The XII All-Russian School of Young Africanists "BRICS and Prospects for Socio-Economic, Political and Cultural Development of Africa" was held on November 7-8, 2013. The annual school, organized by the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Problems of African Countries with the assistance of the program of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Support for Young Scientists" in cooperation with universities in various cities of Russia, aims to attract the widest possible range of young researchers of the African continent and support this area in Russian science. It is designed to help young scientists understand the importance of research in various fields for a full-scale understanding of the processes of socio-political and cultural life in Africa.

The conference was held jointly with the National Research University Higher School of Economics. It was attended by 89 students, postgraduates and young scientists from universities and academic institutes in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Yaroslavl, Tambov, Volgograd and Kiev. Young economists, political scientists, sociologists, cultural scientists, linguists and anthropologists shared their latest research results and discussed a wide range of contemporary issues in Africa. A large group of RUDN University students and postgraduates from Angola, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Mali, Namibia, Togo and Tanzania presented the views of the continent's residents on various scientific issues.

The plenary session was opened by one of the leading figures of the Russian Academy of African Studies. RAS A. B. Davidson (National Research University Higher School of Economics). V. G. Shubin (Institute of Africa) reminded the audience about the growing role of Africa in the world and the place of this continent in the modern politics of the Russian Federation. The head of the School of Young Africanists of Russia, I. V. Sledzevsky (Institute of Africa), welcomed the scientific youth and noted the growing interest in African studies. Then A.V. Korotaev addressed the audience on behalf of the HSE management with a parting speech.

The conference was continued in four sections, the most numerous of which was " International Relations, Foreign Policy and Law "(headed by V. G. Shubin, O. S. Kulkova, Institute of Africa). The first session of the section was devoted to increasing the international weight of the BRICS countries and strengthening their positions in Africa. S. Nagorny (Ukraine) in his report "BRICS and Africa: features of successful interaction policy in the XXI century" analyzed the prospects of BRICS cooperation with the countries of the African continent in the political sphere.-

trade, economic, humanitarian, and military-technical spheres. The main BRICS trading partners in Africa are the countries of North and Tropical Africa: Egypt, Sudan, Angola, Liberia, Namibia, Mozambique, etc. It is predicted that by 2015 the volume of trade between the BRICS countries and Africa will reach 500 billion US dollars, and the BRICS share in Africa's total trade will increase from 1/6 (in 2013) to 1/3 (in 2015). O. S. Kulkova (Institute of Africa) drew attention to the peculiarities of perception in African countries "new players", non-Western associations, one of which is BRICS. Despite the fact that the BRICS countries pursue their interests in cooperation with African countries, Africans note that this is still a new format of relations, relations "on an equal footing", and not in the "colonial style". Africa needs cooperation with BRICS, a fair partnership that meets the African vision of its development, the speaker stated. BRICS can help overcome economic backwardness and poverty, strengthen Africa's global position, and help Africans strengthen integration processes on the continent.

The report of S. Poruchikov (Tambov State University named after G. R. Derzhavin) reviewed South Africa's policy in the field of intellectual cooperation within the BRICS, which provides for interaction in the field of science, high technologies, education and healthcare for mutual exchange of knowledge and experience. In 2011, at the first BRICS summit (after South Africa's accession), it was decided to create a network of research centers and outline ways to develop innovative cooperation. O. Charbourg (RUDN University) also presented a report on the prospects of South Africa in the BRICS system. South Africa joined the BRIC on February 11, 2011, expanding its geographical and intercontinental reach and opening the gateway to Africa's economic resources, low - cost labor, and growing consumer base to other BRICS countries. BRICS contributes to the development of South Africa's role as a platform for cooperation and investment flow across the continent (for example, the BRICS Development Bank is planned to be established). E. Salakhetdinov (Institute of Africa) presented a comparative analysis of the BRICS member states ' policy towards Zimbabwe. Russia and China provided foreign policy support to the Zimbabwean leadership after the introduction of sanctions by the EU and the US in the early 2000s.Over the past decade, China has ranked third in total trade turnover with Zimbabwe after South Africa and the EU and second in the number of imported goods. Several major Russian-Zimbabwean projects are currently under development and implementation. The report of Alexander Solntsev (RUDN University) was devoted to the prospects of cooperation between the BRICS member States in the field of space exploration and the use of space technologies. Bilateral relations between the Republic of Angola and the People's Republic of China were the subject of research by Mayato Noemiya (RUDN University), a student from Angola.

