Russia: Russian universities are embarking in UBI discussions
Speaking panel at the Lomonosov Moscow State University.
There is a growing interest about basic income in Russia, at least on the academic level. Leading Russian Universities have been organizing discussions around the issue, with the support and participation of the movement Basic Income Russia Tomorrow. Given the world-leading recognition Russian universities enjoy, this may be a fact of central importance for the global development of the basic income movement.
On the 18th April 2019, at the Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Dispute Club Association of the Russian Economic Think Tanks (“Economic Policy Nodes”) held a discussion entitled “Is universal basic income tribute to populism or social policy of the future?”. PhD in economics Evgeny Gontmakher and leading Scientific Associate Yury Kuznetsov held the debate, after the introduction of Alexander Solovyev, chairman of the Basic Income Russia Tomorrow group. A local video footage of the event was captured, and can be viewed here (in Russian).
Just a few days later, on the 25th April 2019, at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, another event took place, as a part of the International Scientific – Practical Conference IX “Abalkin`s Readings”. At this Conference, basic income was discussed in a section entitled “Mechanisms for improving the system of labour relations”, chaired by professors Vyacheslav Bobkov and Irina Soboleva.
