Each of the scientific schools and research areas has its own main forums, which, as a general review, gathers the maximum number of participants. In African studies, these are conferences of Russian Africanists that have the status of international and are held regularly every three years. In the world of African studies, this is perhaps the most massive meeting of adherents of this humanitarian science. The XI International conference, held at the Institute of Africa on May 22-24, 2008, entitled "Africa's Development: Opportunities and Obstacles", brought together a record number of participants - 320 scientists, graduate students and undergraduates studying the problems of the continent and the life of its peoples. And among them - almost 90 foreign companies from 32 countries in Africa, Europe, North America and Asia.

It is difficult to name issues that would not have been discussed at the meetings of 18 sections and four round tables. In the concept of "development", the organizers of the conference put not only economic content, but also it implies transformations in the socio-cultural and political spheres, changes in the system of international relations, improvement of education, expansion of relations between people of different states, ethnic groups, religions, etc. These quantitative and qualitative changes can only be associated with development when they are organically adapted by the African socio-cultural environment, and the local society, in turn, adapts to technological, economic and political innovations, while maintaining its "Africanism".

A special feature of the conference was the expanded participation of young people, not only postgraduates, but also students. Almost every section featured presentations from students of the ISAA at Moscow State University, St. Petersburg and Yaroslavl Universities, RSUH and other educational institutions in Russia. And this fact inspires hope for the preservation of continuity in this humanitarian science.

The opening ceremony of the conference was attended by all the heads of African diplomatic missions in Moscow, representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Roszarubezhcenter, and institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Forum of African Scholars was opened by the Director of the Institute of African Studies, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. RAS A. M. Vasiliev, who is also the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for relations with African leaders. He read out messages sent to the conference by other academic and educational institutions, practical organizations. Then, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sierra Leone to the Russian Federation Melrose Bayo Kai-Banya, Doyen of the African Diplomatic Corps, addressed the scientists with greetings. Alexander Makarenko, Director of the Department of Africa, spoke on behalf of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In the report "Africa: Is the light visible at the end of the tunnel?" Vasiliev noted positive changes in the life of the continent's peoples: GDP as a whole increased to 6% per year, exports of goods and services in 2007 increased by 15.2%, and imports - by 13.2%; the dynamics of strengthening peace and security, in which the African Union plays an increasingly prominent role, is reflected in the trend of unification of the two countries.-

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the efforts of African States to solve a number of acute political, military and economic problems have increased; the level of management efficiency has increased; the threat of famine has somewhat receded. However, these are just trends that require huge amounts of money to consolidate, changes in the structure of economic ties between the continent's countries and the outside world, and the fight against corruption, which also remains one of the main problems of the continent. The illegal export of capital continues to undermine efforts to combat poverty. Problems caused by the destruction of the natural human environment and the deterioration of climatic conditions are growing. With the existing huge hydropower potential, only 7% of its capacity is used. There is a lack of medical personnel, resources and medicines to treat African diseases and AIDS, which has not yet been stopped from spreading.

Nevertheless, the speaker concluded that the situation on the continent is now better than it was 6, 8 and 15 years ago. The forward movement was outlined.

The opening plenary session of the conference ended with a brief report on the procedure for holding the meeting by A.D. Savateev, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Conference, Scientific Secretary of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Economic, Socio-Political and Cultural Development of African Countries.

At the section " Peace and Security "(head-V. G. Shubin), speakers from South Africa, Russia, and Italy mainly covered two topics: the activities of continental and regional structures in Africa to ensure peace and resolve conflicts. In particular, the results of the first five years of the African Union's existence were summed up, the activities of the political, defense and security body established within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were reviewed, the conflict in Somalia and the related problem of navigation safety in the Horn of Africa were analyzed, and the reasons for the resumption of civil war in the 1990s the situation in Angola and measures to address its consequences.

More than 20 reports were heard during the section "Development Economics and Economic Development" (moderator-E. V. Morozenskaya). Lively discussions were held on the following key topics: oil, gas and economic development in Africa (the issue of the so-called resource curse was thoroughly discussed during the debate);" social capital "and" human capital " in Africa; growth and development in Africa in general theoretical and applied aspects (differences in the methodology for measuring economic growth were discussed and the correlation of the concepts of "growth-development", new phenomena in the field of external financing in Africa, the nature of water resources depletion; issues of developing industrial infrastructure and increasing the role of railway transport in the economy, and opportunities for improving the efficiency of regional economic groupings were considered). The discussion was sharpened by the participation of E. Beni, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola, and P. Mpoko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the Russian Federation.

