Alumni of MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia) (honors diploma). She is a President of IMESClub, columnist of Al Arabiya English. Activist. Analyst. Independent researcher. Her career has started in 2007. She was involved in numerous projects in the field of political science, international research. She wrote her Master Thesis working at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). She was involved in Promotion of Arab Peace Initiative collaborating with CDCD. She took part and was an organiser of a significant number of high level international conferences and events devoted to the Middle East/Arab World agendas. She writes her PhD thesis under supervision of the most prominent Russian scientist and expert on the Middle East, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vitaly Naumkin. The subject of her research is "Evolution of social and political system of Egypt from Mubarak to Sisi". Since 2014 she is a columnist of Al Arabia English. She is a regular political commentator and analyst on Sky News Arabia, BBC Arabic, Al Jazeera and others. She works on popularisation of the Middle East and Arab world in Russia, fights islamophobia, xenophobia, arabophobia, stereotypes through diverse initiatives. She masters unique PR,GR, BR activities. IMESClub, NGO led by Maria is focusing now on building bridges between the societies, amelioration of perceptions and bilateral climate amelioration between the societies. Her moto: "Governments are changing. Societies stay the same. Build bridges between societies first". IMESClub also work on popularisation of Russian Middle Eastern studies abroad and unites the leading experts on the Middle East from Russia and 15 foreign countries. Organisation was established in 2012 and successfully develops since then. Professional research field: Egypt, Egypt-Russia ties, extremism, ISIS; Russian, French, American foreign policy in the MENA, Syria war, GCC, Peace Process. Fluently speaks and writes in French and English. Learns Arabic.

Director for the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (since 2009); President for the Center for Strategic and Political Studies (since 1991); Editor-in-Chief of Vostok-ORIENS magazine of the Russian Academy of Sciences (since 1998); Member of the Scientific Council under the Security Council of Russia. Member of the Valdai Discussion Club. Founder and Chairman of the Board, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Moscow (2006); Professor and Chair, Faculty of World Politics, Moscow State University (since 2003); Good Will Ambassador for the Alliance of Civilizations (2007). Previous positions: researcher, head of the Middle East Center of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (1984-2008). Visiting Professor, Department of Political Science, American University in Cairo (1991);Visiting Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley (2003); Research Fellow, Bellagio Center, Italy, Rockefeller Foundation (2004); Guest Observer, Abu-Dhabi TV Satellite Arabic Channel (2001-2002); Russian representative at the High Level Group, Alliance of Civilizations under Secretary General of the United Nations (2005-2006). Author of about 500 publications in Russian, English, French, Arabic and other languages.

Nikolay Soukhov (PhD, History) is a researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies (Russian Academy of Sciences), and an associate professor of Peoples’ friendship University of Russia. Due to his previous job experience, he is an expert on international humanitarian, cultural and education relations in the MENA region. Participated as Russian Foreign Ministry officer with diplomatic assignment in Rabat (2005 – 2012) in high-level international events and conferences throughout the countries of the region. A graduate of the Moscow State University (Institute for Afro-Asian Studies, 1988) he started his career as a military interpreter in South Yemen then Libya. Retiring as a First Lieutenant, he post-graduated International Business School CONTACT then occupied the supervising positions in commercial and government organizations. Author of the studies on the Khalifat state theory and the history of Russian-Arabic humanitarian and intercultural relations, he also published several articles on “Arab spring” and drafted the government reports.

Scholar and expert in Cross-Cultural Communication and Moslem – Christian Interaction. Lecturer. Journalist. Alumni of The Moscow State University, philology department. Postgraduate studies in philosophy of culture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, philosophy department. Dissertation “Socio-Cultural Aspects of Moslem-Christian Interaction (Case-study of mass communication and systems of education in Russia and Egypt)”. Occupation: Executive Director of The Russian – Egyptian Business Council at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (since 2014). Co-owner & Foreign Relations Director at The Centre for Humanitarian Cooperation (since 2006). Author of educational courses: “Features of Cross-Cultural Communication. Russia – Arab World”, “Features of Value Axiomatics in Modern Egypt”, “Taboo and Acceptable Behavioral Models in the Arab Cultural & Confessional Environment”, “Particularities of Business Communication in Egypt”, “Introduction to Moslem – Christian Interaction”. Member of The Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, International Association for Cultural Studies, Association for the Sociology of Religion, Egyptian Association of Graduates from Soviet and Russian Universities, Association for Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Russian Philosophical Society.