Young researchers in Africa focused on the current problems of terrorism, migration and the impact of globalization on the development of the continent. A. Kuimova (Kazan Federal University) concluded in her speech that the main reasons for the emergence of terrorism in African countries were low living standards, civil wars and interethnic conflicts. Terrorism of a religious nature is particularly dangerous. The reports of D. Kochetov and G. Karpov (Institute of Africa) assess migration processes affecting the African continent. The ambiguous impact of globalization processes on the political situation in modern Cameroon was noted in the report of Ngimapi Gamou Josephine (RUDN University).

In connection with the events of the "Arab Spring", the conference participants focused on one of the most problematic countries on the modern map of Africa - Libya. G. Lukyanov (HSE) considered the situation in Libya in a historical context, analyzing both the domestic political situation in the country and the foreign political situation developing at the global and regional levels. The international legal aspects of the international community's military intervention in the recent civil war in Libya were the subject of research in the report of M. Ilyashevich (RUDN University). Fatima al-Bani (RUDN University) also devoted her report to the situation in Libya, namely the legitimacy and consequences of the adoption by the UN Security Council of a resolution authorizing international military intervention.

The active influence of international law on the external and internal political processes taking place in Africa requires special attention to scientific research of this issue. A separate session of the section "International Relations, Foreign Policy and Law" (headed by A.M. Solntsev, RUDN University) was devoted to the study of the role that the African Union plays in the development of international relations.

The continent plays a role in shaping the norms of modern international law. Adu Yao Nikez (RUDN University) considered double standards in the work of the International Criminal Court. M. Sharypova (RUDN University) drew the attention of the audience to the need to develop a legal framework for cooperation between African countries in combating corruption. The African community has not yet formed legally binding norms on corruption, but they can be based on the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, which was adopted on July 11, 2003. D. Vorobyev, K. Keburia, E. Utenkova and Samake Ava (all RUDN University) devoted their reports to the legal standards applied in African countries on corruption prevention. in relation to vulnerable groups of the population, the elderly, the disabled, indigenous peoples and women.

The analysis of the efforts made by the African Union in creating legal mechanisms that can be used to prevent international crimes in Africa in the context of complex political and economic realities was the subject of research in the report of A. Cluny (RUDN University). Parfe Nkurunziza (RUDN University) noted the special significance of the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Arms Trade Treaty for African countries on April 2, 2013. Considering that illicit arms trafficking is one of the most acute problems for African States, the adoption of this document is an undoubted step forward on the difficult path to combating the growth of crime. M. Osminina (Lobachevsky UNN, Nizhny Novgorod) studied the legal aspect of the political crisis in Ivory Coast in 2010-2011., related to the ambiguous outcome of the presidential election.

During the work of the section "Resources and economic potential of Africa" (headed by H. A. Zherlitsyn, Institute of Africa), 10 reports were heard. Agricultural cooperation between the BRICS countries and Southern Africa was the topic of the report by A. Khamatshin (Institute of Africa). China, Brazil and India perceive Africa as a continent with a large amount of "under-used" land and see it as a platform for large-scale investment in food production for export. Based on the material of official UN documents for 2011-2012, A. Akseshin (St. Petersburg State University) summarized the main problems of the African continent as a subject of the global socio-economic space: education, health, poverty, unemployment, etc. In the report of I. Teterin (Institute of Africa) "Science as an impetus for the economic development of African countries", the need for the development of science, technology and innovation on the African continent to strengthen economic and foreign policy sovereignty was noted. The first steps have already been taken: more than 134 national scientific associations and a number of intergovernmental regional research organizations have been established.

Analysis of the development of the extractive industry in West Africa on the example of Nigeria and Ghana was the topic of the report by M. Korostina (MSU ISAA), and V. Sidorov (Institute of Africa) presented an overview of the manufacturing industry of South Africa, the most developed on the African continent. Guede Ange Patrick (RUDN University) presented a report on the prospects for the development of the African air transport market. The main problem of this industry is that the majority of African carriers have focused their resources on the directions of intercontinental traffic to the detriment of the inter-African domestic network, which remains less developed. N. Lazarev (RUDN University) assessed the prospects for the development of regional cooperation in the field of space activities on the African continent. At the moment, a system of institutions for regional cooperation in this area has already been established in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Some progress has been made in developing space activities in Africa within the BRICS framework.

