Programme

Today’s world is unimaginable without intensive information exchange. Information plays more important role than ever before in decision-making in all aspects of life ranging from daily activities to development strategies. In order for its expanding role to be a success, it is crucial that the information is fair and accurate, and that the entire humankind and all nations can equally contribute to its creation. In the modern world, most sources of information are Western and in English, which reduces the effectiveness of international information exchange. There are many reasons why this is the case and in order to achieve a more balanced development of global information this inequality should be overcome. How can this be done and how can we restore trust in information, making it a true and effective instrument for global progress? How can we make the global narrative reflect the factual state of affairs in the world, reflecting the points of view of different countries and global powers in a fair and balanced way?

Moderator
Evelina Zakamskaya, Editor-in-Chief, Doctor Channel; Anchor, Russia 24

Evelina Zakamskaya

Editor-in-Chief, Doctor Channel; Anchor, Russia 24

Evelina Zakamskaya was born on November 17, 1977, in Baku, and graduated from the Faculty of Philology at Tver State University. She is a presenter for Radio Mayak and for Mir, a television and radio company. Since 2006, she has been an anchor for television channel Russia 24. She writes and presents Mnenie (Opinion), a talk show covering social and political issues, and Idei, menyayushchie mir (World-Changing Ideas), a series of popular science programmes. Evelina Zakamskaya moderates Russia 24 sessions at major international forums. She is married with two daughters.

Panellists
Andrei Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Juan Maria Calvo Roy, International Relations Adviser to the President of EFE Spanish News Agency
Erlan Karin, Chairman, RTRK "Kazakhstan"
Bin Li, Deputy Director, China Global Television Network (CGTN-NEWS)
Margarita Simonyan, Chief Editor, RT Channel; Chief Editor, International Information Agency "Rossiya Segodnya"
Seyyed Zia Hashemi, Director General of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)

Andrei Bystritsky

Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics

In 1985-1991, Andrey Bystritskiy was engaged in research as a Senior Fellow at the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. He has been in the media industry since 1991, starting as the Head of the Audience Research Department of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company (RTR), author and host of radio and television broadcasts. In 1993-1996, Andrey Bystritskiy headed sociological research at the Company. From 1996 to 1997, he was in charge of the "Society" Department at the Itogi (Russian Newsweek) magazine. In 1997-1998, Andrey Bystritskiy was Deputy Director General for Information at TV Tsentr. Between 1998 and 1999, he was the Producer of the Russian news service on BBC. In 1999, he joined the Organizing Committee of the Unofficial Moscow Festival as one of its Co-Chairs, he was also a member of the Editorial Board of the Moscow Alternative newspaper and Chairman of the Mayak State Radio Broadcasting Company (main information radio in Russia). In 2000, Bystritskiy became the Director General of the Vesti State Television Company (an entity of RTR). From 2000 to 2008, he was Deputy Director General of RTR and the Director of the Department of Information Programmes of the Russia TV. In 2000-2013 Bystritskiy was a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of international broadcasting company Euronews. Between 2005 and 2007, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Apologia monthly magazine. From 2008 to 2014, he was the Chairman of the Voice of Russia State Radio Company (Russian international broadcaster in 44 languages). Andrey Bystritskiy has been at the National Research University – Higher School of Economics since 2001, as a Dean of the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design since 2014. Since 2008, he has been the head of the Council of the Heads of Government and Public Television and Radio Organizations of CIS Countries. Since 2014, Bystritskiy has been the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Chairman of the Public Supervisory Council of the Russian Ministry of Communications. Andrey Bystritskiy is a Professor and PhD (Pedagogics, 1989). He is a member of the Union of Writers. In June 2007, he received the Order of Honour. Andrey Bystritskiy is the author of books, including such works as Youth Subcultures and Russia's Intelligentsia During the Demise of the Soviet System (1991), and numerous publications in newspapers and magazines.

