October 21^st – 22^nd, 2011 – Hotel della Città et della Ville, Garzanti Hall, Corso della Repubblica 117, Forlì 
In collaboration with: The Interregional Non-Governmental Organisation for the Promotion of Cultural Cooperation with EU Countries; Master MIREES; Punto Europa; Associazione Italiana degli Slavisti And with the support of: Fondazione Garzanti ONLUS – Forlì; Camera di Commercio Industria ed Artigianato della Provincia di Forlì-Cesena, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Friday, October 21st, 9:30-13.00 
^1st Session: Leading Russia to the Future

 Welcome Address
Patrick Leech, City Councillor of Forlì for Culture and International Relations
Chair Ilya Roytman, President, The Interregional Non-Governmental Organisation for Promotion of Cultural Cooperation with EU Countries, Moscow.
Speakers
Problems and Perspectives of the next Russian Presidential Elections
Oxana Gaman-Golutvina, Russian Political Science Association, Moscow
The Approaches of Putin and Medvedev towards Modernization and Russian Society’s Reaction 
Elena Shestopal, Moscow State University
Russian and EU Relations: A Common Neighborhood?
Paolo Calzini, JohnsHopkins University, Bologna Center
Russia’s Modernization, What Role does the Church Play?
Nicolai Petro, Universityof Rhode Island Kingston 
Education and Universities: Collaboration in the Humanities
Marcello Garzaniti, University of Firenze 

Discussants
Denis Alekseev, International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations, Moscow
Irina Esipova, Adviser to the Minister of Energy of Russia, Moscow

Discussion

Friday, October 21st, 15.00-19.00
2^nd Session: Politics and Economics under Stress

Chair
Stefano Garzonio, University of Pisa
Speakers
Actual Problems of Improving Security for the Purposes of Russia’s Economic Modernization
Sergey Sudakov, MGIMO-University, Moscow
Facing Today’s Economic Challenges: Is There Room for Sustainable Development in Russia?
Gianpaolo Caselli, Universityof Modena
The Crisis of the Euro in Relations between Europe and Russia
Hartmut Lehmann, University of Bologna 
Russia‘s Modernization: an Opportunity for Combining Western and Eastern Foreign Policy Vectors?
Tomislava Penkova, ISPI, Milano
Importing Modernization from Outside? The Place of Europe
Serena Giusti, ISPI, Milano

Discussants
Domenico Mario Nuti, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Dmitri Golovanov, Department of Legal Support Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation 

Discussion

 Saturday, October 22^nd, 9.30-13.00
3^rd session:  The New Claims of Culture in a Globalized World

Chair 
Speakers
Influence of Globalization on Social Human Rights in Russia
Darya Boklan, RussianAcademy for Foreign Trade, Moscow
Russia and the West in a Globalizing Perspective
Robert Craig Nation, US Army War College, Carlisle 
Modernization, Democracy and Russian-Ukraine Relations
Vladimir Paniotto, NationalUniversity of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
EU and Russia vs. Shifting Middle Eastern Geopolitics
Albert Bininashvili, Columbia University, New York
The Afghanistan Question and the Western-Russian Reset in Relations
Dick Krickus, University of MaryWashington
The Current Situation in the Middle East: Russian and European Visions
Ilya Roytman, President, The Interregional Non-Governmental Organisation for Promotion of Cultural Cooperation with EU Countries, Moscow
Discussant
Gleb Cherkasov, Kommersant Newspaper, Russia
Discussion
Discussants and contributors 
Sara Barbieri,University of Bologna
Simona Berardi, University of Bologna
Jean Blondel, European University Institute, Florence
Liudmila Buglakova, University of Bologna
Alberto Chilosi, University of Pisa
Artūras Gailiūnas, Minister CounsellorPermanent Mission of Lithuania in Geneva
Guido Franzinetti, Universityof Eastern Piedmont
Olga Kalinkina, The Interregional Non-Governmental Organisation for Promotion of Cultural Cooperation with EU Countries, Moscow
Natalia Levykina, The Interregional Non-Governmental Organisation for Promotion of Cultural Cooperation with EU Countries, Moscow
Yulia Muzyka, The Interregional Non-Governmental Organisation for Promotion of Cultural Cooperation with EU Countries, Moscow
Mara Morini, University of Parma
Giuseppe Motta, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Elvira Oliva, PECOB
Fernando Orlandi, CSSEO, Levico Terme
Andrea Panaccione, UNIMORE, Modena
Armando Pitassio, University of Perugia
Predrag Šimić, Universityof Belgrade
Paolo Sorbello, PECOB