Position Chairman of Al Karma Center for Human Development. (Since 2004) Chairman & CEO of “Thimar Company” for Imports and Exports. (Since 2012) Lecturer, MSA University School of Art & Design. (Since 2013) Academic Qualifications: 2011- Ph.D. Thesis study “Dress a as a cultural Dialogue between East and West – Al Andalus – Analytical Historical Study”. Department of Apparel Design & Management of technology Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, Cairo. 2008-2009 - Diploma in Civil Society & Human Rights from faculty of Economics & Political Science, Cairo University, in cooperation with UNICEF. 2004 - Master of Applied Arts: The Development of European women's dress in the 1st half of the 20th century "Historical Study" Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, Cairo. 1998 - High Diploma in weaving Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, Cairo. 1998 - Diploma in Total Quality Management and ISO, The American University, Cairo “AUC”. 1995 - B.Sc. Of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Arts, Textile & Weaving Department, Helwan University, Cairo. 1990 - Secondary Education G.C.E. O’Level. British Council in Cairo, University of London. Professional Experiences: 2009 - Leading the project “Promoting Transparent and Accountable Elected Institutions through Civic Activism” funded by USAID. Since 2008 - Project Manager “ Family Justice project” with The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood(NCCM) & Management Science for Development(MSD) on December 2007, Funded by USAID 2007 - Visiting Lecturer– Faculty of Applied Arts – Mansoura University. Since 2004 - Founder and Chairman – Al Karma Center for Human Development. 2003-2004 - Partner and Board member, marketing director of Alarabia company for Food industries and trading. 1999-2004 - University Lecturer – High Institution of Applied Arts, 6th of October, Egypt. 1998 - Registered as an expert in the field of Textile Weaving and Ready made Garments “TUV“ Management Services. 1996-1998 - Partner and general manager assistant of Nine Trading for Manufacturing and Exporting Garments. 1992-1995 - Established and managed National company for trading fertilizers ,Tahta and Om Doma, Tema, Sohag Political and Social Experience: Socio-political Awareness, Media and Advocacy, organizing, moderating, facilitating and participating Seminars and workshops in Civilization and Interfaith dialogue. Managing political, social and cultural projects. Political analysis and media encounters. Political, social and cultural surveys and researches. Participant in all events conferences of the “Egyptian Council for foreign Affirs”. Founder of Al Karma Center for Human Development : Main Mission: Supporting Democracy and socio political and humanitarian development. Projects : Empowerment women's political participation in Sohag, through public conferences and awareness campaign, issuing 3500 ID for women. Inter-faith and Intercultural Seminars on the Global, regional and Local Levels. Enhancing Youth Leadership Skills and political awareness. Supporting Family Justice, with Legal social advices and vocational training for women, with kids programmes and surveys. Producing Documentary Film of Family Justice.

Occupation : Professor of International Law and International Relations Organisation : Faculty of Mass Communications– Cairo University Member of Egyptian Council on Foreign Relations Educational Qualifications: 1.Doctorate of Public international law ,Alexandria University , 2006 Subject of thesis;International Responsibility of Committing Genocide. 2.International Diploma of Humanitarian Assistance ,Fordham University ,New York, U.S.A,2005. 3. Post Graduate Diploma, Crises Management,Ein Shams University,2003. 4.Post Graduate Diploma, Human Rights and Civil Society,Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo university, 2002. 5.Masters Public International Law,Cairo University, 1998. Subject of these; The Status of United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. 6.Advaced Diploma , English Language Instructor, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A,1994. 7.Diploma ,Law of Armed Conflicts , International Committee of Red Cross,1993. 8. Basic Diploma , English Language Instructor , San Antonio Texas, U.S.A,1989 9-License of Law, Zagazig University,1986. 10-Bachelor of Military Sciences, Military Academy, Cairo, 1981. Previous Academic Experience : Teaching in English International Law and International Relations since 1994 in the following Institutions: 1-Cairo University, Faculty of Mass Comms. 2-Future University, Faculty of Economics and Political sciences. 3-Sinai University, Faculty of Mass Comms. 4-Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 5- Ministry of Defence. 6- Ministry of Interior. 7- Ministry of Local Development. Books 1-Status of UN peacekeeping Force, 1998. 2-International Responsibility of Committing Genocide, 2006. 3-Post-Conflict Justice Mechanism in Arab World since 1945.( English Version),2008. International Occupation: Liaison Officer and English Translator for the Egyptian Peacekeeping Forces in Bosnia in 1997 – 1998. Decorates and Medals: 1- NATO Medal of International Peacekeeping in 1998, 2- Italian Medal of International Peacekeeping in 2000

Senior Research Fellow at the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique, FRS (Foundation for Strategic Research) in Paris - France. He is specialist on Proliferation Issues, Non Conventional Terrorism and more globally on Technology Policy. He is doctor in Political Science. After some years as professor in a Business School in Toulouse, he entered as Senior Analyst at the Secretariat général de la Défense nationale, SGDN, of the Prime Minister Office (General Secretary for National Defense) 1988-1991; then he joined the Centre de recherches et d'études sur les stratégies et les technologies de l'Ecole polytechnique, CREST, (Center for research and study on strategy and technology) now mergered in the FRS. Too, he is Associated Professor in Economics at University of Paris II (Panthéon-Assas) at Paris. He has a worldwide knowledge of Mediterranean, Middle East and Central Asia.

Marc Hecker holds a PhD in political science from University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Strasbourg and holds a Masters (DEA) in International Relations from University Paris 1 Panthéon - Sorbonne. He also spent one academic year at Trinity College, Dublin. He published several books: La presse française et la première guerre du Golfe (L'Harmattan, 2003), La défense des intérêts de l'Etat d'Israël en France (L'Harmattan, 2005), War 2.0: Irregular Warfare in the Information Age (Praeger, 2009 with Thomas Rid) and Intifada française? (Ellipses, 2012). His articles appeared in major journals (Policy Review, Internationale Politik, Commentaire, Etudes, etc.) and in newspapers (Le Monde, Le Figaro, Les Echos, Libération, etc.). Dr Hecker is deputy editor of Politique étrangère.

Mansouria Mokhefi is the special advisor for the Middle East and the Maghreb at Ifri (French Institute for International Relations). She holds a PhD from the Institut d'Etudes politiques de Paris , a licence on Arab and Islamic civilization from the INALCO (National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations), and a Master's from New York University. After teaching History and International Relations at Vassar College (New York), she runs an annual seminar on the Arab world at the New York University in Paris. Mansouria Mokhefi is a member of the research center for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations and associate researcher at the University of Quebec in Montreal. She is the author of many analyses, she co authored with Alain Antil, head of the Africa program at IFRI, "The Maghreb and south: towards renewed ties" (A CNRS publication, December 2012).

