Minority Representation Research Articles

Minority representation in the streaming era: An analysis of Jewish identity in competing subscription video on-demand platforms

This article considers how three competing subscription video on-demand services (SVODs) – Jewzy, ChaiFlicks, and IZZY – attract American Jewish subscribers via content selection, platform design, and marketing rhetoric. Although these three SVODs offer similar catalogs, they nonetheless foreground distinct elements of Jewish life, history, and practice. This process of commercial framing, the paper argues, creates unique brand identities for the three services that align with three different approaches to the construction of American Jewish identity. The article goes on to show that these SVODs offer an opportunity to revisit core assumptions embedded within Jewish screen studies and minority screen representation studies more broadly. Minority identity on screen is most often studied through the interpretation of key instances of minority representation. These SVODs instead emphasize the dynamics of interpellation, as they hail viewers by appealing to limited, pre-constructed concepts of cultural identity while offering entire platforms worth of representations.

Gender and Racial Diversity Among the Head Medical and Athletic Training Staff of Women's Professional Sports Leagues.

Despite increased awareness for promoting diversity, orthopaedics remains one of the least diverse specialties. Studying health care providers in women's professional sports provides a unique opportunity to analyze gender and racial diversity. There would be low female and minority representation across the various women's professional sports leagues. There would be an increased number of female head certified athletic trainers (ATCs) when compared with head team physicians (HTPs). Cross-sectional study. We evaluated the perceived race and sex of designated HTPs and ATCs in the Women's National Basketball Association, National Women's Soccer League, and National Women's Hockey League. Type of doctorate degree, specialty, and years in practice were also collected. Kappa (κ) coefficient measurements were used to determine interobserver agreement on race. Categorical and continuous variables were analyzed using chi-square and t tests, respectively. There were significantly more female ATCs than female HTPs (74.1% vs 37.5%; P = .01). Minority representation between HTPs and ATCs was not significantly different (20.8% vs 40.7%; P = .13). Black HTPs (12.5%) and Black ATCs (22.2%) composed the largest proportion among the minority groups. There was high interobserver agreement of perceived race across HTPs (κ = 1.0) and ATCs (κ = 0.95). Although there were more female ATCs than HTPs in women's professional sports leagues, both cohorts lack perceived racial diversity. These data suggest an opportunity for diversification in medical and training staff of women's professional sports.

Asserting Accountability to Address Diversity: Report Card as a System of Measurement.

To the best of our knowledge, there are no standard accountability measures for diversity efforts at the departmental level. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate a multiprong report card as a structure for evaluation, tracking, and reporting as well as to examine any relationships between expenditures and outcomes. We instituted an intervention that offered leadership a report card of metrics related to diversity efforts. Included are diversity expenditures, benchmark demographic and departmental data, applications to support faculty salaries, participation in clerkship programs focused on attracting diverse candidates, and requests for candidate lists. The purpose of this analysis is to demonstrate the impact of the intervention. A significant relationship was found between faculty funding applications and under-represented minority (URM) representation in a department (0.19; confidence interval [95% CI] 0.17-0.21; p<0.001). An association was also found between total expenditures and URM representation in a department (0.002; 95% CI 0.002-0.003; p<0.001). Other outcomes include the following: (1) women, URM, and minority faculty have all increased in representation since tracking began; (2) diversity expenditures and faculty opportunity fund and presidential professorship applications have increased over time; and (3) a steady decline in departments with zero URM representation after the tracking of diversity expenditures in both clinical and basic science departments. Our findings suggest that standardized metrics for inclusion and diversity initiatives promote accountability and buy-in from executive leadership. Departmental detail enables tracking of progress longitudinally. Future work will continue to evaluate the downstream effects of diversity expenditures.

