March 4, 2013

“Information-Analytical Work in International Relations”

A necessary condition for existence in the modern world which is becoming more and more informational, is the development of information – analytical activity. It now becomes an integral part of the process of work of different organizations, from government bodies and powerful financial-industrial corporations - to small private companies and firms, because grounded forecasts of a situation, based on the analysis of information, are necessary for their existence. That is why a structure of professional competence of a specialist of any profile, especially in the sphere of international relations, should include information-analytical activity.

To provide professional training of such specialists, in 2012 Kiev “Kondor” Publishers published a textbook “Information-Analytical Work in International Relations”. The authors of the book are famous Ukrainian scientists: Professor of World Economy and International Economic Relations of the Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law, Honored Scientist of Ukraine, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor I. Mukovsky; Professor of World Economy and International Economic Relations of the Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law, PhD, Associate Professor A. Mishchenko and Professor of the Department of World Economy and International Economic Relations of the Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law, PhD, Associate Professor M. Shevchenko. The edition is recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports of Ukraine as a textbook for university students (Letter of MI / 11-4221 of 26th May,2011), and is for students, teachers and all those who are interested in the problems of international relations. The textbook is built according to the standards of the credit-modular system in accordance with the Bologna Declaration.

According to the “Educational -Professional Training Program for Undergraduate Training Directly 6.030203 “International Economic Relations”, the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports, the textbook examines theoretical principles of information-analytical work and basic directions of formation of information and forecasting culture of international economists.

The book contains the themes of the university subject “Information-Analytical Activity in International Relations”, materials of lectures and plans of seminars, subjects of individual research tasks, a list of questions to be submitted to the control classes (control module).

The academic subject of  “Information and Analytical Activity in International Relations”,  is a part of  training of Bachelor's and Master's Degree in “International Economic Relations” speciality, which outlines the conceptual and methodological principles for the use of modern technologies for the collection, analysis, forecasting and working out recommendations for decision-making in the system of foreign policy and international economic activity.

The need for such a publication is obvious. Its relevance is explained by the fact that the domestic managerial elite, according to the President of the National Academy of State Administration at the President of Ukraine, Yuriy Kovbasyuk, “does not meet the requirements that are put forward to it by the state and society”, obviously, in the foreign policy included.

Because, in the opinion of experts, many of the current political and administrative elite of Ukraine have relatively low levels of training and are characterized by lack of strategic thinking. Therefore, the state of Ukraine is taking the necessary steps to improve the situation created as a result of the effect of various adverse factors. In particular, the Presidential Decree of February 1, 2012, № 45/2012 approved of the Strategy of the State Personnel Policy for 2012 - 2020. The textbook “ Information-Analytical Activity in International Relations”, written by Kiev scientists  I. Mukovskyi, A. Mishchenko and M. Shevchenko, will undoubtedly help implement the mentioned above strategy.

Сontent of the manual