Victoria Panova Receives Departmental Award from the Russian Foreign Ministry for Her Contribution to International Cooperation

Victoria Panova, Vice Rector at HSE University, Head of BRICS Expert Council – Russia, and Russian W20 Sherpa, was honoured with the badge titled "For Contribution to International Cooperation."

On February 17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation held an awards ceremony recognising key contributors to Russia's BRICS Chairship in 2024. The event was attended by First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Butin and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who praised Dr Panova and the BRICS Expert Council – Russia led by her for strengthening collaboration among the expert communities of the BRICS nations and organising and holding the BRICS Academic Forum (May 22–24) and Civil Forum (July 3–4) in Moscow.

Victoria Panova:

"I would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for this high recognition of our work at the Expert Council. I also want to emphasise that during Brazil's Chairship, we remain committed to collaborating with both our Russian and international colleagues, with whom we worked throughout 2024 when Russia held the chairship. Our efforts span all areas of Track Two Diplomacy."

The BRICS Expert Council – Russia was established at HSE University by order of the Russian Federation Government at the initiative of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Ministry of Finance. The Council focuses on expert analysis and research on pressing issues related to political, socio-economic, and humanitarian cooperation within BRICS.

Other awardees included Sergey Katyrin, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Russian Chapter of the BRICS Business Council; Olga Guseva, Minister of International and Interregional Relations of the Nizhny Novgorod Region; and representatives from the Roscongress Foundation and regional branches of the Russian Foreign Ministry.