Source of funding and enrollment disparities in the inclusion of minorities in colorectal clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

23 Background: Identification of factors associated with enrollment disparities in clinical trials can narrow cancer care inequities. Funding source can influence minority representation in clinical trials. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of funding sources on enrollment disparities in colorectal (CRC) clinical trials. Methods: CRC phase II/III randomized controlled trial (RCTs) identified through MEDLINE and EMBASE from each database’s inception through 2022 were considered eligible. Trial level enrollment incidence ratios (EIR) were computed; defined as the ratio of trial proportions of a gender, age, or racial/ethnic subgroup category and the global incidence in the corresponding gender/age subgroup (from the global burden of disease database), or the US-population-based incidence in the corresponding racial/ethnic subgroup (from SEER 21 database). EIRs were then meta-analyzed using a random-effects model for each funding source category (US- government, industry, others). Temporal trends were analyzed using a univariate meta-regression. Results: Using data from 287 RCTs, women were significantly under-represented in the industry sponsored trials (EIR: 0.85 [95% CI: 0.83 - 0.88]) but not in US-government sponsored trials (0.92 [0.84-1.00]). A total of 87 RCTs reported age proportions; older adults (above 65 years) were significantly under-represented in the industry sponsored (0.84 [0.74-0.96]) and as well as in US-government sponsored CRC trials (0.52 [0.44-0.61]). Only 56 and 15 trials reported race and ethnicity, respectively. Limited data on racial/ethnic enrollment revealed significant under-representation of Black (0.45 [0.36 -0.57]) and Hispanic (0.45 [0.31-0.66]) patients across industry sponsored CRC trials. In contrast, no significant disparity was observed in the inclusion of Asian race in the industry sponsored trials. The number of US-government sponsored trials reporting racial/ethnic subgroups were small ( &lt; 10) which precluded any meaningful statistics. Trends show that the representation of women has improved ( P: 0.02) while the representation of Black ( P: 0.007) and Hispanic patients ( P: 0.04) has worsened over the last three decades in industry sponsored CRC trials. Conclusions: The reporting of race/ethnicity is suboptimal in CRC trials especially in those sponsored by US government. Older adults may be under-represented regardless of funding source. Women, Blacks and Hispanics may be under-represented in industry sponsored CRC clinical trials. While representation of women appears to be improving, representation of Black and Hispanic patients has worsened in industry sponsored CRC clinical trials over the last three decades.

Examining the female immigrant and minority representation in Shunji Iwai's “Swallowtail Butterfly”

Bu makale, Swallowtail Butterfly (Shunji Iwai, 1996) filmi bağlamında kadın mülteci ve azınlık temsilini çok-disiplinli bir açıdan incelemektedir. Filmin furusato veya dil bariyerleri gibi yerli/yabancı temasını ilgilendiren konularıyla başlayan makale, ardından filmin kadın hikayelerini feminist teori ile incelemektedir. Dolayısıyla bu makale, küreselleşmenin hızla yaşandığı günümüzde, çoklu açılardan filmin güncel bir perspektifle kapsamlı bir analizini sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.

A Seat at the Table: An Examination of Hospital Governing Board Diversity, 2011-2021.

Board diversity is increasingly important for hospitals and healthcare systems, with national attention focused on eliminating health disparities and improving health equity. Yet, it remains a challenge despite concerted efforts by leading professional associations (e.g., American College of Healthcare Executives) to galvanize their constituents around the importance of the issue. This study used survey data from The Governance Institute to explore the ethnoracial and gender diversity of hospital boards spanning 2011 through 2021. The results showed modest gains in the mean number of female board members, although a small proportion of hospital boards still have no female representation. There was little change in the number of boards with ethnic minority representation until an uptick in 2021, likely in direct response to high-profile racial incidents and protests. Intentional and sustained efforts are necessary to increase diversity and create a culture of inclusion that fosters meaningful engagement of diverse board members.

Genomic Insights into the Population History of the Resande or Swedish Travelers.

The Resande are a minority ethnic group in Sweden, who were characterized by an itinerant way of life, and they have been suggested to originate from the mixture between Swedish and Romani populations. Because the population history of the Resande has been scarcely studied, we analyzed genome-wide genotype array data from unrelated Resande individuals in order to shed light on their origins and demographic history for the first time from a genetic perspective. Our results confirm the Romani-related ancestry of this population and suggest an admixture event between a Romani-like population and a general Swedish-like population that occurred approximately between the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries, two centuries after the arrival of the first historically reported Romani families in Sweden. This inferred date suggests that the Romani group involved in the admixture is related to the pre-18th-century arrivals of Romani in Scandinavia. In addition, a reduction in the population size is detected previous to the admixture event, suggesting a subtle signal of isolation. The present work constitutes a step forward toward a better representation of ethnic minorities and underrepresented groups in population genetic analyses. In order to know in more detail the complete history of human populations, it is time to focus on studying populations that have not been previously considered for a general scenario and that can provide valuable information to fill in the gaps that still remain uncovered.

