Emirate of Qatar, small in area and population, being a coastal state of the Persian Gulf, from year to year is demonstrating dynamic economic growth thanks to constantly growing income from hydrocarbon exports. According to experts of the British audit firm Ernst&Young and the Oxford Economics Institute, Qatar has topped the rating of the fastest growing markets in 2000-2010. The author particularly analyzes dynamics of the main socio-economic indicators of the country during the 2000s and also describes important provisions of the national government programs for medium and long-term periods. The study presents conclusions regarding the present situation and prospects of emirate’s economic development in the future.

The article analyzes trends and causes of the fertility decline in the intercensal period of 2002–2010 and temporary increase of the total birth rate in 2007–2014 from 1,3 to 1,7 children per woman due to improving implementation conditions of the existing need of the family mainly for two children by increasing child allowances and introducing “maternity capital”. The article discusses objectives and means of enhancing familydemographic state policy in connection with the upcoming in 2015–2025 reduction in reproductive 18–34 years old cohorts and continuing attenuation of family need for children and decrease of individual reproductive values.

The article presents a comparative analysis of various forecast options of major demographic indicators dynamics for Russia up to 2030. Data of Rosstat and the UNO forecasts are used. Assumptions underlying forecasts are analyzed and possible dynamics of fertility and mortality indicators are assessed. The article also examines, based on the index method, the contribution of various birth-rate components (fertility intensity, proportion of reproductive age women and the age structure of reproductive contingent) in the overall dynamics of this indicator.

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

Oil prices forecast for the period from July 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 in the last decades.

Crisis of the present involves changing management practices. A search for an effective knowledge-action methodology in a mobile, multifactor, nonlinear environment is conducted. Principles and methods of indirect, matrix, reflective, pointlike, reflex, synergetic control of people and events is formulated. Requirements for intellectual, creative and psychophysical status of a decision maker are increasing. The problem of competence limits of the ruling class can be solved by changing the managerial elite staff or by reducing the overall system level.

The article deals with the problem of assessing competitiveness of projects on equipping health institutions with high-tech medical devices, for example — medical devices for active-passive mechanical therapy, taking into account their price characteristics, functional and operational capabilities as well as the type of health care institution and patient population needing rehabilitation with the use of such high-tech products. To assess the competitiveness and financing of such projects it is proposed to apply the expertise method and principles of project financing, widespread in the economy.

The author analyzes the place of basic ethic question — the problem of individual choice — in the polemics of A. Smith with B. Mandeville, theorems of R. Coase, K. Arrow, in “prisoner’s dilemma” and other liberal theories. She arrives at the conclusion that modern scholars, like representatives of classical school, consider ethical behavior of human as a key driver of economic development and welfare. The author also concludes that spiritual and moral education is a particularly important social good.

Opening address of editor-in-chief.

The article proposes a systematic, pragmatic and creative approach to analyzing status and prospects of the Russian economy development in the context of global instability. This approach is distinguished by economic reality perception in all its complexity, characterized by nonlinearity, non-equilibrium and uncertainty of socio-economic development processes, by their laws awareness. On the basis of its application the authors have developed proposals for implementing an integrated public policies system for economy development and modernization on the advanced structural and technological basis, the implementation of which will accelerate the pace of economic growth and will allow to pass on to innovative development define for Russian economy in the world economic system. Nevertheless, let’s look at the situation from a viewpoint of non-economist.