YOUTH. INTELLIGENCE. DEVELOPMENT. Contest for the best economic concept has been launched

In Chelyabinsk, a youth contest for the best strategic economic project in the framework of the common economic space of Central Asia has been launched.

The contest begins the implementation of the project "Student Youth Movement ‘Eurasian Express’: Russia-Kazakhstan-Tajikistan", supported by the Presidential Grants Foundation. Work on the project will be conducted throughout the year and will be a continuation of projects already implemented during the last two years in Tajikistan.

The presentation was opened by the president of the Eurasian Commonwealth Foundation Viktor Katochkov. Addressing the experts gathered at the South Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SUCCI), heads of national cultural associations and student activists, he stressed that the contest was only a stage of the project. At the end of the month, the debating club in Dushanbe will start working. Students' debate-tournaments will be held at universities of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan throughout the spring. "The work is planned to be big and serious. Welcome to our Express of Friendship!" Viktor Katochkov emphasized.

Welcoming the participants of the presentation, Director of the Center for Foreign Trade of SUCCI Natalia Osipova and Deputy Director of the Eurasian Business Union of the Chelyabinsk region Igor Lashmanov told about the successful cooperation with the Foundation and Eurasian Express youth movement. Together, a lot has already been done, but it is important to move beyond, improving the development of the investment environment in Central Asia. It is necessary to give young people an opportunity to participate in the development of large investment projects - this is the only way to achieve a real economic breakthrough.

Elena Petrenko, Deputy Chair of the Committee for Human Capital Development at the Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Karaganda region, outlined the current problems of forming the EAEU common economic space, stressing that today the state of the economy was determined by the speed of digital space building, "The task is to arrange a new digital platform. It is important to understand how to properly organize digital economy, a fundamentally new form of resource management. Помочь в этом может конкурс». The contest can help in this. "

The discussion was continued by Denis Ulybyshev, associate professor of Karaganda Economic University of Kazpotrebsoyuz, specialist in Eurasian economic integration, and Kanat Seitikov, head of the Kazakh public center "Azamat". They noted that today it is important to implant Eurasian values to students, to teach them to build career trajectories so that they fit into the tasks of Eurasian integration. This will result in the development of markets, removal of customs barriers, development of small business and financial institutions. If this happens, the youth will find themselves in a new integrated economy.

Director of the Center for National Unity, Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Peoples of the Chelyabinsk region Sergei Bredikhin began the presentation with a quote from UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin that never before there were so many young people in the countries of Central Asia. This is a great potential for economic progress, creating a window of opportunities. It is necessary to understand how to take advantage of the benefits of the demographic dividend. Sergei Bredikhin emphasized that "countries should invest in youth, in their education."

The head of the regional public organization Tajik national-cultural center "Somoniyon" Islomudin Radzhabov noted that the Center cooperates with the "Eurasian Express” youth movement on an ongoing basis, supporting all the initiatives and projects of the youth of our countries. Исломудин He said that Tajik youth would take part in the contest, in debating clubs, and discussions that are planned to organize, "We have something to discuss at the table of friendship and creative ideas."

A member of the Association of International Students of Russia and an activist of the "Eurasian Express" movement from Tajikistan Dilovar Gulov elaborated the ideas of the leader of the Tajik Center. He raised the question - What can young people really do to develop socially-oriented entrepreneurship and small business? Dilovar stressed that small enterprises in Tajikistan, in fact, "create a new sector of the national economy from scratch, often experiencing a shortage of electricity, transportation problems, and limited credit resources. However, one of the main problems is staff shortages of small and medium-sized businesses. This is where the education received in Russia could help. Graduates will return to their homeland and start their own business." According to Dilovar, it is necessary "to give more opportunities to youth, to create more jobs for them: this could ensure economic growth of Tajikistan. It is important to take part in the contest to acquire new business skills."

The participants of the presentation agreed that the contest was useful and that it was important to take part in it to form career trajectories for future economists. Students can become the flagship of integration and in the near future inherit the helm of business and government agencies. However, this requires economic literacy, knowledge of project management, teamwork skills, leadership attributes, ability to assess risks and bear responsibility for the result. It is the development of these competencies that the contest "Strategic Economic Project within the Common Economic Space" is aimed at.

The project is being implemented using a grant for the development of civil society provided by the Presidential Grants Foundation.

In Chelyabinsk, a youth contest for the best strategic economic project in the framework of the common economic space of Central Asia has been launched.