Five Challenges Of The New Century

Abstract

When Russia entered a new century, it was faced with grave demographic challenges, the answers to which are to be found. This theme was the subject of the scientific conference “Russia in the face of demographic challenges of the XXI century”, which was held in Moscow on December, 18-19, 2003 and was dated for 15-th anniversary of the Center of demography and ecology of man of the Institute of national economy forecasting of RAS. The conference summarized the research of demographic problems in Russia conducted in the Center for many years. More than 90 people from different scientific and other organizations, with which the Center cooperates, took part in the conference. Among the participants there were: director of French national institute of demographic research F. Eran, chairman of the Council of productive forces research of Ministry of economic development and trade of Russian Federation and RAS academician A. Granberg, director of Institute of ethnology and anthropology of RAS Corresponding Member of RAS V. Tishkov, director of Institute of sociology of RAS L. Drobizheva, Secretary of State – vice-chairman of Goskomstat of Russian Federation S. Kolesnikov, chief of the Department of population census and demographic statistics of Goskomstat of Russian Federation I. Sbarskaya, director general of Russian association “Family planning” I. Grebesheva, researchers form many Moscow scientific economic, sociological, geographic and medical centers. A more detailed report about the conference may be found in Internet, address http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2003/0139/nauka08.php The general theme of the conference – “Russia in the face of demographic challenges of the XXI century” is divided into several sub-themes, each of which was discussed at one of the following four sessions: (1) Russia in the face of challenges of low fertility, depopulation and ageing; (2) Russia in the face of migration challenges; (3) Russia in the face of the challenges of deteriorating health; (4) Russia in the face of high mortality. These sub-themes, in their turn, corresponded to the scientific research areas of four laboratories of the Center of demography and ecology of man. The main reports were made by the chief research fellows of these laboratories. The texts of a number of reports were transformed into articles, which are published in the current issue of the journal.