I am pursuing a PhD in International Relations at the University of Oxford (St. Antony's College), where I previously completed a 2-year Master's Degree. My research focuses on Russian foreign policy towards Iran, Iraq and Syria over the past decade, especially how it is impacted by Moscow's perceptions of its bilateral relationship with the United States. I am currently based in Moscow as an Alfa Fellow, where I work as a junior visiting scholar at the Carnegie Moscow Centre and the Institute of Oriental Studies, as well as study Arabic.

Work Experience Associate Professor, Director, Human Rights Dept., Faculty of Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran, 2003 – to present; Field of teaching & research: International human rights law (civil and political rights, citizenship and democracy education, peace-building, development and rights of women & minorities) Lawyer & Legal Consultant (Int'l contracts and arbitration), 2003- to present Visiting Professor, UN University for Peace, Costa Rica, 2009- to present UN Consultant in Kabul, Afghanistan, (Human Rights Treaty Reporting Workshops), 2006-2009 Post-Doctoral Fellow, McGill University, 2002-2003 Lecturer, Faculty of Religion, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 2002 Research Assistant, Faculté de droit, Université de Montréal, 1997-2000 Lecturer, Faculty of Legal Science (Tehran, Iran), 1989-1992 Education LL.D. Université de Montréal & McGill University, Canada, 1996-2001 International Human Rights Law; Human Rights in Islamic Law (Dean’s Honor List) LL.M. McGill University, Canada 1992-1994 International Law LL.D. Tarbiat Modarres University (Tehran, Iran) 1989-1992 Criminal Law and Criminology LL.M. Tarbiat Modarres University 1986-1989 Criminal Law LL.B. Faculty of Legal Science (Tehran, Iran) 1983-1986 Law Certificate in Arbitration and Conflict Resolution. The Quebec National and International Commercial Arbitration Center Certificate of Proficiency in English. McGill University, Canada, 1993 Proficiency in Oral and Written French. Université de Montréal, Canada, 1995 Published books and several articles and papers in books, magazines, and academic journals in the field of human rights, in particular civil and political rights, women and minorities' rights, democracy, development and citizenship education. Travels often to attend meetings and conferences and has participated in many conferences and seminars in U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. Organized several meetings and training workshops in Iran and abroad in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Lana (Svetlana) Ravandi-Fadai (PhD), Senior Researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is the author of over 50 scholarly works. Her book, Political Parties and Organizations of Iran (2010), traces the formation of modern political parties in Iran from the early 20th century to the present, and was chosen out of 700 new publications as runner-up for Best Scholarly Book of the Year at the Institute of Oriental Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences. Her next book, co-authored with Dr. Touraj Atabaki, is titled, Victims of Their Faith, traces the fates of Iranian Communist revolutionaries during the period of Stalinist repressions. It will be published in three languages in 2014. Another book by Dr. Ravandi-Fadai, “Doctor Mossadeq: His Life and Deeds,” is also scheduled for publication in 2014. In 2010, she was awarded a Golam Hossein Sadiqi Fellowship for research work at the Institute for Social History in Amsterdam under the Royal Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands. Lana graduated from the Eastern Studies Department of Baku State University and, in 1997, received her Master’s Degree as a Regional Specialist in Iran from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 2002, she successfully defended her dissertation to become a Doctor of Historical Sciences. Since 1998, she has worked as a research fellow and taught Persian language and literature at the Oriental University in Moscow. In addition to participating in international conferences in Russia, Iran, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United States, Great Britain, and Greece, Dr. Ravandi-Fadai has been invited to speak at prestigious institutions of learning, such as the University of Tehran, Oxford University, and Virginia Military Institute. Her works examine political and social developments in contemporary Iran – political parties and factions, government institutions, educational policy, and ethnic and women’s issues.

Bakhtiar Amin was born 1959 in Kirkuk. He has served as Minister of Human Rights of Iraq, Alternate Member of Governing Council in Iraq, Refugee Councilor in Sweden and Secretary General of Paris Kurdish Institute, Adviser to Danielle Mitterrand Foundation France-Libertes, Director of Human Rights Alliance in Washington D.C. , Executive Director of the International Alliance for Justice (IAJ), which coordinated a network of 275 international non-governmental organizations from more than 120 countries. The IAJ called for the establishment of an International Ad Hoc Tribunal to investigate the former Iraqi leadership's crimes against humanity, crimes of war and genocide. He was educated at the Sorbonne in Paris and has a master’s degree in international relations. He pursued doctoral studies in geopolitics and studied journalism in Sweden. He has over three decades' experience in the field of democracy, international human rights and humanitarian work. He has worked extensively on issues involving minorities, indigenous peoples, good governance, empowerment of youth and women, rule of law, water cooperation, Weapons of Mass Destruction, land mines, justice, peace, non violence, the International Criminal Court, genocide, crimes against humanity, mass graves, freedom of expression, cultural issues, federalism, refugees and IDPs, liberating prisoners and conflict resolution. He has participated in fact-finding missions in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, among others. He has testified before US Congress, European Parliament, Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO, various UN bodies in Geneva & New York, and spoken at many prestigious institutions, think-tank organizations and universities worldwide. He has been actively involved in G8's Forum for Future process in BMENA region, speaking at various international conferences and meeting regularly with heads of states and dignitaries from various parts of the world. He is currently the Chairman of the board of directors for the Foundation for the Future, which is carrying out over 200 projects in the field of democracy, civic participation and human rights in the broader Middle East & North Africa.