Who are the Vascular Society Presidents?

We noted distinct differences between the demographics among the presidents of various vascular societies. To help characterize these among the present United States, Canadian, and European vascular societies, we queried the websites for the United States, Canadian, and European vascular societies in a systematic review for the names of their presidents since their respective inceptions. Age and ethnicity were determined by a search on healthgrades.com, Google, and online obituaries. The year of ascendency to the presidency and the year of birth were used as identifying time points. There are significant differences between the ages of the presidents of the various vascular societies. While the presidents of Vascular and Endovascular Surgical Society were significantly younger than those of every other vascular society examined, Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society, Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery, and Society of Vascular Medicine were also significantly younger than the remainder of the societies examined (P<0.0001). The presidents of the remaining societies were not significantly different in age from each other. When comparing the ages of the presidents in the first and last decades of each society, 2 were found to have significantly increased (Society of Vascular Medicine [P=0.0029] and Vascular and Endovascular Surgical Society [P<0.0001]), while 2 others were found to have significantly decreased (New England Society for Vascular Surgery [P=0.0092] and Eastern Vascular Society [P=0.0085]). Of the 532 total entries for these presidents examined over these 13 societies, 19 (3.6%) of these were filled by women and 37 (7%) with minorities. There was a great deal of variability in terms of age, gender, and minority representation of the presidents among the vascular societies examined. While the share of women and minorities to serve as presidents in vascular societies varied between societies, both groups were under-represented across the board. However, in recent years, the number of women and minorities elected as presidents of vascular societies has been trending upwards.

Improving Minority Representation through COVID-19 Community Research Partnership

Improving Minority Representation through COVID-19 Community Research Partnership

National trends in distribution of underrepresented minorities within United States general surgery residency programs: A longitudinal panel study

BackgroundCultural affinity with a provider improves satisfactoriness of healthcare. We examined 2005–2019 trends in racial/ethnic diversity/inclusion within general surgery residency programs. MethodsWe triangulated 2005–2019 race/ethnicity data from Association of American Medical Colleges surveys of 4th-year medical students, the Electronic Residency Application Service, and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-affiliated general surgery residencies. Temporal trends in minority representation were tested for significance. ResultsUnderrepresented racial/ethnic minorities in medicine (URiMs) increased among graduating MDs from 7.6% in 2005 to 11.8% in 2019 (p < 0.0001), as did their proportion among surgery residency applicants during 2005–2019 (p < 0.0001). However, proportions of URiMs among general surgery residents (≈8.5%), and of programs without URiMs (≈18.8%), stagnated. ConclusionsGrowing URiM proportions among medical school graduates and surgery residency applicants did not improve URiM representation among surgery trainees nor shrink the percentage of programs without URiMs. Deeper research into motivators underlying URiMs’ residency program preferences is warranted.

Demographic recruitment bias of adults in United States randomized clinical trials by disease categories between 2008 to 2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To promote health equity within the United States (US), randomized clinical trials should strive for unbiased representation. Thus, there is impetus to identify demographic disparities overall and by disease category in US clinical trial recruitment, by trial phase, level of masking, and multi-center status, relative to national demographics. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov, between 01/01/2008 to 12/30/2019. Clinical trials (N = 5,388) were identified based on the following inclusion criteria: study type, location, phase, and participant age. Each clinical trial was independently screened by two researchers. Data was pooled using a random-effects model. Median proportions for gender, race, and ethnicity of each trial were compared to the 2010 US Census proportions, matched by age. A second analysis was performed comparing gender, race, and ethnicity proportions by trial phase, multi-institutional status, quality, masking, and study start year. 2977 trials met inclusion criteria (participants, n = 607,181) for data extraction. 36% of trials reported ethnicity and 53% reported race. Three trials (0.10%) included transgender participants (n = 5). Compared with 2010 US Census data, females (48.3%, 95% CI 47.2–49.3, p < 0.0001), Hispanics (11.6%, 95% CI 10.8–12.4, p < 0.0001), American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIAN, 0.19%, 95% CI 0.15–0.23, p < 0.0001), Asians (1.27%, 95% CI 1.13–1.42, p < 0.0001), Whites (77.6%, 95% CI 76.4–78.8, p < 0.0001), and multiracial participants (0.25%, 95% CI 0.21–0.31, p < 0.0001) were under-represented, while Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (0.76%, 95% CI 0.71–0.82, p < 0.0001) and Blacks (17.0%, 95% CI 15.9–18.1, p < 0.0001) were over-represented. Inequitable representation was mirrored in analysis by phase, institutional status, quality assessment, and level of masking. Between 2008 to 2019 representation improved for only females and Hispanics. Analysis stratified by 44 disease categories (i.e., psychiatric, obstetric, neurological, etc.) exhibited significant yet varied disparities, with Asians, AIAN, and multiracial individuals the most under-represented. These results demonstrate disparities in US randomized clinical trial recruitment between 2008 to 2019, with the reporting of demographic data and representation of most minorities not having improved over time.

