The results of opinion poll conducted among participants of the Second closed business dinner for personnel directors of different enterprises and business owners, held in Moscow on October 11, 2013 in the “Davos” hall of “Swissotel Red Hills” Hotel, eloquently demonstrate that personnel problems in enterprises and companies from completely different branches of the Russian economy are very similar and require systematic approach and solution on a national or industry scale, and not within a single enterprise.

Within the framework of solving complex interstate problems the traditional diplomatic actions and military operations today are being replaced by indirect actions technologies that undermine rival state from inside. In the political and political science literature such actions and based on them policies are called “soft power”, which is discussed in the article.

National Security Concept of the Russian Federation cannot be considered as stiffened untouchable dogma. The concept’s sense and effectiveness are defined by its adequacy to modern realities, and they are subject to change. Therefore, the concept’s content should combine, on the one hand — firmness, stability of its fundamental principles and on the other — a timely response to emerging objective realities that require updating of various conceptual provisions. The current document in force has been already subjected to editing in 2000. However, a lot has changed since then, so we need a new edition, but not only introduction to the concept of a number of new provisions is required, but also the conceptual revision, that will cause introduction of fundamental changes in a number of other documents determining the state policy in different spheres of society. The article discusses some conceptual issues.

Many different opinions on the prospects of the Russian economy were expressed by the last economic year results: from restrained-optimistic to very pessimistic ones. At the Davos forum our representatives (from government and big business) as usual (learned) in a businesslike tone not admitting objections were speaking for some reason to the whole world about the internal developments of the Russian Federation and the problems, which are not of interest to anyone but ourselves. It is practically impossible to draw up conclusions from these statements about how we will ensure sustainable development and what role we define for Russian economy in the world economic system. Nevertheless, let’s look at the situation from a viewpoint of non-economist.

The current global economic crisis witnesses the next technological revolution, meaning transition from economy of material benefits to the economy of intellectual wealth. Productive motor forces yield the palm to productive intellectual forces. Infrastructure undergoes significant changes, applying flat economy on a larger scale and replacing traditional clusters and industrial parks by global industrial centers, educational, financial and innovative supermarkets.

The paper considers changes of the “Economic Strategies” opportunistic index (OIES) in January-February 2014. The contribution of supply and demand indices into OIES is estimated. Industrial production analysis is performed.

Oil prices forecast for the period from May 2014 to December 2015, prepared by the Institute of Energy Strategy in collaboration with the Institute for Economic Strategies based on neural model taking into account the experience of the world oil market functioning during the last decades.

Geopolitics — one of the areas of human existence, where it is especially evident how the history has quickened its pace. The last decade of the last century and the first decade of the present one have accommodated two major geopolitical shifts, each of which has led to a radical change in the pattern of the world. Doctor of historical sciences, professor Karen N. Brutents, who has decades of experience in senior positions in the sphere of international politics, in his conversation with Alexander Ageev reflects on the fates of the unipolar world, emerged as a consequence of the USSR collapse, and of American hegemony. An attempt to perpetuate such world order failed and American hegemony began to decline. What is ahead? “The world, — says Karen N. Brutents, — is on the brink of great geopolitical revolution, which is preceded or accompanied by a revolution in the minds”.

The article represents an appeal of a famous scientist-ecologist, the first minister for nature conservation of the Soviet Union Fyodor T. Morgun for nature conservancy, which sounded already in 2000 from the pages of edition “Peasant — Soul of the World”. The author believes that for successful solution of environmental problems on the whole planet only 7-8 % of industrialized countries’ budget is required. “That is what the governments of leading world countries need to think hard and to take appropriate steps instead of continuing the race of total mutual destruction weapons production”. These words today, 14 years later, become of particular relevance.

The main objective of the round table “Radical improvement of public health — an essential condition of the Russian society and economy modernization” is deeper understanding of the health systems impact on the state of population health and critical analysis of the latest evidence on effective strategies for improving health systems functioning with regard to increasing demands to ensure their sustainability and the principle of solidarity.