Koby Huberman is a businessman, a veteran high-tech executive, and a civil society leader. He has more than 28 years in global high-tech technology corporations, and 15 years in civil society organizations. He is the CEO of Strategic Landscapes Ltd., the Author and Co-Founder of the Israeli Peace Initiative Group, and the Co-Chairman of The Empathy Group. As a civil society leader, and in parallel to his business career, Koby has been engaged in the past 15 years in more than 25 voluntary projects with various NGOs and NFP organizations, where he led new social ventures and assisted NGO’s leaders. As a strong believer in the leadership role of independent citizens in a modern civil society, his activities focus on these transformational initiatives for peace and prosperity in the region. His major effort today is to promote new ideas for regional peace settlement in the Middle-East. He co-authored the proposal for an Israeli Peace Initiative (IPI), together with Yuval Rabin, and formed the IPI Group. The group includes 120 prominent Israeli civil society leaders, who work as a creative think-tank in order to promote diplomatic solutions in the Middle-East region, as well as building bridges between Israeli civil society and the emerging Arab civil societies. As the CEO of Strategic Landscapes Ltd. since 2007, he is a leading vision-driven strategy advisor for global companies, working with brave leaders who want to transform their organizations. His clients come from various domains – high-tech (telecommunications, software, semiconductor machinery, optical devices and cellular equipment) as well as agriculture, professional services companies and media. He helps these leaders discover, develop and adopt transformational growth strategies beyond traditional market growth, by reshaping their markets, redefining their core competency and re-engineering their business DNA. In 2010 he published a book called "Strategy' Leadership and the Soul", co-authored with Jennifer Sertl. Until 2007, he had various executive roles in general management, business development, strategy development, mergers and acquisitions and strategic marketing. As a visionary executive, he led NICE Systems’ strategy and helped transform the company from a $100m hardware company to a $700m software solutions leader. As the co-chairman of The Empathy Group, he is a co-founder of a unique Jewish-Arab startup in the emerging category of Social-Value-Tech. The group creates new types of multimedia content and applications, in order to build empathic bridges between diverse communities on a global basis. Koby has a BA degree in Economic and Business, and a MA (magna cum laude) in Philosophy, both from Tel-Aviv University. He speaks several languages (Hebrew, English and Arabic being the main, with some knowledge of French and German).

Professor Dr Elie Podeh works for the Department of Islam and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He completed his PhD at Tel-Aviv University in Middle East studies in 1991 and his post-Doctorate at Cornell University in the USA 1992-93. His main fields of interest are Egypt, inter-Arab relations, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and education and culture in the Middle East. Professor Podeh served as the chair of the Department of Islam and Middle East Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem from 2004-2009. He was also the editor of The New East (Hamizrah Hehadash) – the Hebrew journal of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Association of Israel (MEISAI) from 2000-2008. He is a senior research fellow at the Harry S. Truman Institute for the advancement of Peace. He has published and edited several books, such as The Quest for Hegemony in the Arab World: The Struggle Over the Baghdad Pact (1995); The Decline of Arab Unity: The Rise and Fall of the United Arab Republic (1999); The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Israeli History Textbooks, 1948-2000 (2002; Arabic version, 2006); Rethinking Nasserism: Revolution and Historical Memory in Modern Egypt (edited with Onn Winckler, 2004); Arab-Jewish Relations: From Conflict to Resolution? Essays in Honor of Professor Moshe Ma'oz (edited with Asher Kaufman, 2006); Britain and the Middle East: From Imperial Power to Junior Partner (edited with Zach Levey, 2007); The Politics of National celebrations in the Arab World (Cambridge, 2011). Professor Podeh is a frequent commentator in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz and also on various TV programmes. His current research deals with missed opportunities in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Shehab Al Makahleh is a senior journalist, senior policy expert, senior media adviser and author. He has been working in these fields for more than 26 years in the Middle East and in war-torn countries where terrorism and extremism have mushroomed to tear apart a cohesive community fabric. Al Makahleh is a co-founder of Geostrategic Media, Senior Adviser for the Gulf States Analytics, Senior Editor at the Arab Defense Industry Papers, and former Senior Reporter for the Gulf News. He contributes analytical pieces to various American and European media outlets: Forbes, Foreign Policy Blog, Washington Times, the Hill, Russia Today, the Atlantic Council and other newspapers in the Middle East in Arabic, English and French. He published 7 books. The latest of which is: Into the Terrorist Minds which has been based on interview with some extremists and terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In this book, Shehab Al Makahleh, who has chronicled the modern history of his country in Jordan's Spiritual Leader: King Hussein's Charismatic Qualities– Jordan and His Majesty King Abdullah II’s Traits: Leader and Teacher, has obtained unprecedented access to extremists who traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight and are now serving time in prison. The book, unique in its level of detail and the depth of its insight into the modern scourge of terrorism and the individual decisions that lead individuals to find its violent ideology appealing, contains in-depth interviews between the author and nearly a dozen men who went to Syria for jihad between 2011 and the present day.

Walid Salem was born in East Jerusalem in 1957.He is a Member in the Palestinian National Council of PLO, teaching democracy and human rights at AlQuds University. He is a writer of thirty books and training manuals, and tens of research papers on Democracy, civil society, citizenship, refugees, and Jerusalem. He is also a consultant, evaluator, and trainer for several public and private bodies. He trained more than thirty thousand Palestinians on these issues since 1990, and, since 1993, he is the Director of The Centre for Democracy and Community Development, East Jerusalem. He is the Coordinator of Middle East Citizen Assembly as regional network of experts and activists on citizenship issues that include participants from 19 countries from the region since 2004. He has lectured at several international conferences and seminars about democracy, Jerusalem, refugees, and development in Palestine.