Impact of electoral systems and rules on political representation in Albania: shortcomings, changes and fight against their violations

The purpose of the article is to deal with the influence of electoral systems and rules on the strategies of political parties, on increasing voter confidence and on creating a sustainable electoral framework. Through research into the history of elections in Albania, especially in recent years, the article points out that electoral systems and rules have had and have a significant impact on political representation, the behavior of the electorate, the representation of minorities, regional and local representation, accountability, coalition building and public perception. For a democratic and standard development of elections in Albania, it is important to ensure that any reform matches the specific context and needs of the country. A well-defined, accessible and transparent legal framework can help improve the electoral process and minimize delays or confusion. Security and reliability in the electoral process is essential. The flaws and shortcomings that are noticed will be reduced and minimized by tightening the laws that protect the electoral process, accompanied by punitive measures to combat any violation of the electoral rules. This war is one of the current affairs that always accompanies the arena of politics in our country. Encouraging observation and transparency would be the most important and decisive step that would motivate people to go willingly to vote and be aware that their vote would be valid and transparent. In recent years, Albania has undergone electoral reforms to address some of the challenges related to the election system and has made improvements.

Representation of minorities in European neurosurgical leadership

IntroductionEthnic diversity has significantly increased within European countries since World War II for several reasons. However, there continues to be a contrasting lag in leadership positions within healthcare circles, and neurosurgery is no exception. Under-representation of minorities is a contributory factor to recurring problems of healthcare inequality. Research questionThe European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) Diversity Committee (DC) set out to examine trends in underrepresented minority (URM) representation in leadership positions across Europe. Material and methodsData on the race and ethnicity of departmental heads across the units in the European nations was collated. We defined the term ‘ethnic minority’ in line with the criteria set by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). The percentage of URM among the European neurosurgical units was analysed against the demographics of the respective countries to assess whether there was a corresponding association. ResultsThe percentage of URM representation was low across most European countries. Countries with the highest immigration rates e.g. Great Britain and Germany had the highest rates of representation within the neurosurgical leadership in comparison to other countries. The Balkan states had zero rates of URM representation within the neurosurgical leadership. Discussion and conclusionOur findings demonstrate that URM representation in neurosurgical leadership across European countries is significantly low. Selection policies, training curricula and recruitment processes aimed at improving health inequality are necessary. Further studies are needed to elucidate the factors contributing to the low participation of URM in neurosurgical leadership.

Vijeća nacionalnih manjina u Hrvatskoj kao oblik neteritorijalne autonomije – između sna i jave