The section " Political Modernization and problems of social development "(head-Yu. V. Potemkin) focused on topical issues of social and political development of the continent's countries. They discussed the interim results of the implementation of the socio-political tasks of the African Union, the concept of new public administration, and the impact of political elites on the formation of public policy in the early XXI century. The section participants ' attention was drawn to the influence of political culture on the development of the democratic process, the problems of the formation of civil society in African countries, the activities of human rights organizations, and the role of Islam in the development of the political situation in a number of regions of Africa. The interpretation of the role of political parties in the life of African States caused a heated discussion.

In general, the work of the section contributed to understanding a number of aspects of the current socio-political situation on the continent.

14 reports were presented at the section " States of Tropical Africa: Overcoming obstacles to socio-economic and political development "(moderator-Yu. N. Vinokurov), which was attended by 22 specialists and novice Africanists. Along with the staff of the Institute of Africa, scientists from other academic and educational institutions of Russia, their colleagues from South Africa, Norway, Mali, as well as representatives of practical organizations participated in its work: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Embassies of the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Moscow, the UN Mission in Ivory Coast. We discussed a wide range of economic and socio-political issues: implementation of national plans,

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problems of overcoming the crisis of industry and agriculture; the formation of democracy in Tropical Africa; the settlement of military conflicts and the restoration of peace in the region and individual countries; integration processes in sub-Saharan Africa and on the continent as a whole; political culture and personality in the socio-political life of states as factors of development of the peoples of Africa, demographic components of state development.

The section " Political Desizionism and problems of State-building in Africa "(head-E. Kofmel, Switzerland), starting from the ideas of K. Schmitt, focused on the origin and role of political desizionism in the history and modernity of Africa. Speaking researchers from Sweden, Hungary, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, and Spain also tried to understand the relationship of political desionism with the concept and practice of state-building and socio-economic development on the continent. Questions raised in the reports and discussions related to the origin and manifestation of "African desizionism", the relationship between desizionism and democracy on the continent, and, in addition, the role of Russia and China. Examples of speakers included Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania.

At the section " Socio-cultural borderlands as a phenomenon of African, Russian and world transformations "(head-I. V. Sledzevsky), 21 reports were heard and discussed. The topic of modern global and civilizational transit determined the problems of the section. Reports on this topic combined a departure from linear transit schemes and attention to new, non-linear, poorly predicted and insufficiently estimated threshold states of the global and civilizational borderlands. Particular interest was shown in such phenomena as the appearance of borderlands in the traditions of Russian civilization, the growing uncertainty of modern global development, the possibility of the world order moving from the "nation-states" model to the corporate state model, the growing risks of a global civilizational catastrophe, the replacement of formal social institutions with anthropocentric institutions, and the new role of diasporas in global geopolitics. New phenomena of African and Russian transformations are analyzed: current trends in interfaith relations in areas of the Islamic-Christian borderlands (Ethiopia, Tanzania, the North Caucasus, and the Volga region), changes in the balance of syncretic and proselytizing Islam in Africa, Islamic options for African development, active inclusion of Arab-Muslim diasporas in political processes in Europe, and opportunities for education in Europe of African descent. transnational space.

A third of the reports were devoted to the analysis of global threats and risks arising on the continent in the light of civilizational processes.

The section "Africa in International Relations and Russian-African Cooperation" (moderated by M. L. Vishnevsky and E. N. Korendyasov) was attended by more than 20 participants. Various aspects of international cooperation on the continent were considered. The analysis of the legal aspects allowed us to conclude that it is necessary to consolidate the efforts of the international community to overcome modern challenges and threats and build a just world order. The interest of the international community in Africa, primarily in its mineral resources, was noted, as well as the special activity of the so-called emerging powers entering into a sharp competition with the "old players". The participants of the discussion confirmed the expediency and necessity of intensifying Russian-African cooperation, which has a serious potential to strengthen Russia's position on the continent and develop the domestic economy on an innovative basis.

The section "Between custom and modernity: the role of traditional institutions in the development of Africa" (head - R.N. Ismagilova) was attended by scientists from France, Italy, Nigeria, and Russia. Most of the speakers based their conclusions on the results of field research. A number of presentations were devoted to the role of traditional authorities in the modern political, economic and cultural life of African States. Traditional institutions were considered in connection with the implementation of the NEPAL program, as well as the importance of traditional religions. The expediency of applying traditional methods of resolving and preventing ethnic conflicts in African societies and the need for their incorporation into modern socio-political systems were emphasized.

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The participants came to the conclusion that traditional institutions and structures that make up the core of African culture continue to play a significant role in various spheres today, and they influence the processes of society's adaptation to modern economic and social conditions. It is surprising that the NEPAD program does not mention a single word about the internal prerequisites for development that are rooted in the peculiarities of traditional culture. And without an understanding of the role of traditional institutions and their use, we can hardly expect much success in implementing our plans.

