COORDINADORES: Alexandra A. Arkhangelskaya | Dmitri M. Bondarenko

Resumen:

The BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) are "(re)emerging powers" that at present compete in Africa most actively with "traditional powers" (former colonial powers, the USA, some others), on the one hand, and, in fact, with each other, notwithstanding the establishment of the BRICS formal unity, on the other. In this contest for African spatiality and resources an important part is played by images of the respective countries in the Africans? mass consciousness as a significant prerequisite for consolidation of their positions and implementation of their goals on the continent.

The aim of the panel is to contribute to the discussion of the specific features of each of the BRICS states´ images in African countries in the past and nowadays. These images´ nature, the way and degree to which they can promote the success or failure of the attempts to establish the respective states as key players in Africa are to be the panel´s focal points.

The crucial role these countries images´ historical background plays in Africa is essential for the analysis of the current perceptions and understanding of the prospects of the BRICS countries on the African continent. Papers dealing with historical aspects of the BRICS states´ images in Africa, from the earliest time on, and contemporary issues are equally welcomed.