Participants

Natalia Telepneva¹; Elizabeth Banks⁴; Ksenia Wesolowska²; Severyan Dyakonov⁵; Akbar Rasulov³;  ¹ University of Strathclyde, UK;  ² University of Strathclyde, UK;  ³ University of Glasgow, UK;  ⁴ Edinburgh, UK;  ⁵ NYU Jordan Center, United States

Discussion

The objective of this roundtable is to examine the Soviet concept of 'development,' specifically investigating how Soviet and Eastern European representatives sought to convey their ideas about development and modernization on the international stage. The participants will focus specifically on how Soviet and Eastern European experts and economists understood 'development' in the context of the Third World and how they attempted to align with ongoing debates surrounding underdevelopment and the pursuit of the New International Economic Order. The roundtable will also analyze Soviet development discourse at the UN and other organizations, along with how these ideas were translated into practice and the challenges they faced. While most recent research on this topic has concentrated on the 1960s, this roundtable will explore both the theory and practice of Soviet development in the 1970s and 1980s. Its aim is to consider some of the latest findings on the issue and propose new avenues for research, particularly in broadening our perspectives on Soviet development thinking and practice.