Informatisation and New Technologies: A New Look of World Politics

Scientific and technological advances have always affected international relations. While in the middle of the 20^th century it was the nuclear revolution that had a significant impact on the international structure, in the beginning of the 21^st century the information revolution plays such a role. Scientists predict that in the forthcoming decades, world politics will be affected by breakthroughs in nano- and biotechnologies, as well as information technologies and the exploration of new sources of energy.

Following E. Skolnikoff, the authors believe that the impact of science and technology on international affairs may be classified as operating through one of four main mechanisms:

• changing the architecture of the international system: its structure, its organizing concepts, and the relations among its actors;
• changing the processes by which the international system operates, including diplomacy, war, administration, commerce, communications;
• creating new issue areas, new constraints and trade-offs in the operational environment of foreign policy, not only political constraints on international action, but also constraints imposed by the laws of natural and social science;
• providing a source of changed perceptions, information and transparency for the operation of the international system, and of new concepts and ideas for international relations theory.

In addition to understanding the influence of scientific and technological discoveries on the world of political processes, the article identifies risks and threats associated with the development of science and technologies, as well as the main areas of international cooperation in this field, while also looking at the economic dimension of scientific and technological processes. Particular attention is paid to the information component of the modern global scientific and technological sphere. In conclusion, the authors dwell on the role and place of Russia in the global innovation process.

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