From Idea to Implementation: Young Compatriots to Present Projects in Moscow
From August 21 to 26, Moscow will host the fifth Project Accelerator for the youth wing of the Russian diaspora abroad. Six winning teams will receive financial and organizational support to carry out their cultural and humanitarian initiatives.
The in-person stage will bring together teams that made it to the final following the online stage. With guidance from experts, participants will refine their projects and present them to a panel of experts at the final pitch.
The Project Accelerator is a cultural and educational project of the Government of Moscow. Its organizers are the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow and the Moscow House of Compatriots. The project aims to develop project management skills among young Russian compatriots, strengthen their ties with Moscow, and build an international community of activists pursuing initiatives in the Russian language, culture, and historical memory.
Participants develop projects in several areas: promoting Russian culture abroad, supporting the study of Russian and teaching in Russian, preserving historical memory, holding events for Russian-speaking journalists, and carrying out youth cultural and humanitarian initiatives.
As part of the accelerator, young compatriots will have the opportunity to master in-demand project management skills. Experts will work with the teams, including Natalya Spirina, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor at the Department of Economic Theory at RANEPA, founder and director of the Domino Principle Agency for Gamification Solutions; Svetlana Makovkina, PhD in Economics, lecturer at RANEPA and certified project management expert; and Olga Podkovyrkina, moderator of regional and federal programs and lecturer at the Russian Znanie Society. During the workshops, participants will work through key aspects of project delivery: drafting a program and budget, preparing a presentation, and putting initiatives into practice. Special attention will be given to team management and difficult communications, organizing events on a limited budget, and carrying projects forward after the accelerator ends. The program will also include an open mic for participants, a team case session, and a business game.
Finalists will also take part in a cultural and educational program. At the Smart City pavilion at VDNH, participants will learn about Moscow’s modern digital technologies and e-services used in city administration, healthcare, education, housing and utilities, and transport. Another venue on the program will be the National Center “Russia.” There, participants will be able to explore the exhibition “Journey Across Russia.” The exhibition space offers a look at regional technological developments, a chance to learn more about their cultural and natural diversity, and an interactive journey across Russia.
The in-person stage was preceded by the online stage of the fifth Project Accelerator for young compatriots. It involved 97 teams bringing together more than 380 young compatriots from Belarus, Egypt, India, Qatar, China, the UAE, Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia, and other countries. Over the course of a month, participants worked with experts to develop concepts for their own cultural and humanitarian projects, learn the basics of project management, and complete practical assignments.
Over five years, the project has attracted more than 1,500 young compatriots from 20 countries. More than 80% of Project Accelerator graduates join the Government of Moscow’s community of young compatriots and continue to take part in events held by the Moscow House of Compatriots. With support from the Government of Moscow, 15 projects by winners and finalists from previous seasons have already been carried out in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the United Arab Emirates, Transnistria, and Uzbekistan.