Дударев Константин Петрович – востоковед, журналист и бизнесмен. Много лет посвятил изучению Арабского мира. В 70-е и 80-е годы в течение 15 лет работал руководителем Отделения советского информационного агентства ТАСС в Египте, а затем в Алжире. Был одним из руководителей Арабской Редакции и Редакции Ближнего и Среднего Востока ТАСС.  В 1992-1993 – заместитель главного редактора журнала VIP-Premier (Москва). Автор многочисленных репортажей и статей об арабских странах, опубликованных в советских и российских газетах и журналах. Cоавтор нескольких книг по Северной Африке и Центральной Азии (Конфликт в Западной Сахаре, «Постсоветская Центральная Азия. Потери и обретения»). Выпускник МГИМО, владеет арабским, английским и французским языками. В 1995-2000 гг. возглавлял московское представительство “Нимир Петролеум” - первой саудовской нефтяной компании, вышедшей на российский рынок и имевшей нефтедобывающее и нефтеперерабатывающее предприятие “Петросах” на Сахалине. В 2002-2009 гг. годы работал в ОАО “Стройтрансгаз” (СТГ), занимался развитием бизнеса в странах Аравийского полуострова. В 2004 году “Стройтрансгаз” стал первой российской строительной компанией, вышедшей на рынок Саудовской Аравии. В качестве генерального директора Филиала СТГ в КСА обеспечил подписание первого в истории контракта российской фирмы с крупнейшим в мире нефтегазовым концерном “Сауди Арамко”, а затем нескольких других крупных контрактов с этим и другими госзаказчиками Саудовской Аравии. В 2010-2013 работал советником компании AST Construction Saudi Arabia Ltd. За десятилетие работы в королевстве, проведя множество встреч как с представителями деловых кругов, так и с официальными лицами, включая членов королевской семьи, пришел к убеждению, что установление тесного сотрудничества между Россией и  Саудовской Аравией является объективной необходимостью, отвечающей коренным интересам двух стран и народов. В 2015 году вышла в свет книга К.П. Дударева “Саудовская Аравия: XXI век на родине ислама. От “всемирной бензоколонки” к “лаборатории инноваций и совершенства” (ИД «Недра», Москва, 2015 г.), которая содержит богатый фактический материал о различных аспектах экономической и общественной жизни КСА в наши дни, личные наблюдения автора, а также анализ опыта работы российских компаний в королевстве, рекомендации для российских предпринимателей. Это первая в России книга о современной Саудовской Аравии, в которой также впервые в нашей стране рассказывается об особенностям ведения бизнеса в арабском мире. В июне 2016 г. Ассоциация книгоиздателей (АСКИ) РФ назвала ее «Лучшей книгой 2015 года» в номинации «Лучшее издание деловой литературы».

Andrey Fedorchenko graduated with honours from Moscow State University. He worked as head of the department at Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Currently Mr. Fedorchenko holds courses at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Moscow State University and Moscow University for Industry and Finance “Synergy”. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community and of the Expert Advisory Body at Institute of the Middle East. Mr. Fedorchenko is a permanent member of the World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES) and of the Advisory Board at European Association for Middle Eastern Studies (EURAMES). Since June 2004 he is a director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at MGIMO. Research interests include social and economic development of the Middle East countries, economic systems of the migratory states, system of international relations in the Middle East and Russian foreign policy in West Asia. Mr. Fedorchenko’s scholarly work includes 10 books and more than 200 research papers. His main research works are published in such scientific periodicals as “World Economy and International Relations”, “Vestnik MGIMO”, “Problems of Modern Economics”, “Modern Competition”, “Asia and Africa Today” and scientific publications in USA, Japan, Hungary, Arab countries and Israel. Among the most outstanding works are such monographs as “Economy of Migratory Society”(1998), “Israel: Problems of Economic Development”(1990), “Financial Structures of the Middle East”(coauthored, 1996), “The State of Israel” (coauthored, 2005), “Middle East: Possible Ways for Transformational Processes” (coauthored, 2012). He is an associate editor for several multi-author books and author of textbooks on World Economy. Mr. Fedorchenko is committed research and wrote a report of the issue of “Possible Scenario for Situation Development in the Middle East” through the request of the Presidential Foreign Policy Directorate. He presented analytical report on the subject of “Transformational Processes in the Middle East and Northern Africa and Russian National Interests” (coauthored) at the Russian Civic Council on International Cooperation and Public Diplomacy of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. Mr. Fedorchenko participated in grants provided by Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (USA), European Association for Middle Eastern Studies (EURAMES) and Institute “Open Society”. Prof., Dr.Sc.Econ.

Ph.D., Head. of Israel studies Department at the Institute of Oriental Studies. Author of five books and teaching aids.

Dr. Nikolay Kozhanov is a Non-resident Scholar at the Carnegie Moscow Center and a Senior Lecturer in Political Economy of the Middle East at the School of Economics of the St.-Petersburg State University (Russia). He also works as a visiting lecturer at the European University at St.Petersburg. From July 2006 to November 2009, Dr. Kozhanov worked as an attaché of the Political section of the Russian Embassy in Tehran where his responsibilities included the analysis of socio-economic and political developments in Iran. After the expiration of his contract with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nikolay decided to start an academic career with a special focus on the issues of the international relations and political economy of the Middle East (choosing Iran and the Persian Gulf as a priority area of studies). In 2011, he published his first monograph devoted to the assessment of the effectiveness of the regime of international sanctions adopted against Iran. In 2012, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy sponsored the publication of his other monograph Russia’s Relations with Iran: Dialogue without Commitments. Since 2010, Dr. Kozhanov got certain teaching experience by delivering lectures for BA and MA students at the St.-Petersburg State University (first, as a visiting lecturer and, then, as a Senior Lecturer in Political Economy of the Middle East). Apart from that, he is extensively involved in activities in the sphere of political consultancy and journalism. Languages: Russian, English, Farsi, Arabic Education 2010 PhD International Economics and Economic Security, St.Petersburg State University 2011 MA Middle East Studies (graduation with distinction), University of Exeter 2006 MA International Economics, St.Petersburg State University 2006 MA Oriental Studies, St.Petersburg State University 2004 BA Oriental Studies, St.Petersburg State University

