlements, including for servicing cross-border payment turnover. So far, this topic has not found a significant response in Russian scientific journals. This publication aims to popularize it by summarizing and analyzing examples extracted from foreign experiments. The advantages of digitalization are compared with the capabilities of conventional payment systems. Descriptions and comparisons of the architectures of the new generation payment system are given, in the range of which it is possible to choose compromises between benefits, risks and costs in the search for the optimal solution. In conclusion, the prospects for the transition to an experiment with digitalization of wholesale payments in Russia are assessed following the upcoming introduction of the “retail” digital ruble

In this article, we identify two recent stages in the evolution of the legal form of multinational enterprises (MNEs): the rise of offshore empires by the late 20th century and the emergence of neo-MNEs in the past decade. We examine the gradual shift in the parameters linked to the economic substance unity of MNEs (Part 1) and those associated with their legal multiplicity (Part 2), within the context of the law’s functional analysis. Our findings have revealed that each MNE’s form developmental stage corresponds to changes in all the selected parameters. Furthermore, we note significant changes in the relationship between the MNE’s legal form and its economic substance. This has led us to conclude that the firm’s size is not a necessary characteristic of the MNEs’ form, but serves as a crucial additional criterion for defining the scope of regulatory measures. Simultaneously, optimization of regulatory burdens including the growing importance of sanction compliance is a key factor of forming the MNEs. The differences between new and old MNEs’ forms are primarily the result of technological transformations, reflecting not only a mismatch but also a fluidity in the economic and legal boundaries of MNEs (Part 3). In conclusion, a comprehensive, cross-sectoral approach is required for the legal form of MNEs. Understanding the specifics of neo-MNEs broadens the search scope for new conceptual solutions. States initiate experimental legal regimes, while entrepreneurs develop quasi-public and quasi-corporate structures based on new technologies and quasi-law (standards, customs, soft law). This approach eventually prompts a reevaluation of the normativity concept

The author examines the role of various institutions and countries in the transformation of the world order in East Asia during the period of the late XX – early XXI centuries. The work notes that at the end of the XX century, the American model of the regionalization process, carried out within the framework of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), dominated. However, due to the changes in the US foreign policy doctrine and the Asian economic crisis of 1997–1998, APEC, in the early 2000s, began to give way to ASEAN+, where Japan occupied the leading position. Since the mid-2000s, China has been strengthening due to successfully carried out economic reforms and the use of various integration platforms. As a result, China began to promote its own model of globalization and regionalization in the region, which challenged the American order not only in East Asia, but also in the Asia-Pacific region. In the late 2000s, Washington sought to regain lost positions in the region by promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership integration project, which intensified the struggle between the leading powers for dominance in the region. As a result, in the 2010s. ASEAN+ and Japan are developing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) project, China is beginning to promote the Belt and Road international cooperation organization. As a result of the transformation of international relations caused by the movement of the world from unipolar to multipolar, there is a change in the transformation of the geopolitical situation in East Asia. The United States returned to the «traditional» methods of confrontation, increasing tension in the region and the world

The article considers the risks of institutionalizing the format of the Central Asia-China dialogue («C+C5») for solidarity and mutual political trust within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). According to the documents, institutionalization is aimed at transforming the «C+C5» format into a full-fledged international intergovernmental organization with functions that duplicate the existing ones within the SCO. In the current official documents, Russia declares the importance of SCO development and assigns it a special role in the implementation of the «Turn to the East» Policy, the development of the «Greater Eurasian Partnership », and the deployment of the project of «the North-South International Transport Corridor». In this regard, further institutionalization of the «C+C5» format may create restrictions for the realization of these Russian plans and even for the protection of interests in the Central Asian region (CAR). This circumstance, coupled with the active attempts of the West and the United States to force a number of CAR countries to refuse Russia’s assistance in circumventing the sanctions regime is unlikely to be understood in Moscow. This means that it is necessary to think about the ways to overcome the likely limitations by deepening the dialogue with China on the issues of further development of the SCO and increasing its effectiveness. The plans to institutionalize the «C+C5» format may also cause increased opposition from other major global «players» such as the United States, India, the EU and Japan, which have been actively involved in Central Asian Affairs in recent years, developing formats for dialogue between «1 + C5» (CAR countries).

