"OD on Air": podcasts on global development trends now available for watching
All episodes of the "OD on Air" podcasts, recorded during the January Expert Dialogues, have been posted on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA and major video hosting platforms. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation, Maxim Oreshkin, spoke with leading global experts on the most relevant trends in global development.
In the first episode of the Open Dialogue podcast "OD on Air", Maxim Oreshkin spoke with Dr. Selina Neri, co-founder and Rector of the Future Readiness Academy and Visiting Professor at the Skolkovo School of Management. They discussed how the global labour system is changing under the influence of technology and artificial intelligence, increasing life expectancy, and the search for meaning in work. One of the key topics of the discussion was changes in the labour market: from full-time employment to portfolio careers and personal projects.
The second episode was dedicated to issues of globalisation and the role of cities and countries in the modern economy. Maxim Oreshkin discussed this with Dr. Parag Khanna, a global strategist, bestselling author, cosmopolite, founder and CEO of AlphaGeo company. The expert shared his personal experiences and observations, and addressed the importance of integrating various regions and peoples. The conversation also touched upon the need for effective governance, investing in youth, and creating conditions for openness and cooperation between countries and companies to achieve sustainable development and prosperity.
In the third episode of the podcast, Maxim Oreshkin and Wang Feng, Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine (USA), discussed issues of urbanisation and population concentration in megacities – from Moscow and St Petersburg to Tokyo, New York, and Shanghai. Technological changes became a separate topic of conversation. Automation, artificial intelligence, and the development of digital services open opportunities for retraining and extending active working life but pose new questions for states – from taxing technology to the financial sustainability of pension systems.
In the fourth episode, Maxim Oreshkin and Chen Qiufan, President of the China Science Fiction Writers Association and co-author of the bestseller "AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future", discussed the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on society, education, and the labour market. They touched upon the application of AI in healthcare, the risks of technological monopolisation, and the need for international cooperation to create an open and diverse artificial intelligence ecosystem. Special attention was paid to the role of culture and science fiction as a tool for understanding the future: through stories, society learns to adapt to changes and build trust between people, states, and technologies.
In the fifth episode of the podcast, Maxim Oreshkin's guest was Dr. Rais Hussin, CEO of EMIR Research (Malaysia). They discussed issues of transformation in the global economy – states are becoming part of global platforms, and control over financial infrastructure is becoming crucial. During the conversation, particular attention was paid to the regulation of large digital services and the introduction of mutual credit clearing systems. Maxim Oreshkin and Dr. Rais Hussin also discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on education and business.
The January Expert Dialogues are part of the Open Dialogue series of events. The event was initiated by the National Centre RUSSIA in partnership with the Centre for Inter-Industry Expertise "Third Rome" with the support of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation.
The Open Dialogue first took place in April 2025 at the National Centre RUSSIA, and brought together over 3,000 experts from dozens of countries.
The first performance of the musical and choreographic parable "Khorovod" at the National Centre RUSSIA was attended not only by bearers of Russian culture but also by foreign guests.
Open Dialogue helps countries understand each other better, jointly develop solutions, and use these ideas for the development.
