Less than a month until EEYF!

The 16th Eurasian Economic Forum (EEYF) will be held in Yekaterinburg from April 21 to April 24, 2026. This year's theme is “Eurasian Synergy: Ethnic Unity of Russia in the Era of Global Change.” The forum promises to be the largest ever held. Over 24,000 participants from 87 Russian regions and 117 countries have already registered for the forum.

Registration for student competitions is now closed. However, applications from diplomats, media representatives, and university rectors and vice-rectors will be accepted until April 1.

The Eurasian Economic Youth Forum will begin on Day 0, April 20, with a Media Forum, held with the international support of the RT news channel and the Komsomolskaya Pravda Publishing House. Media leaders from Russia and Belarus will share their experiences. The forum will discuss the development of media landscape and the role of journalism as a tool for integration and dialogue among civilizations. The Day-0 program also includes a simultaneous display with international grandmaster Rafael Vaganian, USSR Champion, two-time World Olympic Champion, two-time World Team Champion, and three-time European Team Champion. On the same day, the opening of the Schoolchildren's Congress will take place, along with public lectures by leading experts.

The opening ceremony and plenary session of EEYF will take place on the first day of the forum, April 21, at the IEC Ekaterinburg-EXPO. Government officials and diplomats, including ambassadors and consuls from Iraq, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Chad, Gambia, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Azerbaijan, Laos, Pakistan, and other countries, will discuss current issues in the global economy and youth entrepreneurship development. Public lectures, roundtables, and conferences featuring over 30 leading experts will also be held on the same day. Besides, there will be a meeting of foreign diplomats with students entitled “Dialogue on Equal Terms.”

The second day of the forum, April 22, will offer several major events. Among them is the International Diplomatic Forum, featuring major public associations, business representatives, and government agencies. A forum of university rectors from Russia and abroad will also be held. Over 80 persons have confirmed their participation, including university leaders from Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The opening ceremony of the Ural Queen rapid chess tournament is also scheduled for the same day. Furthermore, students will defend their papers at five congresses.

The third day of the forum, April 23, will finish with an awards ceremony for the winners of student scientific competitions. This year, the forum will present more than 40 competitions. Awards ceremonies will be held at 12 international venues: M. Ryskulbekov Kyrgyz University of Economics, Osh State University, Harbin Institute of Petroleum, Belarusian State University of Economics, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Almaty Technological University, Tajik National University, Tashkent State University of Economics, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka), as well as the Western Branch of RANEPA, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, and North-Eastern State University.

The Eurasian Economic Youth Forum is being held by Ural State University of Economics with the support of the RF Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Free Economic Society of Russia, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, and the Administration of the Governor and the Government of the Sverdlovsk region.

EEYF is one of the largest and most significant events for the development of international and scientific cooperation. Over the past 15 years, the forum has established itself as a leading platform among Russian universities for discussing key economic issues and exchanging best global practices to ensure sustainable development.

In 2025, EEYF brought together 22,402 participants, 804 experts, and delegations from 209 universities from 116 countries and 86 regions of Russia. Among the distinguished guests were 22 foreign ambassadors, 48 attachés and counselors from diplomatic missions, heads of 64 universities from Russia, CIS, and several other countries, and heads of 68 media outlets. The EEYF was hosted by 14 major universities from Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka. The forum's media reports racked up over 81 million views.