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Evgeniy GilboFounder of distance education "School of Effective Leaders"
Date of Birth: 20.12.1965
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Academic and Research Career
- Journalism and Public Engagements
- Economic and Political Contributions
- Opposition to the 1993 Coup Attempt
- Establishment of "Modernization" in St. Petersburg
- Post-Soviet Developments
- International Collaborations and Education Initiatives
- Political Candidacy and Policy Initiatives
- Current Roles
Early Life and Education
Evgeny Vitalievich Gilbo was born on December 20, 1965, in Leningrad. He graduated from Physics and Mathematics School No. 30 in 1983 and from the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute (LETI) in 1989 with a degree in Applied Mathematics. Gilbo also pursued additional education in psychology outside the Soviet system, studying under notable professors such as N.N. Traugott, G.V. Gershuni, Leon Chertok, L.N. Gumilyov, V.K. Bekleshov, I.P. Yakovlev, and S.A. Kugel.
Academic and Research Career
Gilbo's diploma work focused on modeling the cognitive activity of the brain at the Institute of Evolutionary Physiology named after Sechenov. After graduating from LETI, he worked at the Institute of the History of Science and Technology of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, researching the history of psychoanalysis and alchemy. Gilbo played a significant role in promoting psychoanalysis in scientific and popular publications, particularly the Russian psychoanalytic tradition.
Applying psychoanalytic methods to epistemology, Gilbo developed the concept of "gnoseological pluralism," which emphasized the inseparable unity between the innate cognitive characteristics of a scientist and their research method, and between the subject and method of study. He also proposed a reform for the education system based on the implementation of "emotional pedagogy," a holistic system of influencing a child's personality as an alternative to the traditional, rigid curriculum.
While studying the history of alchemy, Gilbo put forward the idea that alchemy was not a precursor to chemistry due to the fundamental differences in their subjects and methods. He recognized alchemy as a systemic discipline that examined complex and holistic interactions, unlike the instruments studied by modern sciences.
Journalism and Public Engagements
Gilbo gained prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a popular science fiction author, publishing the series "Adventures of the Cosmic Ranger." He also became known as an outspoken publicist, contributing to various publications, including "Chas Pik," "Smena," and "Novaya Gazeta." Gilbo received public awards for his journalism, including "Best Young Journalist" in 1989 and "Sharp Pen" in 1990.
From 1991 onwards, Gilbo served as Vice President of the Leningrad Psychoanalytic Society. He delved into commercial ventures, developing automated control systems for businesses in St. Petersburg. Additionally, Gilbo became politically active, participating in the organization of the Leningrad People's Front in 1989 and later becoming Chairman of the North-Western Interdistrict Coordinating Council of the "Democratic Russia" movement.
Economic and Political Contributions
Gilbo headed the Center for the Development of Comprehensive Economic Programs "Modernization" from 1991. He played a crucial role in shaping the economic and social reform program presented to Boris Yeltsin in 1991. Gilbo strongly criticized the programs proposed by Jeffrey Sachs and Grigory Yavlinsky, which were based on the neoliberal economic paradigm. He accurately predicted the negative consequences of implementing these measures.
After Yeltsin decided to implement Sachs' program, Gilbo collaborated closely with the Supreme Soviet, devising strategies to minimize the damage caused by the Sachs-Gaidar policies. In October 1992, he wrote "Professional Claims to the Government," which argued for the removal of the Gaidar-Chubais group from power. Following the fall of Gaidar's government, Gilbo led a team within the Supreme Economic Council to develop an alternative reform program, aiming to compensate for the economic losses incurred over two years.
From 1993, Gilbo served as an advisor to Vice President Alexander Rutskoi and Chairman of the Council of the Republic Vladimir Sokolov. He advocated for deeper reforms, immediate modernization of the financial system, transition to a post-industrial economic structure, and abandonment of Yeltsin's course that continued Sachs' program and fostered a raw materials-based, monocultural economy.
Opposition to the 1993 Coup Attempt
Gilbo strongly supported the legitimate authorities during the coup attempt of September 21, 1993. He denounced the coup and resigned from the "Democratic Russia" movement in protest against its leadership's support for the coup. Following Gilbo's withdrawal, the interdistrict organization he led also left the movement.
Establishment of "Modernization" in St. Petersburg
Gilbo joined forces with Vladimir Sokolov in 1994 to establish the "Creation" movement, aiming to unite constructive forces in Russia. However, this goal proved elusive due to Yeltsin's pre-election campaign that focused on defeating the non-communist opposition and polarizing society. Along with Sokolov, Gilbo submitted an alternative federal budget draft for 1994, and later for 1995 and 1996, to the State Duma, accompanied by a program for active economic and social policies and intensified reforms.
After the defeat of constructive forces in 1995 and the intensification of pressure on Gilbo by the presidential security service, he relocated to St. Petersburg and continued to lead the "Modernization" Center from there, focusing on fundamental research and publicism. He maintained the practice of submitting alternative federal budget drafts to the State Duma for 1997 and 1998.
Post-Soviet Developments
In 1999, when the failure of Jeffrey Sachs' program and Yeltsin's strategy became evident, Gilbo shifted the focus of his Center to developing a comprehensive program for overcoming the crisis and modernizing Russia after the collapse of the regime on October 4th. The same year, he proposed an extensive program for developing Russia's transportation infrastructure to change its geopolitical position and harness the economic and strategic benefits of such a shift.
International Collaborations and Education Initiatives
Gilbo became Vice President of the International Society for Practical Psychology (ISfPP) in Berlin in 1999. In 2000, he founded the "School of Effective Leaders" distance learning project, aimed at fostering a Russian-speaking sector of the global post-industrial elite by providing access to advanced knowledge in business, self-control, management of individual and mass consciousness and unconsciousness, macroeconomics, management, and metamanagement. This project became one of the most successful Russian-language distance learning initiatives.
Since 2001, Gilbo has worked on establishing the World Russian University of Distance Learning, which aims to make high-quality education and competitive advantages available to Russian-speaking youth, enabling them to compete effectively in the global economy and human community.
Political Candidacy and Policy Initiatives
Gilbo ran for the post of Governor of St. Petersburg in 1996 and 2003. In both cases, he utilized the electoral campaigns to promote major socially significant projects. He proposed the "Real World" action program, aiming to encourage Russian authorities to adopt defense, economic, and demographic policies that better align with the geopolitical situation in Asia. In the event that the current political course continued, Gilbo's program outlined measures to adapt the Russian-speaking population to the realities that would follow a Chinese conquest.
Current Roles
As of 2004, Gilbo serves as President of the International Academy of Humanitarian Technologies. Since 2006, he has co-chaired the Russian-German Philosophical Society.
In his personal life, Gilbo enjoys traveling, architecture, and continues to pursue psychology, journalism, and history. He resides in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