The article examines the ethnic factor of the European economy. The migration of the Turks to Europe in the 1960s, formed a special segment of entrepreneurship in the region. A significant part of it was occupied by the representatives of the Turkish diaspora. Several factors including the social one contribute to the active development of the Turkish ethno-business in the European space. In addition, the formation and prosperity of the Turkish ethnic entrepreneurship in Europe is influenced by the high development of family and clan relations as well as the presence of various kinds of auxiliary mechanisms in the form of trade unions and business associations. In the context of small and medium-sized businesses, the key attention is paid to the development of the Turkish fast food industry related to the organization of food outlets, the hotel business, the provision of general services as well as tourism and logistics services. Large network business and transnational corporations of Turkey in most cases are engaged in such areas as: restaurant business; hotel business, including the construction of hotels; distribution of retail chains and Turkish brands. Islamic banking has also become a relatively new rapidly developing area of the Turkish ethnobusiness. The author concludes that the Turkish migration has significantly changed the nature of the European business. However, despite the wide representation of Turkish entrepreneurs in Europe, not all of them achieve the desired success and often face various kinds of discriminatory policies of the European authorities that restrict their activities.

Under the pressure of the unprecedented economic sanctions, the Russian Federation faces the tasks of reformatting its foreign economic strategy, transforming its trade policy, changing supply chains, and expanding cooperation with the partners that maintain economic neutrality, particularly with the countries in Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. The purpose of this research is to determine to what extent economic sanctions can serve as a factor for activating trade and economic relations between Russia and the countries of MERCOSUR as the most significant potential partners from the Latin American region. The research question of the article is to what extent it is possible to sooth the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy by stimulating trade links with MERCOSUR countries. The article attempts to compare the relative significance of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay as trade and economic partners for Russia at the time of sanctions. The article identifies factors contributing to the growth of potential of mutual trade and economic cooperation and those constraining it; provides an assessment of the current development of trade and investment relations between the parties; calculates indicators to determine the possibility of substituting the lost markets for export-import operations by the new ones.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the main distinctive features of interregional and cross-border cooperation at the current stage of integration in the EAEU. It is shown that today the development of interregional and cross-border cooperation in the association is considered to be one of the priorities that contribute to deepening and ensuring the dynamism of integration processes. The intensification of initiatives at the intergovernmental level in this field dates back to the 2020s. However, up to the present, despite quite a deep degree of economic integration of the EAEU members, the sphere of interregional and cross-border cooperation remains insufficiently institutionalized and is of recommendatory nature. The association lacks multilateral agreements and cooperation mechanisms aimed at developing interaction specifically at the regional level. The main emphasis in the analysis is made on the fact that the current state of interregional and cross-border cooperation is asymmetrical, which is revealed in the following aspects – unequal degree of importance of cross-border cooperation for the participating countries, heterogeneity of the scale and nature of interregional cooperation, unequal level of autonomy of regions in the member states, divergence in applied formats of interaction, significant regional divergence in socio-economic development. It is concluded that in order to overcome such asymmetry and fragmentation, it is essential to have flexible multilateral mechanisms as well as financial and information institutions, the activities of which will contribute to the development of horizontal ties and economic connectivity at the regional level

In the review there is a dialogue of modern thinkers on the problems of the philosophy of civilization. In the era of global changes, the attention of researchers is focused on discussing the planetary nature of civilizational changes, the general dynamics of the world historical process and the place of Russia in it. Of particular interest are studies on Russia as a civilization, on the Russian path of civilizational development, on the search for civilizational identity, on the challenges of the time that Russia is facing today. The review includes a collective monograph “Civilization: the Polyphony of Meanings. Memoria” [2023], the book by G.S. Pomerants “The Roads of the Spirit and the Zigzags of History” [2008], and the book by I.S. Vdovina “Emmanuel Munier: Personality and Civilization” [2023]. The monographs presented in the review contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of civilization, to reflections on the fate of civilization, culture, society, and man in the modern era.