At the section " Literature, Literacy, Education in Africa "(moderator - N. A. Dobronravii), 13 reports were read by participants from Russia, Italy, Kenya, Namibia, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, USA, Japan, Nigeria, Great Britain, Senegal, Norway.

Reports included traditional topics (African literature and folklore studies): literature in European languages, Arabic and Swahili, Hausa and Manden folklore. Several interesting posts were devoted to education systems in Africa and their development prospects, as well as the use of Internet technologies in education in Africa, problems of literature and identity of the African diaspora in Europe, North America and Brazil.

The reports presented in the section "The History of Africa: the vicissitudes of development in the past and present" (head - A. B. Letnev) chronologically cover the XVIII-XX centuries. Speakers and panelists focused on the following thematic blocks:: 1) features of the dynamics of Africa's development as an integral part of the colonial world in modern and modern times; 2) colonizers and decolonizers of the continent, tools for influencing the evolution of African societies and the worldview of Africans; 3) lessons from the half-century history of the independent existence of the African continent; 4)the place of the founding fathers of new Africa in the historical memory of 5) Russians and Africans: understanding the experience of intercultural interaction in a historical perspective.

The main focus of the section " African Development: Opportunities and obstacles in the gender context "(headed by N. L. Krylova and N. A. Ksenofontova) was the study of existing gender compositions and attitudes prevailing in the studied societies and spaces of human relations. The reports were grouped into two main blocks:

- description of the gender context of culture, detailed study of discourses that reproduce the gender order in historical and modern aspects, analysis of literary texts;

- establishment of dispositions that determine the social status of women (both "norms" and "deviations" in these statuses), a detailed description and scientific analysis of the position of women.

One of the central tasks of the work was also the academically reasoned deconstruction, demythologization and demystification of the foundations of patriarchal policies.

The section examined socially determined relationships between the sexes on the example of specific groups, considered the mechanisms of reproduction of gender relations and factors that cause their transformation through the female subculture, as well as socio-cultural stereotypes related to the range of these issues.

The section " Africa and the World: mutual perception of cultures, people's relations and public policy "(head-Dmitry Bondarenko) heard and discussed 16 reports of scientists from scientific and educational centers of eight countries. The presentations reflected the diversity of topics "Africa and the world", which is due to both a regional approach (Africa and Eastern Europe, Africa and the West, Africa and the East, intra-African relations), and a problem analysis of the relationship between Africa and the world at the mental, interpersonal and state levels. The participation of representatives of a number of scientific disciplines (social anthropology, philology, psychology, history and sociology) in the work of the section allowed enriching the analysis, considering the issues discussed at the section meetings in various methodological contexts.

The comparison of different scientific approaches demonstrated by specialists from different fields of knowledge served as a useful example for undergraduates and postgraduates, who also presented a significant part of the reports of the two-day section meetings.

Ten presentations were made at the section " Tools of the Africanist: source studies and historiography of Africa "(moderator-A. B. Davidson). The main task of the section was to identify new trends in African source studies that have emerged in recent years around the world, including domestic science. The section participants believe that as an ip-

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any document can and should be considered as an exact reference point, because it is able to characterize one or another side of its time and not only. In modern social science, the Internet was also included in the list of source studies, and two reports were devoted to the possibilities of using it in this capacity.

The section " South Africa: Growth and Potential of Integration, overcoming obstacles in development "(head-Yu. S. Skubko) attracted more than 30 scientists and public and political figures from South Africa, Russia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, representatives of the World Wildlife Fund, embassies of Namibia and Zimbabwe. There were mainly three big topics discussed: 1) socio-political and economic problems of South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe; 2) questions of the history of the region; 3) domestic and foreign policy problems, global challenges faced by the countries of Southern Africa.

Among the first group of questions, presentations on economic and social issues caused a lively discussion. In the second block of reports, subjects related to the history of armed conflicts in Southern Africa and the war in Iraq were of the greatest interest. The third part of the presentations was notable for the discussion that unfolded around foreign policy and foreign economic issues related to integration processes (with the participation of South Africa) in the region and the developing world as a whole.

The section "Countries of the Middle East and North Africa: Regressive and progressive trends and models of Economic and Social development" (moderator - A. S. Tkachenko) was attended by Arab scientists from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, as well as researchers from India, the United Arab Emirates, and other organizations of the Russian Federation. A total of nine reports were presented. They focused on the impact of reforms on solving acute economic problems in the Middle East and North Africa, the economic use of fuel and raw materials-the main reserve of development, and the role of the ethno-confessional factor in modern political life. Issues related to the implementation of the G8 initiative on partnership with the countries of the region, which provides assistance in the implementation of economic and social reforms, were considered.

