A new podcast episode featuring Maxim Oreshkin is now available to watch
A new episode in the podcast series "OD on Air" is
available on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA and on major video
hosting platforms. The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive
Office of Russia, Maxim Oreshkin, and Wang Feng, Professor of Sociology at the
University of California (USA), discussed global demographic trends, population
ageing, urbanisation, and the impact of technology on labour markets and social
policy.
"The world is changing faster than even the best
experts can predict. That is the world we live in. We will see a decline in the
global population and a significant increase in the number of elderly people
everywhere. I believe governments around the world, especially in countries
with ageing societies, will be deeply concerned about financing pensions and
healthcare for older populations," Wang Feng said during the podcast.
Maxim Oreshkin and Wang Feng also discussed urbanisation and
the concentration of populations in megacities — from Moscow and Saint
Petersburg to Tokyo, New York and Shanghai. According to the professor, young
people are drawn to large cities not only for employment opportunities but also
for quality of life, which intensifies competition for talent and exacerbates
housing and social challenges.
Technological change was another key topic of the
conversation. Automation, artificial intelligence and the development of
digital services create opportunities for reskilling and extending active
working life. At the same time, they raise new questions for governments — from
the taxation of technology to the financial sustainability of pension systems.
Wang Feng emphasised the need to transition to multi-tier pension models and to
ensure a fairer distribution of the benefits of technological growth.
The new episode of the podcast series "OD on Air"
is available via the link.
