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Experts from Russia and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region took part in the conference “Colonialism in the East and Its Impact on the Modern World,” which opened on September 10 as part of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). During the event, experts discussed the impact of colonialism on interethnic relations and the economic situation, as well as the neo-colonial issues. The conference was organized by FEFU jointly with the Russian Historical Society (RHS) and the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).

Earlier, the Chairman of the Russian Historical Society, Sergei Naryshkin, supported the initiative of the FEFU President and included a conference on the problem of colonialism within the framework of the EEF-2023 in the project plan of the Russian Historical Society. More than 40 representatives of scientific and educational institutions from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and India joined the discussion. FEFU experts devoted their reports to the history of colonialism in the Republic of Korea, postcolonial discourse and overcoming Eurocentrism using the examples of China, India and Russia, the problem of the universality and originality of the Chinese development model, as well as the topic of the erosion of Western discourse on modernization.

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Konstantin Mogilevsky noted that such discussions contribute to the formation of a deeper and more holistic view of multilateral relations in the Asia-Pacific region. He noted that after the end of the Second World War, dozens of peoples in Asia and Africa were able to embark on the path of free and sovereign development, and at that time it seemed that the era of colonial rule had been gone forever. However, today's policies of the countries of the collective West are forcing the whole world to experience a renaissance of previous colonial approaches, which are based on the division of humanity into two unequal parts.

President of the Far Eastern Federal University Boris Korobets also noted the relevance of the chosen conference topic and expressed confidence that the event will become a real pearl of the Eastern Economic Forum.

“The conference brings together a brilliant expert team of Russian specialists and friends from the Asia-Pacific region, and the event is taking place at the most difficult turning point in the history of global geopolitical transformation. And it is no coincidence that we are discussing this topic in Vladivostok - after all, it was in this city that the interests of the leading colonial powers collided a hundred years ago. And this is our story. Quite recently, the President of our country spoke about the need to preserve historical memory, and it seems to me that today’s conference and subsequent discussion are taking place in this spirit. We definitely need to remember our history, be sure to appreciate what we have now and move towards our future together,” said the head of FEFU.

The Far Eastern Federal University is building a model for exporting education aligned with mutually beneficial cooperation spirit and has been acting as the largest center for teaching and promoting the Russian language in China for more than 30 years. This summer, the university opened a Russian language training center for medical students in the People's Republic of China. A new FEFU unit for training foreigners began work in Harbin on the basis of the Medical College of Heilongjiang Province. After graduation, the best college students will be able to enroll in medical programs at FEFU, and when they return home, they will continue to engage in scientific projects in the field of medicine in China or work in medical institutions. In total, there are 15 schools for which the Far Eastern Federal University has developed educational programs for studying the Russian language.

“It’s no secret that the Western approach to exporting education comes down to importing the smartest and most talented young people into Western countries from non-Western ones, who are offered personal prospects. As a result, donor states receive nothing. At the same time, the Russian approach to the export of education is exactly the opposite. We focus on training foreigners with us and giving them the opportunity to return and realize themselves in their homeland. In this way, Russia helps its partners and gains reliable friends,” notes Konstantin Mogilevsky.

Due to its geographical proximity to the Asia-Pacific countries, FEFU experts are deeply immersed in the socio-political issues of the region, which is why during the conference they discussed the topic of the colonial past of Asian countries. Thus, the report of the Head of the Department of Korean Studies at the university, Ekaterina Ermolaeva, was devoted to the history of colonialism in the Republic of Korea, while Andrei Kozinets, Assistant Professor of the International Relations Department at FEFU, spoke about postcolonial discourse and overcoming Eurocentrism using the examples of China, India and Russia. Yaroslav Shevchenko, Head of the Office of Analytical Support for International Activities, assistant of the FEFU Department of International Relations, revealed the problem of the universality and originality of the Chinese development model, as well as the topic of erosion of Western discourse on modernization.

Also, a young researcher from the Republic of Gambia, a graduate of FEFU's Bachelor's Degree in International Relations, and currently a FEFU Master's student in International Relations, Peter Mendy, gave a substantive report. He conducted a comparative analysis of colonialism in Africa and Asia.

Let us remind you that the Far Eastern Federal University is the center of modern Oriental Studies in Russia, the country’s academic outpost in the Asia-Pacific region. More than 20 thousand students study at the university, 3.5 thousand of which are foreigners from 89 countries. FEFU accepts foreign students both from traditional countries - China and India, and enters new markets - Iran, Ecuador, Colombia. The university's faculty include recognized world-class oriental experts, and due to its geographic proximity to the Asia-Pacific countries, students have unique opportunities to practice and communicate with native speakers of foreign languages.