Identifying the dynamics of changes in Russia's human potential in the context of the experience of Eurasian integration

Population of the Eurasian Economic Union (hereinafter referred to as the EAEU) is its real strategic resource. Eurasian integration, of course, has achieved serious success and continues developing, but in this regard, it is of scientific and practical interest to identify the dynamics of changes in the EAEU human potential in the context of integration. The integration goals of the EAEU require increasing its human potential due to fertility, mortality and migration, and ensuring demographic security.

The existing experience of the EAEU functioning in the conditions of the global economic crisis has shown the importance of taking joint measures, as well as expanding integration cooperation. However, the EAEU development is constrained by both external and internal factors (Osadchaya, 2021, p. 9). Integration processes can be represented by a variety of social signs and expressed by systems of indicators: economic, political, socio-cultural and social, resource, procedural and performance. If we record the achievements of Eurasian integration, then among them we can note the creation of a single customs space, providing citizens of the EAEU member states with opportunities for a comfortable common labor market (Vartanova, 2021).

Taking into account the accumulated experience of defining the category, we believe that in the context of integration processes and new globalization challenges, the human potential of the EAEU is “a set of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the population that fundamentally affect the achievement of the Eurasian integration goals characterizing the ability to ensure the sustainable development of the Union and well-being, ensuring demographic security, preventing threats in accordance with the national demographic interests of each member country of the Union” (Osadchaya, 2019).

In order to identify the dynamics of changes in the EAEU human potential in the context of integration, we have conducted a survey of experts representing the scientific community, Eurasian associations and organizations. The survey was attended by 50 experts from member countries and candidates for membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. The first set of questions was devoted to the general assessment of integration processes within the EAEU. In accordance with the purpose of the research, we have set the following tasks:

• 1)    to give a sociological characteristic of the success of the integration processes of the member states and candidates for membership in the EAEU;

• 2)    to assess the dynamics of human potential changes in the context of Eurasian integration;

• 3)    to invite the EAEU regulators to develop recommendations for conducting more in-depth studies of human potential changes of the EAEU countries in the context of integration and new globalization challenges.

Structurally, the expert interview guide included three main blocks of questions. For instance, when assessing the dynamics of human potential changes (Osadchaya, Vartanova, 2021), we have noted that each of the states has its own special structure for regulating the processes of demographic development reflecting the features of the country’s political structure.

When analyzing the success of integration processes (Osadchaya, 2021), most experts pointed to the low pace of the integration process. According to experts, the EAEU has turned into a successful integration association demonstrating an attractive model of cooperation based on the principle of voluntariness. However, imbalances persist in it; integration compromises are not easily achieved. Demographic policy as an integral part of the state policy of the CIS states was based on the principles and norms of international law and international treaties (Osadchaya, 2019).