19 young scientists took part in the section "Social and Cultural studies" (headed by E. S. Lvov, ISAA, and D. A. Zelenov, Institute of Africa). A number of reports were devoted to the mutual influence of African and European cultures, the problem of self-consciousness of Africans who find themselves in Europe. E. Blinova (Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl) drew attention to the solution of tender problems in the African community in London. The role and place of new Christian churches in the modern society of African countries became the subject of research by N. Voronina (Institute of Africa). The new type of Christianity that has spread to Africa and Latin America can be called charismatic. Charismatic Christianity includes Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons. These churches don't just put forward strong ha's-

rismatic figures who are able to control the masses, but also seek to replace the state, putting the care of parishioners on their shoulders. The history of the German community in Namibia (which settled in the south of the African continent more than 100 years ago and still lives there) was considered in the report of A. Fedyukova (ISAA).

African art and cultural aspects of socio-political processes became the subject of study in the reports of A. Konichenko (St. Petersburg State University) "Ethiopian magic scrolls", D. Turyanitsa (ISAA) "Coins of South Africa, the history of their appearance", S. Laterem (St. Petersburg State University) " Archaic world perception as the basis of wooden plastics in sub-Saharan Africa A. Pisarev (ISAA MSU) in his report on the counterculture in South Africa concluded that the fall of apartheid played a decisive role in its formation. The lyrics of modern songs, motifs and plots of modern prose, painting and cinematography are saturated with social motives that are topical for the local population.

Various forms of mutual knowledge and influence of the African world and Russia in different periods of history were in the center of attention of K. Kolosova (ISAA MSU), who devoted her report to the history of the study of the African slave trade in the Russian Empire. S. Ragozin (HSE) presented the report "Basic principles of Russian media coverage of the 2011 events in Libya", based on Analyzing 164 materials of the Russian press for the period from February to December 2011, E. Shevchuk (St. Petersburg State University) studied Christian traditions in Ethiopian iconography. The speaker defined icon painting not only as a type of religious painting, but also as an expression of the Orthodox worldview.

A number of reports of the section were based on the results of field ethnographic expeditions, in which young researchers of Africa participated. For example, V. Kruchinsky (Institute of Africa) analyzed the reasons for the emergence, functioning and political economy of so - called shelters or missions-mainly Afrikaner informal settlements, most of which are located in the north of Gauteng province (South Africa). The report is based on field research conducted by the author in Northern Gauteng and the Western Cape in 2011 and 2013. D. Zelenova and P. Popov (both Institutes of Africa), based on the results of an expedition to Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) in February 2011 and September 2013, investigated mutual aid practices among the poorest communities in the world. a modern African metropolis.

The section " Research in African Linguistics and Philology "(led by N. V. Gromova, ISAA, and I. G. Tatarovskaya, Institute of Africa) brought together young scientists from Moscow and St. Petersburg Universities. Kano (Nigeria). Features of the modernization process in the literature of Northern Nigeria, where the modern literary process is determined by the collision of new literary forms with religious tradition, were the subject of the report by A. Lyakhovich (St. Petersburg State University). The specifics of Hausa, one of the most important languages of West Africa, namely the category of gender and the number of nominal phraseological units, were studied in the report of K. Mineeva (ISAA).

The conference was closed by the permanent film club of the Council of Young Scientists of the Institute of Africa "Africa Shows" with a demonstration of the video film "Lesedi Ethnographic Village", which deals with the organization of ethnographic tourism, in particular in the BRICS countries. The film was prepared based on the results of an ethnographic expedition to the region in January-February 2013 and presented by conference participant S. Zusina (ISAA). There was also a demonstration of the documentary film "Dear Mandela" produced in South Africa, which tells about the problems of young people in this African country.

The results of the conference were summed up by N. A. Zherlitsyna, Scientific Secretary of the RAS Scientific Council for African Problems, and A. B. Korotaev. They noted the high level of reports presented, the great interest shown by the conference participants in the scientific discussion, the enthusiasm and creative approach of scientific youth to the study of Africa. The XIII School is scheduled for November 2014.

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