Our long-time colleague and friend Andrei Yakovlev from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow has been recently appointed "Research Ambassador" of the University of Bremen. In future he will represent the University of Bremen abroad, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe, and will act as a liaison between the University and anyone interested in a research or study stay in Bremen.

Andrei Yakovlev met all the requirements necessary for the appointment as a "Research Ambassador" that include research strength, strong ties to the University of Bremen and a previous research stay of at least one year in Bremen. From July 2002 to September 2003 he completed a research stay at the University of Bremen financed by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and has visited Bremen at regular intervals since then.

Andrei Yakovlev as well as his team at ICSID cooperate closely with our working group, and he has a long-standing collaboration with the research group of Jutta Günther at the Faculty of Business Studies and Economics and the Research Centre for East European Studies.

We congratulate Andrei Yakovlev on this appointment and look forward to welcoming him in Bremen soon.