Department Staff Participate in Roundtable on China’s Role in Global Governance at HSE University’s April International Conference

On April 14, 2026, as part of the HSE University April International Scientific Conference in Moscow, a roundtable titled “China in Global Governance: From Narratives to Institutions” was held, organized by the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS). The discussion brought together leading Russian experts on contemporary China from the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICMA RAS), the European University at St. Petersburg, RUDN University, and HSE University. The session was moderated by Vasily Kashin, Director of CCEIS.

© From the personal archive of Svetlana Krivohizh

Representing the Department of World Politics and Public Administration, Elena Soboleva and Svetlana Krivokhizh presented papers on key aspects of China’s strategy in global governance.

Svetlana Krivokhizh delivered a presentation titled “China’s Epistemic Power in Global Governance: The Role of Think Tanks,” demonstrating how the People’s Republic of China deliberately expands its influence not only through economic and diplomatic instruments but also by building an alternative infrastructure for the production and legitimation of expert knowledge. Particular attention was given to the transformation of the think tank model itself—from the Western ideal of “independent expertise” to the Chinese understanding of think tanks as integrated components of state strategy.

Elena Soboleva presented her research titled “The Role of the PRC in Global Governance: The Case of the International Refugee Protection Regime,” in which she analyzed the evolution of China’s engagement in this area of global politics. She demonstrated how the PRC has shifted from criticizing international institutions to supporting them while simultaneously developing its own distinctive mode of interaction. The author concluded that China’s position on refugee issues reflects its broader approach to global governance: advocating for the interests of developing countries, prioritizing state sovereignty over individual rights, selectively adhering to international norms, and seeking not to create alternative structures but rather to adapt existing Western-centric mechanisms to its own preferences.

Participants discussed a wide range of issues, including the distinct features of the “Chinese model” of global governance and its institutional manifestations, the interplay between official and academic discourses, the role of educational initiatives, and methodological challenges in analyzing China’s foreign policy.