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE DIRECTOR, Moscow State University Dec. 2012- present Moscow, Russia Center for problems in political systems and political culture transformation RESEARCH FELLOW, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Science Sep. 2011 – present Moscow, Russia Center for Arab and Islamic studies VICE-HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT, Moscow State University Sep. 2010 – present Moscow, Russia Department of regional problems on the Faculty of World Politics SELECTED PUBLICATIONS ? “The unity and plurality of world in the arab-muslim politico-historical discourse X-XV centuries.” In: “The Images of Time and Historic Representation: Russia – East – West”. Ed. by L. Repina, Moscow, Krug, (2010), 502-537. ? “Tunisia (2010-2011).” In: “Middle East, Arab Awakening and Russia: What’s Next?” Moscow, Russian Academy of Science, Institute of Middle East Studies, (2012), 169-189. ? “Transformation in Arab world and Russia’s interests.” With V. Naumkin, I. Zvyagelskaya, A. Aksenenok. Analytical Report for the International Discussion Club “Valday”, Moscow, (2012). ? “Life before birth: the place of history in the middle-age arab-muslim system of knowledge,” Odyssey: a man in history. Moscow, (2013). ? “Islamic world and Islamic organizations in contemporary international political system.” In: “International Relations and World Politics” (study guide of MSU). With V. Naumkin. Ed. by P. Tsigankov. Printing in progress. ? “Middle East: political dynamics and Russia’s interests.” With co-authors. Analytical Report for Russia’s Council on International Affairs, Moscow, (2013). ? “A little blood in troubled waters: towards the Tunisian political crisis (February-March 2013)”, Russia in global affairs, (2013). ?Analytical Report for the International Discussion Club “Valday”, With V. Naumkin, I. Zvyagelskaya, Moscow, (2013). Printing in progress. FIELDS OF PROFESSIONAL INTEREST - Transformation of political systems and political culture in Arab countries in the beginning of XXI century - Historical consciousness and formation of national identity in the Arab societies - Political thought in Arab-Muslim historic tradition - Middle East conflict - Middle-Age Arab-Muslim historiography, its shape, historical image of world of middle age historiographer - Theory and methodology of historiography, social and political functions of historic knowledge

Ph.D. (political science/international relations), Counsellor – Chief of the Rector’s Office of the MGIMO-University, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Russian Foreign Policy of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University) ; Secretary of the Russian – Polish Group on difficult issues, founder and editor-in-chief of “Eastern Europe: Prospects” magazine. Born: 1974, USSR. Nationality: Russian Federation Education: 1991-1996 – student of the MGIMO-University, School of International Relations, distinguished graduate (1996). 1996-1999 – post-graduate studies at the MGIMO-University 1997 – G.Marshall European Center for Security Studies /Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany/ (6-months Executive course on security, defence and defence economics), distinguished graduate. Main job: 1996-1997 – part-time lecturer at the MGIMO-University 1997-2001 – local secretary of the TEMPUS-TACIS Project T-Jep 10313-97 1998- 2001 – full-time lecturer at the MGIMO-University 2000 – Ph.D. dissertation ("The EU policy towards Mediterranenan.1950s-1990s) 2000 – vice-dean of the Foreign Students Department, MGIMO-University 2000 – Assistant Professor of the MGIMO-University 2001 –2005 – founder & deputy director of the Post-Soviet Studies Centre, MGIMO-University. 2002 – nowadays Associate Professor of the MGIMO-University 2004 – nowadays – MGIMO-BP Cooperation Project coordinator 2004 – nowadays Counsellor to the Rector of the MGIMO-University. 2008 – nowadays – member and secretary of the Russian – Polish Group on difficult issues. Other professional involvements: 1995-2003 – Social Systems Research Institute (NISIP/NIISS), foreign & energy policy analyst. 1996 – 1999 – Moscow Public Science Foundation (MONF) International Law and Russian political standards programme researcher (foreign policy and international law analysis). 1999 – nowadays – work as foreign policy & PR/GR corporate consultant to different, mainly energy companies, i.a. Transneft, YUKOS, BP, MMD C&PA, Rosneft, Regnum Group, etc. 2002-2004 - ISE-Center (INO-Center) – Russian NGO, editor-in-chief of informational projects. 2004 – nowadays – Foundation for High School Economic Development (Russian NGO), co-founder & director 2011 – nowadays- editor-in-chief, “Eastern Europe:Pospects”, a Russian European & Post-Soviet Affairs magazine. Foreign languages: English, French, Polish, Italian. Membership of professional associations: SeSaMo – Italian Middle East Studies Association; RISA – Russian International Studies Association, Black Sea Trust. Professional training, lecturing and conference visits abroad: Azerbajdzhan, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, USA. Field of professional interests: European & Post-Soviet Studies, Contemporary Russian Foreign & Security Policy, Polish Studies, Black Sea & Mediterranean Studies, Integration & Multilateralism.

Military affairs expert and journalist, head of the Department of Middle Eastern Conflicts at the Moscow-based Institute for Innovative Development. Author of numerous analytical articles and columns about the conflicts in the Middle East, the armed forces in this region and the US strategy. He has the contacts and resources in the countries of the Middle East region and in the ranks of the Syrian opposition.

Ph.D. in history, researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Department of Israel). Author of "Jerusalem: three religions, three of the world" (Moscow, 2003), "Secrets of Jerusalem" (Moscow, 2007), as well as of several articles on the history of Israel and the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 1971 she graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affaires of the Russian Federation. In 1974-1980 worked at UNESCO in Paris. In 1989, she defended her PhD thesis at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. For several years she had been working in Israel, then in the Sultanate of Oman.

