Competitiveness And Development Of Socio-Economic Systems During Covid Pandemic: A Scientific Points Of View

Abstract

Four years ago, we conceived of holding a conference in memory of the outstanding Ural academician, one of the leading Russian scientists in the field of regional development Alexander Tatarkin. These times it was a tribute to the memory of a fellow countryman who did a lot to develop economic science in the South Urals and recognition of modernity scientific directions developed by him. Today shows that the development of socio-economic systems of different levels (primarily understood as self-development) is becoming a cornerstone for all social sciences. The challenges that emerged during 2020 - a pandemic, new waves of social protests around the world, violation of international norms and sanctions rallies organized by the United States and its political satellites - all demonstrated the unrealistic belief in the natural course of progressive economic development under the sign of economic liberalism and globalism. The economic mainstream, which was based on this belief, has lost much of its credibility. In Thomas Kuhn's terminology, we are on the verge of a new scientific revolution. The accumulated set of "anomalous" facts for the neoclassical paradigm no longer interferes with the old "normal" theory entrenched in schools, universities, leading journals but directly overshadows this theory for any realistically thinking scientist. The "protective belt" erected for more than a hundred years has also rusted and crumbled under the pressure of both new economic theories and interdisciplinary approaches. However, a feature of the new revolution is that it is being carried out "from below" and comes from ordinary scientists and researchers looking for new approaches to solving pressing economic problems. Listening, providing a platform for discussions, allowing publishing and receiving feedback on publications - this is an incomplete list of tasks facing us in the process of organizing and holding the 4th International Scientific Conference "Competitiveness and Development of Socio-Economic Systems" in memory of Acad. Alexander Tatarkin. Perhaps among the conference participants are scientists whose theories and approaches will become the new mainstream.The 2020 conference, which is already the fourth in a row, discussed topical issues of fundamental science related to the explanation and management of development processes and increasing the competitiveness of various levels' socio-economic systems. Special attention is paid to discussing the problems of improving the economic theory and economic education in response to modern challenges, sustainable development of regions, technological drivers of socio-economic transformations, introducing new technologies into the production system, and urban communities and public administration. There also is an emphasis on the interdisciplinary connections of fundamental economic research with such sciences as sociology, psychology, political science, history. This contributes to a deeper understanding of the processes taking place in the economy. Separately, the conference discussed the scientific heritage of Academician Alexander Tatarkin (1946-2016), presentations of his colleagues and students are planned, developing his ideas and concepts, and a round table dedicated to the discussion of his scientific heritage. The format of the conference involves a plenary session with speeches by leading Russian and foreign scientists, recognized leaders in their scientific fields (including a foreign member of the RAS Askar Akaev, a corresponding member of the RAS, scientific director of the Institute of Economics of the RAS Ruslan Grinberg, corresponding member of the RAS Evgenii Popov, Vice President of the Free Economic Society of Russia Alexander Buzgalin, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Pham Van Duc). The Conference includes nine sections devoted to an in-depth study of various aspects of socio-economic systems of various levels: state, region, municipality, enterprise. Particular attention is paid to issues of digitalization of education and employment and social aspects of economic development. The conference was co-organized by Chelyabinsk State University, the Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (which Alexander Tatarkin headed for a long time), the Free Economic Society of Russia, as well as one of the leading universities in Iran - Allameh Tabatabai University and the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences. More than 300 participants from 41 regions of Russia, Vietnam, Iran, China, Romania, Czech Republic, Mongolia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Belarus, and Kazakhstan submitted applications and abstracts of reports for participation in the conference.The problem of developing and increasing the competitiveness of socio-economic systems of various levels - from the world economy to an enterprise and a municipality - is urgent for modern economic science. For Russian science, the competitiveness of both national and regional socio-economic systems, ensuring their sustainable development in the face of new challenges that change the "rules of the game" and the factors of success in the modern world, are of particular importance. Scientists continue to actively discuss how to respond to such challenges, including digitalization and the introduction of new technologies in production, urbanization, and decentralization of financial systems, the growing role of media in socio-economic processes, and the positive use of previous experience. Moreover, the fundamental problems of developing economic theory and economic education, the choice of their methodological and conceptual basis for forming an adequate perception of the complex modern socio-economic reality remain unresolved. Several reports devoted to the problems that have become urgent in the 2020 pandemic and discuss the drivers of overcoming the economy's current crisis.Discussions and publications prepared for and at the conference contributed to the formation of new and development of existing areas in economic science: the heterodox economic theory, the theory of transformation of socio-economic systems, regional economics, the theory of spatial development, institutional economics, enterprise theory, behavioral economics, the theory of new industrial development and noonomy, agrarian economy, city economy, the theory of sustainable development. Most of these questions and problems were raised in the works of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Economics, Professor Alexander Tatarkin. Thanks to the participation of participants from various countries in the conference, an exchange of views established with the distinctive national scientific schools of Vietnam and Iran and scientists from around the world. This allows us to conclude the importance of the conference to develop existing areas of fundamental science and their enrichment with foreign scientists' achievements.Based on a competitive selection of applications for scientific events, our conference (one of the few "economic" ones) received the support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 20-010-22048). This support allows the conference to be scaled. This year, more than 120 articles by conference participants prepared for publication in the prestigious European Proceedings of Social and Behavioral Sciences. We hope that the authors' ideas will find a lively response from readers worldwide and are ready for constructive discussion at subsequent conferences.