This paper deals with the role of national minority councils through the prism of the concept of non-territorial autonomy. These councils were established as institutes for minority representation, aiming to strengthen the influence of national minorities on local and regional politics in the part related to their position. Similar forms of minority representation are established in most European countries and are often analysed within the concepts and distinction of non-territorial autonomy and territorial autonomy. As will be shown in the paper, territorial autonomy presupposes a much higher degree of autonomy for minority institutions in deciding on issues important for national minorities. It is more suitable for countries where these minorities reside in certain parts of the national territory. In practice, we often encounter minority political institutions that have features of non-territorial autonomy. These institutions can assume various forms and achieve different degrees of autonomy in deciding on local policies and affairs of interest to minority groups. Although councils of national minorities possess substantial democratisation potential and can significantly contribute to the position of national minorities, previous research does not support this claim. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (i) to determine whether national minority councils constitute an institutional form of non-territorial autonomy and (ii) to assess their actual role in promoting and protecting the interests of national minorities within local political processes. In order to examine this, the paper employs legal analysis, a review of secondary data available in scientific and professional literature, and a direct analysis of available data on the financing of national minority councils and voter participation in elections for these councils. The role of national minority councils is analysed in four aspects: the legal basis of non-territorial autonomy, the right to self-regulation, the right to establish own decision-making bodies and their scope of work, and their financing. In addition, the voter response to council elections is analysed as a possible indicator of the legitimacy of directly elected bodies. With regard to the legal basis of their establishment, it can be concluded that they enjoy the highest level of protection, having been established by constitutional law, which, due to the adoption procedure, holds a position between the Constitution and other organic laws. Furthermore, the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia guarantees members of national minorities the right to cultural autonomy, and the councils are an expression of the explicitly recognised collective rights of national minorities. They were established as a collective entity with legal personality. The legislator intended to establish councils as “minority self-government” institutions in local and regional self-government units. However, many authors state that, for a number of reasons, councils cannot be characterised as such. This brings us to their real role, manifested in the right of councils to self-regulation, self-organisation and the establishment of their own decision-making bodies as essential determinants of non-territorial autonomy. The councils adopt various acts, including a statute regulating important aspects of their operation, a work programme, a financial plan, a final account, and other internal acts governing matters crucial to their functioning. They also have their own decision-making bodies, primarily the president and deputy president of the council, and have the authority to establish other working bodies. However, the council’s powers are regulated by constitutional law and are reduced to a solely consultative role. Therefore, the question arises as to their actual influence in shaping political decisions related to the interests of national minorities, as they depend on the cooperation and will of local political actors in this regard. Another problem is the limited financial and administrative resources available for their functioning. The political legitimacy of the council, gained through minority electorate participation in elections, is also questionable, given the extremely low voter turnout across all election cycles. This is also an indicator of the council’s non-recognition as a relevant entity in protecting the rights of national minorities at the local level. To conduct a deeper analysis of the actual role of national minority councils and verify their influence in individual local communities, empirical research is necessary. The paper concludes that, although councils have a high level of legal protection, political legitimacy, internal bodies, and institutional experience, they are confined to a consultative role and lack significant influence over local political processes important for national minorities.

Demographics and Characteristics of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Directors: A Cross-sectional Review.

To determine the objective characteristics of orthopaedic residency PDs by analyzing their demographic characteristics, academic backgrounds, institutional histories, research productivity, and professional leadership affiliations. Data for each PD were collected by searching publicly available curriculum vitae, LinkedIn, Healthgrades, Doximity, and/or institutional biographies and consolidated into a database. Research productivities were collected by searching PubMed and Scopus. Of the 210 PDs, 188 (89.5%) were male and 22 (10.5%) were female. One hundred seventy-four (82.9%) were non-Hispanic White, 14 (6.7%) Asian American and Pacific Islander, 12 (5.7%) Black or African American, 4 (1.9%) Hispanic or Latino, and 6 (2.9%) other/unknown. Twenty-four (11.4%) PDs had a military affiliation. Moreover, the most common subspecialties among orthopaedic PDs were orthopaedic traumatology (19.5%, n = 41), sports medicine (15.7%, n = 33), and hand surgery (11.9%, n = 25). The mean Scopus h-index, total number of publications at the time of data collection (June 2022), and total number of citations for all orthopaedic residency PDs were 10.5 ± 9.5, 33.9 ± 51.0, and 801.9 ± 1,536.4, respectively. Among all PDs, the mean tenure in the position was 8.9 ± 6.2 years to date, and the mean time from completion of residency to appointment as PD was 10.0 ± 6.2 years. Among orthopaedic surgery residency PDs, there is sparse female and minority representation. Overarchingly, orthopaedic PDs are White men in their early 50s. Moreover, 59.1% of PDs were appointed at an institution where they completed medical school, residency, or fellowship. orthopaedic traumatology (19.5%), sports medicine (15.7%), and hand surgery (11.9%) were the subspecialties most represented in current orthopaedic surgery PDs. This study outlines important demographic characteristics among orthopaedic surgery residency PDs. III.