Civizations` Partnership Centre, Director Career diplomat, on diplomatic service since 1965. Worked at the Russian Embassies in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and South Yemen. In 1987 was appointed Ambassador in the Northern Yemen, served as Ambassador of Russia in the Yemen Arab Republic (after unification of the two Yemens). Later worked as Russian Ambassador in Lybia then in Tunisia. Since 2002 up to 2007 – head of the Group of Islamic Factor in the Russian Foreign Ministry and Special Envoy for the relations with the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Played substational role in Russia` joining OIC as an observer in 2005. Coordinator (General Secretary) of the Strategic Vision Group “Russia - Islamic World” from 2006 till now. Since 2008 – the Director of the Civizations` Partnership Centre and the Director for the External Relations at the Fund for the Promotion of Islamic Science, Culture and Education. Speaks Arabic, English and French. Holds PhD degree in History, author of a number of works on the history of Arabic countries and the Mediterranean.

Babenkova Svetlana was born in Zhukovsky of Moscow region. After finishing gymnasia she entered Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University( which she graduated from with a degree in Aircraft and Helicopter Engineering. She got several grants while studying there. Her graduation work «The design of Business Jet» was carried out in Experimental Machine-Building Plant n.a. V. M. Myasishchev. This project was highly appreciated by engineers, top managers of company and academic teaching staff of MAI. From 2001 worked in Central Bank of Russia. She took part in working out of regulatory acts in supervision and inspection of credit organizations, analyzed projects of laws and wrote analytical conclusions on the normative acts of ministries and departments. Made analytical conclusions on Memorandums of Understanding between Bank and The Financial Authorities and took part to information exchange between Bank and financial community. In 2003 she graduated from Russian Correspondence Institute of Textile and Consumer Industry with a degree in Accounting and Audit. In 2005 and 2008 she graduated from Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and Institute of Oriental Studies under the Government of Russian Academy of Sciences with a degree in Regional Studies (Arab countries). She has a number of certificates from advanced trainings, including IFRS, National Payment System of Russia, the issues of inspection and supervision of banks and bill market and issues of relations between the Russian Federation and the international financial and economic organizations of major countries of the world. She has a grade «MBA- bank manager». For this grade a broad-scale business-project on analysis of modern methods of banking supervision, the development of the credit rating system organizations in Russia in terms of aspects of benchmarking was made. After graduation she became PhD (Economic sciences). Svetlana Babenkova is the author of 4 monographs and scientific articles on Islamic banking, Islamic economy and Islamic management. A number of monographs and articles are dedicated to various issues of religious and cultural problems of the introduction of Islamic finance in Russia, investment issues including risk-oriented approach in the Middle East.

Center for Dialogues Founder and director Sorbonne–educated and New York University (NYU) research scholar, Mustapha Tlili is the founder and director of the NYU Center for Dialogues, a senior fellow at NYU’s Remarque Institute, and Senior Advisor to the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations of the United Nations. Professor Tlili has also served as Special Adviser to the President of the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly; as a member, alongside Madeline Albright, Richard Armitage, Dennis Ross, and 18 other members, of the Leadership Group on U.S. – Muslim Engagement, which produced the report “Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World”, that guided the first–term Obama administration’s policies towards the Muslim world; and as Advisor to the High Level Group that drafted the report leading to the establishment of the Alliance of Civilizations. Previously, Prof. Tlili taught at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and was a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute of New School University. He is a former senior UN secretariat official, having served as director for communications policy in the United Nations Department of Public Information, director of the UN information center for France, located in Paris, and chief of the Namibia, Anti–Apartheid, Palestine and decolonization programs in the same department. Mustapha Tlili wrote on Machiavelli’s theory of government and, with Jacques Derrida, co–edited a book of essays in honor of Nelson Mandela.An established novelist, Tlili has published five novels at Éditions Gallimard, some translated into Arabic, Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish and other languages. His oeuvre has been the subject of many PhD dissertations and other academic books in various languages. He is a winner of the Comar d’Or, Tunisia’s highest literary award, a knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters, and a member of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters and the Arts: Beït Al–Hikma.