Juan Maria Calvo Roy

International Relations Adviser to the President of EFE Spanish News Agency

Journalist with an extensive career in the International Department at the Spanish News Agency EFE, of which he was the Director from 2003 to 2005. He has been Director of International Relations of EFE and Director of the Web Site of the Spanish Presidency of the EU during the first semester of 2010. Since September 2010 to June 2014 he worked in the Sales and Commercial Department of EFE, as responsible of Tenders and Strategical Projects. Retired from the active service since 2014, he was appointed adviser of the EFE’s President for International Relations.
Education: Bachelor of Journalism. Facultad de Ciencias de la Información de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Bachelor of Sociology. Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociología de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Erlan Karin

Chairman, RTRK "Kazakhstan"

From 2000 till 2003 – Director of the Central Asian Agency of Political Studies.
In 2003-2004 - first deputy chairman of the Republican Party "Asar", General Director of the International Institute of modern politics.
From 2004 to 2006, he headed the Center for counterterrorism programs.
In 2006 he was appointed political issues advisor to the governor of Mangistau region.
In February 2008, Erlan Karin was appointed as a head of the Department of internal policy of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In November 2008 he was appointed Secretary of strategic development of the NDP "Nur Otan" as per the resolution of the chairman of the NDP "Nur Otan" Nursultan Nazarbayev.
From December 2013 till May 2014 visiting professor in American university in Washington (USA).
From October 2014 to February 2017 he was Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan as per resolution of the Order of the Head of State.
Since February 2017, by the order of the Minister of Information and Communication of the Republic of Kazakhstan, he has been appointed Chairman of the Board of JSC "RTRK "Kazakhstan "
He is a member of the expert council under the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, member of the Public Council on the rule of law under the General Prosecutor Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President of Kazakhstan - Association of Political Science, Chairman of the Kazakhstan Council on Foreign Relations, member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for System Studies "Parasat".

Bin Li

Deputy Director, China Global Television Network (CGTN-NEWS)

LI Bin joined CCTV in 1994 and now is the deputy director of the English channel of China Global Television Network (CGTN). During the more than twenty years career of media experience, LI Bin has been the Paris correspondent of CCTV, and then deputy director of its regional bureau based in London. In 2013, LI Bin was sent to Nairobi as the head of CCTV’s first regional center in Kenya. When CGTN was launched in 2016, LI Bin ended his term in Africa and returned to work as deputy director of CGTN English.

Margarita Simonyan

Chief Editor, RT Channel; Chief Editor, International Information Agency "Rossiya Segodnya"

In 2005, Margarita Simonyan was named Editor-in-Chief of Russia Today, Russia’s first 24/7 English-language news channel. After the launch of RT Arabic in 2007 and RT Spanish in 2009, she became Editor-in-Chief of the global, multilingual television network RT. In December 2017, RT launched its newest channel — RT France. Today, RT consists of eight TV channels, digital platforms in six languages, and a global multimedia news agency RUPTLY. Under Ms. Simonyan’s helm, RT grew its TV audience to 100 million weekly viewers, established itself as the undisputed leader among TV news networks on YouTube with more than 5.5 billion views and became a five-time Emmy finalist for news coverage and commentary – in addition to dozens of other international media accolades. Prior to heading up RT, Ms. Simonyan had reported from Chechnya during the Second Chechen War, from Abkhazia, and from the Beslan School Siege, which earned her several journalism awards. In December 2013, Ms. Simonyan was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Rossiya Segodnya, an international news agency and radio service.

Seyyed Zia Hashemi

Director General of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)

Some of his positions and professional backgrounds: IRNA Managing Director (since 31 December 2017); Acting minister of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (20 August 2017 -29 October 2017); Member of the Supervisory Board of the Press; Deputy Minister of Culture and Society of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology for cultural and social affairs; Head of the Institute of Social Studies and Research of Tehran University; Head of the Center for Youth Social and Economic Studies at the University of Tehran; Deputy cultural director of Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research; Member of the Research Council of the Tehran University; Representative of the Ministry of Science at the High Council of Youth; Member of the Social Council of the country; Member of the Council of General Culture of the country.

Some of his works: Review of Social Sciences Books in Iran (2015), Social sciences in Iran and its future (2013), Consumption pattern analysis in Iran (2012), Social changes in Nahj al-Balaghah (2001), and more than 30 essays and articles about National identity, youth, education, political participation, women, social changes and religiousus belief and employment.

Education: 2004 - Ph.D. in Sociology; 1996 - M.A in Sociology; 1994 - B.A in Social Sciences; 1988 - Diploma in mathematics and physics.