About Us
The NES Center for the Study of Diversity and Social Interactions was set up under the academic leadership of the world-known economist Shlomo Weber.
The Center, which has begun its activities on July 1, 2013, will focus on research of theoretical and empirical aspects of social interaction in a heterogeneous society (such as in Russia) with various types of cultural, ethnic, geographic, religious, genetic, economic, historical and regional diversity.
A special attention will be paid to regional challenges in Russia in order to facilitate balanced development, inclusive growth and prudent social policies across the country with its very heterogeneous terrain, climate, population, and labor market.
The core of the Center members would consist of NES faculty (including Efthymios Athanasiou, Paul C. Dower, Ruben Enikolopov, Gunesh Gokmen, Sergei Izmalkov, Grigory Kosenok, Andrei Markevich, Maria Petrova) and a large number of NES students, as well as other Russian and foreign scholars. Among the latter in 2013-14 the lab expects the visits of world-leading economists such as Steven Durlauf (Wisconsin), Matthew Jackson (Stanford) and Eyal Winter (Hebrew University). The Center plans to organize Winter and Summer schools for young Russian scholars and numerous conferences, including the Yale-NES conference on Diversity, Development and Economic Growth, co-organized with Yale Center for Study of Globalization and its Director, Dr. Ernesto Zedillo, the 2013 NES commencement speaker.
The main objectives of the Center are:
- implementation of research,
- dissemination of the research results,
- organization of the participation of teachers,
- researchers and students of the NES in scientific activities of the Center,
- international integration and the development of international scientific relations in the framework of ongoing research activities.
To achieve these objectives the Center performs the following functions:
- it conducts basic and applied research in the field of “The study of diversity and social interactions, with a focus on the economy and society of Russia”;
- organizes and holds conferences, research and training workshops and schools;
- invites and organizes the participation of non-resident and foreign researchers, young scientists and students in events held in the Center, including presentations and teamwork;
- engages young scientists, graduate students and students of the NES and other universities in scientific work and research activities carried out by the Center;
- prepares scientific publications, monographs and other works based on the results of scientific research;
- provides information support for the activities at the NES, including the preparation of curricula, lecture notes and other scientific and methodical literature for students and trainees;
- cooperates with Russian and foreign universities in the direction of research, participating in outreach activities conducted by these universities; builds up and maintains the database for empirical research.
Official documents
On April 22, 2013 the Council for Grants of the Government of the Russian Federation for the state support of scientific research identified the names of 42 scientists – the winners of the third open competition for the grant of the Government of the Russian Federation for the state support of scientific research conducted under the supervision of the leading scientists at Russian institutions of higher education, research institutions of the state academies of science and public research centers of the Russian Federation.
RF Government Regulation № 220 as of April 09, 2010 (in Russian)
List of the Winners in the Third Grant Competition of the Leading Scientists (in Russian)