Origins and Mission
The Center for Scientific and Technological Cooperation and Agrarian Research (Center for S&T Cooperation and Agricultural Research) was established as a structural unit of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences by a decision of the Institute’s Academic Council on February 3, 2025. This unit was formed through the reorganization and significant expansion of the mandate of the previously existing Center for Agrarian Research and Food Security, which had been operating since 2020. That earlier center functioned as an interdepartmental research group, bringing together researchers from various departments of the Institute of Oriental Studies: Department of Economic Research, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Center for Southeast Asia, Australian and Oceania, and Center for Indian Studies.
The establishment of the Center for Scientific and Technological Cooperation and Agrarian Research of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences was driven by the need to expand research activities in response to the growing requirements of the Russian Federation for developing scientific and technological cooperation with the countries in Asia and Africa. This aligns with the strategic course of deepening engagement with Eastern countries within Russia’s foreign policy and economic strategy, known as the «Pivot to the East». Formation of a polycentric architecture of international relations, expansion of the BRICS group, and strengthening role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization create a solid foundation for intensifying Russia’s S&T cooperation with partner countries in Asia and Africa. The effective development of such cooperation requires comprehensive study of the scientific and technological landscapes and institutional capabilities in these partner countries, as well as assessing viable avenues for joint projects and innovation initiatives.
In the contemporary geopolitical and economic landscape, a critical research avenue is the analysis of strategic alignment and cooperation pathways between Russia and Global South nations in the agribusiness domain. The acute relevance of this focus stems from the ongoing reconfiguration of established global connections in agricultural markets, characterized by disrupted supply chains and the retreat of major Western agricultural transnational corporations from Russia and their scaled-back presence in key Asian and African markets. In this regard, BRICS member states are acquiring an important role in shaping new contours of cooperation in the global agrifood sector.
A core research focus of the Center for S&T Cooperation and Agricultural Research lies in examining the complex interplay between technological progress and developmental disparities. Specifically, it employs a theoretical and methodological framework to analyze how advances in science and technology contribute to the growing heterogeneity observed in the economic systems of Asia and Africa. Concurrently, the Center investigates the countervailing influence of deep-rooted traditional institutions – encompassing specific models of reproduction, social norms, and patterns of international engagement – on shaping these nations’ distinct pathways of S&T advancement.
History of Agrarian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies
The tradition of agrarian studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies is deeply rooted in the 20th-century Russian academic legacy of research on rural and peasant societies. A decisive step in its development was the institutional founding of the Sector for Agrarian and Peasant Studies in 1974 under the leadership of Doctor of Economic Sciences V.G. Rastyannikov. Rastyannikov spearheaded the preparation and publication of a landmark series of collective monographs at the Institute, which provided foundational comprehensive analyses of agrarian development and food-related issues in Asian and African nations.
Research conducted during that period approached the agrarian-peasant question in the postcolonial countries of the East through the prism of socio-economic analysis. Scholars focused extensively on the penetration of capitalist relations into the countryside and the concomitant emergence of new social classes and agricultural institutions. A major line of inquiry was a comprehensive study of the Green Revolution, examining its dual role: as a catalyst for market-oriented mechanisms in farming, and as a force that exacerbated the sector’s inherent structural heterogeneity. Furthermore, substantial scholarly effort was devoted to analyzing agrarian reforms and state-led agricultural policies across Asia and North Africa.
Building on a scholarly tradition that emerged at the Institute of Oriental Studies in the mid-20th century, agrarian issues in Eastern nations became a central research pillar. This focus coincided with a historic wave of land reforms sweeping across newly independent states. Institute's scholars dedicated substantial attention to analyzing these large-scale agrarian transformations in postcolonial societies, where rural populations predominated. The seminal works produced by leading experts of this research school form an enduring legacy within the Institute of Oriental Studies. Among the most prominent contributions are studies of the Middle East by A.I. Demin, P.P. Moiseev, and A.Z. Arabadzhan; foundational research on India and Pakistan by V.G. Rastyannikov, G.G. Kotovsky, and V.Ya. Belokrenitsky; Yu.G. Alexandrov’s work on Southeast Asia; as well as V.A. Popov’s research on Japan and L.P. Deliusin’s studies on the People’s Republic of China.