Summing up EEYF
The 16th Eurasian Economic Youth Forum was the largest in the forum's history. Every year, the Eurasian Economic Youth Forum sets new records, and this year it attracted a record number of participants: 24,216 delegates from 117 countries.
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The 16th Eurasian Economic Youth Forum, whose theme was “Eurasian Synergy: Ethnic Unity of Russia in the Era of Global Change,” was held from April 21 to 24, 2026.
“It is symbolic for us that the 16th Eurasian Economic Youth Forum is being held during the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. In the Sverdlovsk region, as in all corners of our vast Motherland, representatives of over 150 nationalities live and work in friendship and harmony. The Ural land is imbued with the spirit of creation: the great deeds of the Demidovs, Stroganovs, and Turchaninovs, who laid the foundation for the industrial might of the Urals, are intertwined here with the wise tales of Pavel Bazhov, the works of Mamin-Sibiryak, and the brilliant inventions of Popov, which continue to inspire us, remaining a moral compass for future generations,” noted Yakov Silin, acting rector of USUE, Doctor of Economics, and Chairman of the Yekaterinburg Public Chamber.
This year, almost entire Russia - 87 regions - participated in EEYF. Delegates came from 117 countries. During the forum, three cooperation agreements were signed between USUE and educational institutions in Belarus, China, and Kazakhstan.
On the Day 0, the IV Media Forum was held. Its theme was “The Information Space of Eurasia: Journalism as a Tool for Integration and Dialogue of Civilizations” Sixty media representatives from Russia, Belarus, Serbia, and Kyrgyzstan gathered at Ural State University of Economics. The main topic of discussion was contemporary challenges in the media industry.
“It is hard to imagine media today without video content. It is not just a part of our lives—it is the environment we inhabit. We live surrounded by screens: we wake up to a phone screen, we work on computers. Just imagine the amount of information we consume every day, every minute! Today, social media has 5 billion users who actively create content,” said Maria Antonenko, head of the Raplety video agency in Russia and the CIS.
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The first day of EEYF offered a “Dialogue on Equal Terms”, where students met with dozens of officials from diplomatic missions. This year, the main topic of discussion was “Russia—a Space of Trust: Building the Future Together”. As per tradition, the dialogue on equal terms took place before the official opening ceremony of the forum, held at the IEC Ekaterinburg-EXPO.
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During the ceremony, the following guests of honor addressed the audience: Vasily Dogdaev, assistant to the Presidential Envoy to the Urals Federal District; Tatyana Savinova, Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk region - Minister of Health of the Sverdlovsk Region; Yevgeny Starkov, Chairperson of the Committee on Legislation and Public Safety of the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk region; Marina Fadeeva, Deputy Head of Yekaterinburg - Chief of Staff of the Yekaterinburg Administration; Yevgeny, Metropolitan of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye; Dmitry Birichevsky, director of the Department of Economic Cooperation of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Waleed Hamed Shiltagh, head of the Representative Office of the League of Arab States; Khalid Abdullah Shawabkah, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Russian Federation; Sergei Bodrunov, President of the Free Economic Society of Russia, Honorary Professor of USUE; academician Valery Chereshnev, deputy president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Joint Academic Council of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for Medical Sciences.
“Yekaterinburg is becoming a magnet for talented, proactive, and passionate young people from Russia and dozens of countries around the world. The forum, organized by Ural State University of Economics, has rightfully established itself as a reputable international platform for open dialogue, knowledge exchange, and joint solutions to key development issues in the modern world,” Vasily Dogdaev emphasized.
Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and Dmitry Polikanov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), congratulated the participants and guests of the 16th Eurasian Economic Forum on its opening in their video messages. Yevgeny Primakov Jr., head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), also delivered welcoming remarks.
Current issues of Eurasian synergy were discussed at the international Diplomatic Forum, which took place on the second day of the forum. Eighty diplomats discussed partnership strategies in the era of global change.
The participants in the forum of university rectors from Russia and abroad were united by the topic “Challenges and Prospects of Eurasian Scientific and Educational Cooperation.” Heads of higher education institutions from Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, as well as government officials, participated in the discussion. The title of "Honorary Professor of USUE" was awarded to Sherzod Sindarov, vice-rector for infrastructure development and economic affairs at Tashkent State University of Economics, and to Shirantha Heenkende, dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka). Besides, USUE vice-rector for social work and youth policy, Roman Krasnov, was awarded a certificate conferring him the title of “Honorary Professor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura” (Sri Lanka).
During the six Congresses of the forum, scientists from the country's leading universities, diplomats, and representatives of business community delivered 38 public lectures, and young researchers defended their papers and projects in 42 competitions. The 16th Eurasian Economic Youth Forum received 15,828 applications from participants across the globe. The papers were assessed by 556 leading experts from around the world.
This year, EEYF was held at 12 venues: the Western Branch of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Northeastern State University (Magadan), 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, and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka).
The winners of the sites were honored in Yekaterinburg. The best of the best received diplomas and honorary “Star of Eurasia” badges. One such honorary badge was awarded to Nariman Ongarbayev, a fourth-year student at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan), who presented a research paper on the global environmental problems of the Aral Sea. “I was born in the Kyzylorda region, located near the Aral Sea in southern Kazakhstan. It's the driest region in the country, where one in ten residents suffers from cancer. This serious problem motivated me to present my research at the international level: I wanted to propose solutions. I'm pleased with the results. After graduating, I plan to return to my home region. My goal is to contribute to improving the infrastructure of the Syr Darya River, which formerly flowed into the Aral Sea, and to help raise its water level.”
Dozens of participants in the competition program held within the forum’s thematic congresses also received well-deserved awards.
The EEYF events also included sporting competitions: a rock-climbing competition, a game of multiboard chess with Rafael Vaganyan, international grandmaster, USSR champion, two-time winner of the World Olympiads, two-time winner of the World Championships, three-time winner of the European Championships, and the Russia-wide Rapid Chess Competition - the 6th tournament “Ural Queen” named after Anatoly Karpov".
EEYF is a launchpad for young people's career and personal growth in science, project work, and entrepreneurship, as well as for realizing their creative potential. It is a platform for discussions on current trends in the national and global economy and a powerful resource for realizing young people's ideas and potential with the support of experienced experts.
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