Fudan-Arab Lecture Series No.24

Title: 

Digital Transformation of Public Administration: Multilevel Governance Model in Russia

Speaker: 

Dr. Evgeny Styrin, HSE University

Dr. Anna Sanina, HSE University

Host: 

Assoc. Prof. Ziteng Fan, Fudan IGPP

Time: 

12:00-13:20, March 13th, Friday, 2026

Venue: 

Room 805E, 8th Floor, West Sub-building of Guanghua Towers

https://www.wjx.cn/vm/tbmk4ix.aspx#

The Speaker：

Dr. Evgeny Styrin 

Head of the Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration, leading researcher and associate professor affiliated with HSE University, Russia.

Fields of Research: Public services performance management, open government, digital government, interagency information sharing, open data and public IT strategy development and evaluation.

Dr. Anna Sanina

Leading Research Fellow at the Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration and an Associate Professor of Public Administration at HSE University, Russia.

Fields of Research: Governance and citizenship, patriotic education, digital trust, government-to-citizen and government-to-business communication (G2C/G2B).

Abstract:

Digital Transformation of Public Administration: Multilevel Governance Model in Russia (Dr. Evgeny Styrin)

This lecture explores coordination challenges in Russia’s public administration during digital transformation across federal, regional, and local levels. Key issues include building national digital infrastructure, expanding digital public services, and strengthening data governance for economic growth. It reviews the evolution of Russia’s digital government system and highlights critical topics such as digital trust, citizen and civil servant perceptions, platform institutionalization, and AI adoption, while addressing major coordination risks and governance mechanisms in multilevel administration.

Introduction to the International Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration (Dr. Anna Sanina)

This presentation introduces the Laboratory’s research agenda and applied projects on evidence-based public sector digital reform. The Laboratory studies how governments design, implement, and evaluate digital transformation, covering policy strategies, regulation, organizational change, platform governance, and digital service delivery. Applied initiatives include a simulation game on digital reform and analytical tools assessing digital competences and institutional maturity. A citizen-centered research track examines public trust and perceptions of digital services. Comparative projects analyze AI policies and institutional frameworks in Russia and China. Using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods, the Laboratory highlights governance capacities that enable coordination, transparency, and sustainable digital reform.