The active development of horizontal expert networks and the creation of think tanks independent of Western narratives are essential conditions for the establishment of a just world order. This was the conclusion reached by participants at the international expert session "International Expert Dialogue as a Space for Self-Organization and Cooperation," which took place on December 18 at the Center for Social-Conservative Policy (CSCP) in Moscow.
Sofya Kozlova, Head of Communications at CSCP, moderated the session, noting in her welcoming remarks that international expert dialogue is becoming a key space for self-organization and responsible decision-making in a multipolar world.
As CSCP Director General Lyudmila Shuvalova noted, the increasing complexity of global processes makes self-organization of expert communities a key mechanism for finding solutions in the areas of security and development. This idea was echoed by other speakers.
Bakhtiyer Ergashev, Director of the Uzbekistan-based Ma'no Center, stated bluntly that it's time for think tanks in the Global South to stop blindly trusting external narratives and begin developing their own vision of history and the future. Meanwhile, Liu Yanchun, Deputy Director of the Institute of Russian Language at Dalian University of Foreign Studies, sees the path to this independence in deepened South-South academic cooperation, which should break the outdated "center-periphery" model.
In turn, Yulia Berg, founder of the GlobUs expert club, noted that expert communities have proven resilience in turbulent times.
"Expert communities are capable of maintaining dialogue and ensuring knowledge exchange, as well as analytical support for the decision-making process," Berg emphasized.