Having her BA in Economics at Istanbul University (1973); MA in Economics at University of Iowa (1977); PhD in Economics at Istanbul University (1982), she became an assistant professor in 1982, an associate professor in 1986 and a full professor in 1992. She worked at Yildiz Technical University (1982-2003), Isik University (2003-2008) and Dogus University (2008-2010), where she served as the chairperson, the graduate dean and the dean. For the last 2 years she has been actively involved in the academic councils, activities and seminars of Turkish Asia Strategic Research Center (TASAM) and the Marmara Group Foundation. Her main research and teaching interests are as follows: International Economics; Economic Development and Sustainable Development; International Political Economy; Regional Studies (Area Studies); Political Economy of Turkey and the Middle East; Economics of the Middle East; Energy Economics; Environmental Economics. Dr. Sema Kalaycioglu was an IDE (Institute of Developing Economies) visiting scholar in Tokyo, Japan during the 1995-96 academic year, and a visiting scholar at the University of Minnesota in the summer of 1999. She collaborated with a group of researchers in the preparation of the Turkish National Program on the Sustainable Development for the WSSD 2002 in Johannesburg. She contributed a chapter for the European Union - FEMISE project on “Economic Cooperation in the Middle East” in collaboration with a group of researcher from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 2005. She has authored numerous books and articles in international economics, regional cooperation, the economies of the Middle East in Turkish. Some of her selected academic activities include her research at the University of Iowa( 1980-1981) and at the University of Minnesota(1989-1990), as visiting scholar; As a lecturer at Arab Center for Unity(1993), Beirut, Lebanon; as a guest speaker at Temimi Foundation(1993), Zaghouan, Tunisia; as a visiting researcher at the Institute of Developing Economies(1995-1996 Fall Semester), Tokyo, Japan; As a guest speaker at Arab Thought Forum(1996), Amman, Jordan; the University of Rosario(1996), Argentina, Johns Hopkins University in Bologna, Italy(2000), University of Ludz(2003), Poland; University of Cairo(2005), Egypt and as a conference participant at University of Leeds(2005), U.K. Some of her most recent publications include book chapters on “The Role of Business in Environmental Policy”(2007) with Feride, Gonel, in a book on Environmentalism in Turkey between Democracy and Development edited by Adaman Fikret and Murat Arsel, the Ashgate publishers. Her recent presentations are as follows: “Economic Aspects of the Turkey-China Relations(November 8th, 2012), China-Turkey Strategic Cooperation, Opportunities and Challenges, Beijing, China; “Changes the Arab Uprisings Promise for the MENA and Turkey”( September 28-29, 2012), 7th Russian International Studies Association (RISA) Convention, , Moscow, Russia “Possibilities and Consequences of the Merging of the Emerging Economies” (8-9 March, 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil); “Energy Sustainability for Inter-temporal Welfare Objectives: A Perspective for Regional Cooperation” (14-18 September 2011, Ohri, Macedonia); “Can Turkey become a Regional Economic Power?”(March 2011, ISA annual meeting in Montreal, Canada); “Exploring Complementarities between Turkey and Armenia for Regional Cooperation: Potentials and Challenges” (January 07, The Economic and Social Consequences of Opening the Armenia-Turkey Border Conference, AIRG and Eurasia Foundation, Yerevan, Armenia) Her recent articles published are as follows: “Between a Mission and Business: Turkey’s New Approach to Africa” (2012, Journal of US- China Public Administration); “Economic Losses Political Gains”(May 26, 2011) Turkey and the Arab revolutionary wave edition 15 volume 9 - bitterlemons-international.org; “Political Economy of Standing against a Stand-by: The Case of Turkey” with Dr. Ilke, Civelekoglu (2011), Transition Studies Review, Vol. 18, No.1; “The Future of The Gulf Investment in Turkey” (March 2009), Eurasiacritic, Monthly magazine on Eurasian politics, http://www.eurasiacritic.com/march/5.html; “What Would Normalisation of Economic Relations Between Mashrek Countries, Turkey and Israel Imply?” (April 2007), Tovias, Alfred, Sema Kalaycioglu, and et.al., World Economy , Vol. 30, Issue 4, pp. 665-684 Languages:Turkish (native), English (fluent), French (basic)

John Bell is today Director of the Middle East and Mediterranean Programme at the Toledo International Centre for Peace (CITpax) in Madrid, and was formerly Middle East Director in Jerusalem for Search for Common Ground, a global conflict resolution organization. Mr. Bell has been involved in various discrete Track II mediation efforts between conflicted parties in the Middle East, as well as policy development inititiaves at the regional level. He is also a former United Nations and Canadian diplomat who served as a member of Canada’s delegation to the Refugee Working Group in the peace process, Political Advisor to the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for southern Lebanon, and advisor to the Canadian Government during the Iraq crisis in 2002-03. Mr. Bell is also a founding member of the “Jerusalem Old City Initiative” (University of Windsor), an effort to find creative options for this contentious issue.

Alastair Crooke, sometimes erroneously referred to as Alistair Crooke, (born 1950) is a British diplomat, the founder and director of the Conflicts Forum, an organisation that advocates for engagement between political Islam and the West. Previously he was a ranking figure in both British intelligence (MI6) and European Union diplomacy. Crooke was a Middle East advisor to Javier Solana, High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union (CFSP) from 1997 to 2003, facilitated a number of de-escalations of violence and military withdrawals in the Palestinian Territories with Islamist movements from 2000 to 2003 and was involved in the diplomatic efforts in the Siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. He was a member of the Mitchell Committee into the causes of the Second Intifada in 2000. He held clandestine meetings with the Hamas leadership in June 2002. He is an active advocate of engagement with Hamas to whom he referred as "Resistants or Resistance Fighters". Crooke studied at the University of St Andrews (1968–1972), from which he obtained an MA in Politics and Economics. His book Resistance: The Essence of the Islamist Revolution, provides background on what he calls the "Islamist Revolution" in the Middle East, helping to offer strategic insights into the origins and logic of Islamist groups which have adopted military resistance as a tactic, including Hamas and Hizbollah. Tracing the essence of the Islamist Revolution from its origins in Egypt, through Najaf, Lebanon, Iran and the Iranian Revolution up to the present day, unlocking some of the thorniest issues surrounding stability in the current Middle East landscape.

Director, Stanford Program in International and Comparative Law; Co-Director, Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation Allen S. Weiner, JD ’89, is an international legal scholar with expertise in such wide-ranging fields as international and national security law, the law of war, international conflict resolution, and international criminal law (including transitional justice). His scholarship focuses on international law and the response to the contemporary security threats of international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and situations of widespread humanitarian atrocities. He also explores the relationship between international and domestic law in the context of asymmetric armed conflicts between the United States and nonstate groups and the response to terrorism. In the realm of international conflict resolution, his highly multidisciplinary work analyzes the barriers to resolving violent political conflicts, with a particular focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Weiner’s scholarship is deeply informed by experience; he practiced international law in the U.S. Department of State for more than a decade advising government policymakers, negotiating international agreements, and representing the United States in litigation before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice, and the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal. Senior Lecturer Weiner is director of the Stanford Program in International and Comparative Law and co-director of the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation. Before joining the Stanford Law School faculty in 2003, Weiner served as legal counselor to the U.S. Embassy in The Hague and attorney adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State. He was a law clerk to Judge John Steadman of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.