Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Just imagine: 1,500 export negotiations in two days, 48 importers from 15 countries, and 150 companies from 38 Russian regions. Yana Londarenko, a Master's student in the International Trade program at the RUDN University Faculty of Economics and head of international projects at Business Connect LLC, organized a large-scale export negotiations session at the "Made in Russia. Chosen Worldwide" conference, commissioned by the Russian Export Center.
"When organizing such a large-scale international event at the federal level, every question is a challenge. Focus, quick reactions, and decision-making are essential. These are skills that every international economist must possess, combining several roles. On behalf of the organizers, I would like to express my gratitude to all the students from my beloved RUDN University, who played an important role as moderators at the negotiating tables. I am confident this experience will help them in their future professional careers!" — Yana Londarenko.
The "Made in Russia. Chosen Worldwide" conference focused on the development and promotion of Russian non-resource exports. The event's main goal was to develop a roadmap for strengthening the national brand in domestic and international markets. The forum brought together representatives of businesses, regional export support centers (ESCs), and experts in foreign economic activity. Over the course of three days, Russian entrepreneurs held business meetings with foreign buyers from the CIS, China, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa.
50 conference tables
Over 30 undergraduate and graduate students from the RUDN University Department of International Relations assisted with the negotiations. Ulyana Lukicheva, a first-year student in the "Global Economy and International Economic Security" program, participated in the event as a volunteer.
"On the first day, after preparing the event, I attended negotiations between Zambia and various Russian companies. They proceeded as follows: approximately 50 tables, each with a buyer from one of 16 countries, a volunteer, and a translator. Every 20 minutes (the duration of each meeting), a representative of the Russian company would approach, and the negotiations would begin. This was a very important experience for me. Firstly, I was able to learn a great deal about products and various business and negotiation strategies. Secondly, I practiced my English, especially words and phrases related to my field," says Ulyana Lukicheva.
According to the student, she learned a lot of new business terminology, understood how some factories operate, and what companies and buyers primarily look for during negotiations. Among the most frequently asked questions, the student highlighted the following: "Do you have experience exporting to other countries?", "What is the retail and wholesale price of your products?", and "Is specialized packaging possible?"
"On the second day, I volunteered at the buyer's table from China. The negotiation process was the same as the first day, but there were some peculiarities. First, the Chinese buyer focused on healthy lifestyle products: if they were food, then those with low or no sugar content. Each meeting was much shorter than the Zambian one, so even companies not on the list had time to approach," says Ulyana Lukicheva.
In Africa they recommend
One of the international participants at the "Made in Russia. The World's Choice" conference was South African entrepreneur Slausie Mogami. She is the chair of the Women Leaders of Africa organization and the head of the BRICS South African Agriculture Working Group. Mogami is already well acquainted with the "Made in Russia" brand and recommends that her compatriots consider high-quality Russian products. She spoke with representatives of the RUDN University Faculty of Economics and shared her impressions of the conference.
"As I represent a large number of South African companies, I'm pleased that this event attracted a wide range of proposals across various industries, and concrete results are expected. It was great that representatives from many countries attended, especially from Africa and the Middle East. I'm also impressed that the majority of products in Russia are now organic. Producers avoid using GMOs, and their products meet international standards," says Slauzi Mogami.
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