Boko Haram Insurgency and the Kidnap of Chibok Girls: Through the Literary Lenses of Helon Habila

The abduction of Chibok girls on April 14, 2014, signaled the worse form of attack on any educational facility in Nigeria; an attack which was coordinated and carried out by the Boko Haram sect with the sole aim of instituting an Islamic form of governance in Nigeria. Amidst the outpouring of anguish and condemnation in Nigeria and around the world, the Boko Haram insurgents were quick to claim responsibility by stating “We selected the school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and friends,” “We want them to feel our pain” (THISDAY, April 16, 2014). The attack took a brutish trend from which a growing number of educational institutions have been targeted in terrorist attacks in recent times. Opinion leaders, legal experts, scholars, and other stakeholders reacted to the menace by outrightly condemning it. Helon Habila’s response was the crafting of a literary text title: The Chibok Girls: The Boko Haram kidnappings and Islamic Militancy in Nigeria. This novel is a biting critique of the state of insecurity in Nigeria and a form of expose on the nation’s security apparatus. Therefore, this paper’s focus is to critically examine the novel from the perspective of language use, power play, and ideological projection. To achieve this aim, the research adopts the theory of Critical Discourse Analysis which focuses on the representation of ethnic groups and minorities by integrating general discourse into the discourse of news in the press to authenticate cases of news reports at both the national and international level. Data for the study were elicited from the novel and subjected to a thorough linguistic analysis.

Multicultural media as an empowering force: Unveiling alternative representations of ethnic minorities

Multicultural media as an empowering force: Unveiling alternative representations of ethnic minorities

Representation of Religious Minorities in Lithuanian Confessional Education

This article analyzes the situation of religious minorities in a Christian dominated sociopolitical environment in Lithuania through the confessional religious education (RE) system. Representation of religious minorities based on confessional model thus raises questions on majority and minority religions’ coexistence, whilst the latter neither legally, nor normatively experience such linkage with the State as majorified religion does. The empirical part of the study, based on content analysis of curricula and teaching aids, reveals that although tolerance of other religions is mentioned, there is also a visible hegemony of the Roman Catholic Church, and of Christianity in general. Non-traditional religious communities that are not recognized by the state are considered as belonging to the new religious movements, which are often associated with the words “dangerous,” “destructive,” etc. Thus, the study reveals legislation shortcomings of RE, dominance of the majority religion, Christian and Catholic normativity both within society as well as the curriculum and teaching aids, and close Church-State relations.

The Role of Minoritized Student Representation in Promoting Achievement and Equity Within College STEM Courses

In the context of continued equity gaps in student success within and beyond STEM, this paper explored the extent to which the representation of underrepresented racial minority (URM) and first-generation college students predict grades in postsecondary STEM courses. The analyses examined 87,027 grades received by 11,868 STEM-interested students within 8,468 STEM courses at 20 institutions. Cross-classified multilevel models and student fixed effects analyses of these data both support the same conclusion: the proportion of URM and first-generation students within a class is positively associated with STEM grades among all students, and these relationships are stronger among students who are members of the minoritized group. Thus, promoting the representation of students with minoritized identities in STEM courses may lead to greater equity in college outcomes.

Russia and the Scandinavian-Baltic Region: Countries and Peoples in a Changing World. 19th — 20th centuries. On the 25th Anniversary of the Centre for the History of Northern Europe and the Baltic of the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences

On November 16—17, 2023, the Centre for the History of Northern Europe and the Baltics (Institute of World History RAS) held an all-Russian scientific conference “Russia and the Scandinavian-Baltic region: countries and peoples in a changing world. 19th — 20th centuries” This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Сentre&amp;apos;s founding. A number of reports presented attempts to summarize the results of the Centre’s work over a quarter of a century. The theme was formulated quite broadly, which allowed its participants to exchange the latest results of their research on current issues in the history and politics of different countries represented in the region being studied. Among the topics were domestic and foreign policy, issues of mutual representations of peoples, national minorities, economic and environmental problems, etc. The conference was attended by scientists from many Russian scientific and educational organizations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Voronezh, and from Vitebsk (Republic of Belarus).