"THINK TANK OF THE 21st CENTURY" (Part One)

When Alexander Dynkin took up the position of Director of IMEMO in 2006, he had a clear program of action. The main point of this program was the transformation of the Institute into a modern world-class think tank, capable of deeply and objectively analyzing the processes of world development and the current situation. This was possible only on the basis of fundamental scientific research. Another task was to raise the prestige of IMEMO in public opinion, in the media space and in government bodies. Finally, the new director intended to attract talented young people to the Institute. Acting in this direction, the Academician A. Dynkin initiated a number of structural changes in IMEMO, aimed at optimizing scientific and scientific-organizational work. With designation of Alexander Dynkin as Director, the volume of expert-analytical notes and materials sent to the Administration of the President of Russia, the Security Council, the Government of the Russian Federation, to the relevant committees of the State Duma, ministries and departments has sharply increased. In 2007, the Institute sent a total of 65 analytical notes and materials to these bodies (38 in 2006), which served the purpose of the new Director to restore IMEMO's position as Russia's leading center of expertise in the field of modern world development. All these materials were prepared in reliance on a thorough analysis of the strategic, political and economic realities, providing for the national interests of Russia, which, as historical experience shows, do not always coincide with corporate interests of the ruling elite. The reports at the IMEMO Academic Council were devoted to the most important problems of the world and Russian economy, international relations, including the issues of strategic stability, and modern society of the West, the East and Russia. This article presents three reports, which, in the author's opinion, remain relevant up to the present. The authors of these reports are Rostislav Kapelyushnikov and Alexey Arbatov.