My own perceptions of Russia-West relations have certainly been influenced by my experiences at the module. Whilst I have spent a considerable part of my academic career reading and analysing Russian discourses concerning the West, it is a different experience hearing these ideas directly and being able to discuss them with prominent Russian scholars. Moreover, I was struck by how some of the views differed so vastly from what is usually reported in Western academic circles. One example of this was the general optimism regarding Russia’s future relationship with China. Another was the certainty about the decline of the West and the US as a global hegemon. I found it particularly surprising to be told that the time for Russia and Europe has passed, as this differs profoundly to what I am trying to achieve with my own research. For me, the most interesting topics were those that revolved around Russia’s understanding of its European identity and integration with Europe as this is closely linked to my own area of research. Some of the discussions served to solidify my own conclusions, such as the emphasis placed on Russia’s role as a great power and the emergence of a multipolar order in which Russia envisages a leading role for itself. However, other discussions forced me to reconsider my own views. In particular, I found the seeming compartmentalisation of certain facets of Russian identity intriguing, with several scholars articulating the difference between Russia being culturally European but politically and socially Eurasian. This challenged my understanding of what is meant by cultural identity, as in the West generally, but also in my own research, there is a tendency to associate culture with political values, whilst at the module it was stressed that these are separate. Another area useful for my own research was how the idea of Russia’s Eurasian identity has impacted its relationship with Europe, specifically the idea of Greater Europe. Prior to the module, I had personally been more optimistic about the possibility of realising the Greater Europe project. However, after hearing the opinions of several senior Russian analysts, I was forced to re-evaluate my opinion completely, which even led to substantial edits to my own research conclusions. It became clear to me that from the Russian perspective, the idea of Greater Europe is no longer viable and has been completely usurped by a focus on Greater Eurasia, leading to dubious outlooks for Russia’s integration into European institutions. Associated with this, the module helped to develop my knowledge of what Russia understands the idea of Greater Eurasia to be and Russia’s own place within it. Also notable was the acknowledged conflation of Europe with the US and the general use of the umbrella term ‘the West’. As my own research focuses on Russia’s relationship with Europe, it is interesting to see the difficulty in disentangling these two actors. One thing that remains a question in my mind following the consortium, pertinent to my own research, is the principles on which the future international order will be based. Whilst there was a general consensus that the current tension in Russia-West relations is about the nature of the international order, and some talks were had about what principles could underpin the new order, overall this issue remained unanswered. Still, it is only through projects such as the Consortium that difficult questions such as these may finally be answered.
