On April 22, from 13:40 to 16:40 Kaliningrad Time (GMT +2), the Valdai Discussion Club will hold a special session as part of the International Kant Congress, titled “Reason and Progress? History of Civilisations Turned to the Future”. The session will be held at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (BFU) (Kaliningrad, Alexander Nevsky St., 14).
The Valdai session will be opened by Andrey Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai International Discussion Club. Anton Alikhanov, Governor of the Kaliningrad Region, will also make an opening speech.
In January 2024, during a visit to Kaliningrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with students from universities in the Kaliningrad region at the Baltic Federal University. “Immanuel Kant is a foundational thinker. Of course, his call to use one’s own reason is as relevant today as it can be. For Russia, in practical terms, this means being guided by its national interests,” the Russian leader remarked during the meeting.
During the period of “crumbling” of the world order and the formation of a new polycentric world, the Valdai Club, within the framework of the Kant Congress, will focus its attention on topics that go beyond the political situation. Despite the volatility of international affairs, Valdai continues to facilitate dialogue among experts from various countries and academic disciplines, with an emphasis on objective and unbiased analysis.
The goal of the Valdai session is to examine the present and immediate future through the lens of historical experience. Discussions will centre on issues such as the prospects for contemporary civilizations, trajectories of historical evolution, contemporary values, convergence and divergence between civilizations. In the opinion of the organizers of the Valdai Club session, the location of the Congress – the Kaliningrad Region – is the best way to discuss topics that have a universal resonance and, especially, historical roots. The Valdai Club has long planned to hold a discussion in the Kaliningrad Region and is now glad to have this opportunity.
From among the foreign experts who are regular participants in the Valdai discussions, the session will be attended by: Richard Sakwa, Honorary Professor of Political Science at the University of Kent (Great Britain); Radhika Desai, Professor of the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba (Canada); Xing Guangcheng, Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences of the People's Republic of China, Director of the Institute for the Study of Chinese Border Problems of the Academy of Social Sciences of the People’s Republic of China; Glenn Diesen, Professor at the University of South-East Norway (Norway).
From the Russian side, the session is to be attended by: Andrey Klemeshev, President of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University; Vitaly Naumkin, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academiс Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Dmitry Efremenko, Deputy Director, Head of the Centre for Academic Research and Informational Studies in Social Sciences at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences (INION) RAS; Andrey Iserov, Deputy Dean for International Affairs, HSE Faculty of Humanities; Alexander Filippov, Head of the Center for Fundamental Sociology at the National Research University Higher School of Economics; Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, Ivan Timofeev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club
It goes without saying that guests of the International Kant Congress will be active participants in the Valdai Club session.
Working languages: Russian, English.
Information for the media:
For accreditation, please contact the chief specialist of the IKBFU PR office Alexandra Titova by email AMartyanova@kantiana.ru, indicating: full name, media, position, list of equipment. Additionally, please Сс this information to press@valdaiclub.com. If you have any questions about the event, please call +7 9037262385.
Accreditation is open until April 19 inclusive. To participate in person, you must bring your passport with you.
Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen.
