Moscow University Bulletin. Series 12. Political Science. 2025. 2.

The science of international relations is one of the young sciences, there is a different theoretical interpretation of international processes. The modern phase of world development is characterized by a turning point, which is reflected in theories. Science has already accumulated enough empirical material that needs to be structured, to reveal the evolution of international relations, and the factors that determine it. Attempts to replace international relations with world politics have no objective grounds. The Russian science of international relations, which is gradually forming and is in a state of self-realization in modern geopolitical, geoeconomic, and intercivilisational conditions, is increasing the potential of scientific research and is able to make a worthy contribution to the global science of international relations.

The article analyses two opposing approaches to the study of modern Russian diplomacy. In foreign literature diplomacy is seen as an instrument of foreign policy, traditionally belonging to the international relations theory. As a result, most of the works are reduced to the study of different schools (neorealism, neoliberalism, constructivism, etc.) in order to construct models applicable to describing diplomatic activity (for example, the ‘two-level game model’). At the same time, such models do not take into account the narrow professional specifics of diplomatic institutions and, consequently, can be used on limited historical material. At the same time, Soviet and Russian researchers tend to favour empirical works of practicing diplomats who considered applied aspects of foreign policy through the lens of their professional experience. This paradigm is suitable for analysing specific country situations, but cannot be the basis for developing universal theoretical models that can be applied in foreign policy planning. In this regard, it is necessary to develop a comprehensive vision of Russian diplomacy by combining the international experience of fundamental research with the domestic school of applied analysis.

The article presents the results of a comparative study of BRICS countries’ science diplomacy conceptual foundations. Science diplomacy is a system of interactions in building foreign policy, solving regional and global problems, establishing international scientific ties for the development of joint activities of the world scientific community aimed at increasing knowledge, and promoting the constructive international dialogue. This phenomenon is analysed in the article primarily as an instrument of foreign policy. As a result of operationalising the conceptual foundations identified by the qualitative content analysis, instrumental characteristics were formulated in each case to establish which approach to defining science diplomacy a state adheres to. These approaches were correlated with the roots of science diplomacy and considered in the context of contemporary conceptualisation of BRICS countries’ foreign policies.

The article analyzes textual descriptions of youth policy at Russian universities participating in the Priority 2030 program. The study sample consisted of 119 universities with diffe rent status (federal universities, national research universities, flagship universities, etc.), as well as of different institutional affiliation. Computer text analysis using the Python programming language was used to analyze models of youth policy.
The article substantiates the point that universities’ youth policies are overly differentiated and poorly integrated both within the university community and in terms of its compliance with federal regulatory documents regulating state youth policy. The author points to the fact that the youth policies of Russian universities do not have a unified socialization vector, and this, in the context of escalating geopolitical tensions, could become a factor of social disintegration and a decrease in the level of solidarity within Russian society.
As the conducted research has shown, the values of individualism, personal success and self-realization, orientation towards ‘world’ models and patterns are implicitly embedded in the models of youth policy. This circumstance may reduce the effect of educational influence on the younger generation, contributing to the formation of absenteeism and low civic and social activity.

The article demonstrates the possibility of identifying discrepancies between respondents’ perceptions of what constitutes their personal success and what they consider to be the indicators of success for future Russia, through the use of reversible modes of stimulus material presentation. The materials of empirical research are presented, confirming the validity of the assumption that the productivity of identifying the true political preferences and expectations of our fellow citizens can be increased by using visual stimuli demonstrated through eye trackers, with which respondents work in a reversible mode. The obtained data also indicates that the use of such modes allows for the identification of even those components of personal representations that, according to the respondents, may contradict the most socially desirable ones.

The article, based on the results of an empirical study, devoted to some features of the formation of modern youth planning horizons. The images of the country’s future in the next five and ten years were considered and compared. Young Russians’ planning horizons are mostly blurred and include assumptions about many risks and challenges that the country may face. Young citizens rarely see themselves as an active actor participating in the creation of the fate of the Motherland. The obtained results allow us to state that when forecasting the future of the country, the topics of transformation of the political system are more relevant for young Russians than the topics of economic, technological and cultural development. The image of the future is noticeably politicized. There is a significant differentiation of young people with respect to political orientations. It determines optimism and pessimism in assessments of the future of the country. The study allows us to speak about the preservation of problems, at the moment supported by the generational specificity of political socialization, requiring attention in the formation of national and state identity in Russian society.

The article analyzes the theoretical and practical aspects of the influence of mass culture on the formation of value attitudes among the «digital youth» of the Russian Federation. The article presents the results of a study of opinions by specialists and experts in various areas of mass culture from 37 subjects of the Russian Federation — from the DPR to the Khabarovsk Territory. The study used methods of in-depth interviews and expert surveys. The results of the study showed that young people are more susceptible to the effects of mass culture products due to factors such as socialization (including in the digital environment), long-term spending with digital services, etc., which affects the transformation of their values, which destructive elements can take advantage of. The older a young person is, the more meaningfully he reacts to any events that occur, his value system is already more stable. Nevertheless, digital mass culture remains a complex and dangerous tool in today’s complex international environment. In order to support the younger generation and form positive values in them, it is necessary to create their own mass media products. Therefore, within the framework of the study, criteria for the selection of such media projects have been prepared, as well as a matrix, where possible values and media products are generally correlated, which will allow de veloping simultaneously the sphere of technology, the media sphere and the value system of Russian youth.