The work of the linguistic section " Development and functioning of African languages in the context of State and cultural construction "(Chair-corresponding member). V. A. Vinogradov Russian Academy of Sciences) was organized taking into account current issues, grouped as follows: 1) general theory and typology based on African language evidence; 2) socio-cultural processes in African countries and LEXICON; 3) phonetic and grammatical problems in synchrony and diachrony. The reports covered many specific languages and language families in Africa. Among their authors and in the group of participants in the discussions, along with specialists with extensive work experience, novice Africanists also showed themselves no less actively. A very significant influx of young research forces - linguists from St. Petersburg and Moscow-should be noted as a particularly positive sign of the conference. As a rule, they based their reports on new original materials, including those obtained during field surveys in Africa.

A significant contribution was made to the work of the conference by three "round tables", which focused on studying the most complex problems of the African continent, accumulating global issues of human and social survival in modern conditions.

Round table on Geography and Ecology of Africa " Environment and man: symbiosis or mutual destruction?" V. I. Gusarov (supervisor) listened to 11 reports of Russian participants, which considered continental, regional, country and problem aspects of the geography and ecology of Africa. Analyzing them from different angles, the speakers came to the conclusion that the continent's ecological and resource potential is rapidly being depleted and is no longer being renewed, that the process of human-nature relations in Africa is thoroughly disrupted, and that there is a permanent socio-ecological crisis. Summing up the signs and clear evidence of the worsening environmental situation in modern Africa, the panelists noted that this crisis is developing simultaneously in three main directions: 1) degradation of the natural environment, one of the manifestations of which was desertification; 2) depletion of water resources; 3) rapid spread of the AIDS pandemic and a number of other epidemic diseases. At the same time, a side conclusion is drawn that the Governments of most African countries cannot find a way out of the deteriorating situation on their own and all hopes are pinned on international assistance.

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The round table " Challenges of Globalization and Africa "(led by L. L. Fituni) was attended by 11 participants, including researchers from Germany and Angola. The discussion focused on fundamental changes taking place in the socio-economic life of African countries under the influence of globalization processes. Three groups of issues were discussed that attracted the attention of participants: 1) the changing role of the African continent as a source of natural and labor resources for the world economy; 2) the problem of international terrorism in connection with Africa; 3) the spread of elements of the "Islamic economy" in the countries of the continent. As a result of the exchange of views, some new theoretical hypotheses were put forward regarding the assessment of resource dependence of States, the ratio and assessment of the impact of TNCs on the economic and social development of African countries.

Participants of the round table " Revival of historical forms of social life through the prism of interaction between Africa and the West-East worlds "(head-V. R. Arsenyev) We listened to three of the five submitted reports. A discussion was held on the main areas of work, as a result of which the positions of the participants were clearly outlined. They reached a consensus on summarizing the experience of independent existence of African States after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the USSR. This period resulted in their almost complete economic and political dependence on the countries of the West and the "new East" represented by the PRC entering into competition with it. In these circumstances, the participants of the round table believe that the transformation of former colonial empires and their cultural and linguistic spaces into consolidated and associated unions with former colonies could create an alternative to Western globalization. It would also lay the foundation for maintaining Africa's involvement in the global civilizational process, and with greater maneuverability than direct interaction with TNCs or culturally, historically and linguistically alien actors in world politics.

The program of the closing plenary session was short, but quite succinct. A. B. Davidson, Director of the Center for African Studies at the Institute of World History, outlined the main stages in the development of Russian-Soviet African studies from the time of tsarist Russia to the early 1970s, and described their features. He brought the audience back to the historical reality, recalling the forgotten or unknown names of Russian scientists who began exploring the continent in the XIX century, and who happened to walk thousands of kilometers through the hot land of East and Central Africa.

The Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Mali, Suleiman Abdraman, addressed the scientists with words of gratitude for the assistance provided by the Soviet Union and Russia to the peoples of the continent in the struggle for independence and in building new states, boosting industry and training personnel. The speech of the candidate of sciences, who defended his dissertation at the Peoples ' Friendship University back in the Soviet period, was so emotional and at the same time convincing that it caused a storm of applause from usually reserved scientists.

Scientific results of the meetings were summed up by A. D. Savateev. He described the main directions, problems and conclusions made by the participants of the meetings. The topic of the conference reports confirmed the urgent need to strengthen, or rather recreate, the legal direction of research. International analytics does not correspond to the current level and scope of tasks set by time. The study of economic problems should probably be broader and more diverse. Nevertheless, in general, in African studies, we can talk about the multiplication of the number of researchers-Africanists, increasing interest in this regional science in Russian humanitarian thought.

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