CIIC

🇵🇰 Russia and Pakistan: Humanitarian Cooperation Through Concrete Projects

Today, August 14, Pakistan celebrates Independence Day. To mark the occasion, we decided to highlight not only the country itself, but also what brings Russia and Pakistan together today in the humanitarian sphere.

Education, science, Russian language learning, youth and academic exchanges, joint research, cultural initiatives, and cooperation in emergency response — Russia–Pakistan humanitarian ties now span an increasingly wide range of areas.

🇷🇺🤝🇵🇰 In our cards, we have brought together concrete projects and initiatives between Russia and Pakistan: from joint student research teams and cooperation between RUDN University and NUST to educational programs, Russian government scholarships for Pakistani students, and projects promoting the Russian language.

😊 A special role in developing these ties is played by the Russian House in Karachi — the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Pakistan. The Russian Centre for Science and Culture has been operating in the country for more than half a century and today remains one of the key platforms for introducing people to the Russian language and culture, implementing educational and cultural programs, and fostering direct people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

Russia’s educational infrastructure in Pakistan continues to develop. In Islamabad, at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and with the participation of Ural State Pedagogical University, the first Russian Open Education Center in Pakistan has begun operating. The center offers Russian language programs and introduces Pakistani students to Russian education and culture.

New Russian language programs are also being developed at other Pakistani universities, expanding opportunities for academic and humanitarian exchanges between the two countries.

✨Discover the humanitarian projects that already connect Russia and Pakistan in our cards.

🇿🇲Today, our attention turns to Zambia, where the 2026 general elections are taking place.

What makes this election especially important? What has changed in the electoral system? And who are the main candidates competing for the presidency?

Swipe through our cards to learn more about Zambia’s electoral system, the key innovations introduced ahead of the 2026 vote, and the leading presidential candidates shaping this year’s race.

🤝 Looking for an opportunity to learn more about BRICS, energy cooperation and sustainable development?

On September 22–23, Nizhny Novgorod will host the BRICS International School: New Generation, organized by HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod and Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation.

The two-day program will bring together young participants and leading experts for lectures, workshops, quizzes and discussions on some of the key issues shaping cooperation within BRICS.

The program will focus on:
👉 the role of BRICS in today’s international system;
👉 energy cooperation among BRICS countries;
👉 the activities of the BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform;
👉 the future of nuclear energy and high-tech projects;
👉 the role of young people in advancing the sustainable development agenda.

📍 Nizhny Novgorod
📅 September 22–23

❗️ Registration is open until September 1.
📌 The working language of the program is English.

The program also involves the BRICS Expert Council-Russia. Other partners include the Atomic Energy Information Center and Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University named after R.E. Alekseev.

✨A great opportunity to deepen your understanding of BRICS, meet experts and like-minded participants, and join the conversation on the future of international energy cooperation.

🌡 Record-Low Danube Levels Deepen Energy and Logistics Risks for Ukraine

Our friends at Lenta.ru have published an article examining how the unprecedented drop in the Danube’s water level, caused by extreme heat, is affecting Ukraine and European countries.

Following the effective blockade of Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea as a result of strikes by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Kyiv sought to redirect part of its exports through the Danube ports of Izmail, Reni and Ust-Dunaisk. However, the lower water level has restricted river transport: barges must carry lighter loads, the number of journeys is increasing, and shipping costs are rising.

🌏 The situation was commented on by Arina Salivon, an expert at the Center for International Interaction and Cooperation:

“For Kyiv, this means a reduction in the volumes of electricity available for import from two important sources and a likely increase in electricity prices, even if part of the shortfall can be covered through Slovakia and Poland.

If the drought persists, the crisis will intensify competition among EU member states for limited capacity and may place national interests above the principle of European solidarity. Some countries may seek additional sources of supply, including by increasing purchases of Russian energy resources. However, it would be premature to describe this as a decision that has already been made.”

According to the expert, the main constraint on Ukrainian trade remains the disruption of the Black Sea route, while the low water level in the Danube is creating further difficulties for exports of agricultural and metallurgical products. At the same time, reduced electricity generation at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary and the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant in Romania is limiting the volumes available to Ukraine and creating conditions for higher prices.

The climate factor is therefore becoming an additional challenge for the energy sector of the European Union and for Ukrainian logistics, intensifying competition for resources and compelling countries to seek alternative supply routes.

📖 You can read the full article here.

📢 Applications are now open for a grant competition organised by our colleagues at the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund!

Russian and international non-profit organisations implementing projects in the fields of international relations and public diplomacy are invited to apply.

🏆 The winners will receive grant support to implement their initiatives in the first half of 2027.

The Fund’s information cards provide key details about the competition, including:
— who is eligible to apply;
— which types of projects may receive support;
— how to submit an application;
— where to find the required documents.

🗓 The application deadline is 15 August at 11:59 p.m. Moscow time.