8^th International Forum IT with participation of BRICS and SCO Member States representatives was held on 8-9^thJune, 2016 in Khanty-Mansiysk. The event was organized by the Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area - Yugra in cooperation with Administration of Tomsk Region, Chamber of Commerce of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area - Yugra and with the support of All India Industry Association, Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Russian Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation.

Given the current economic realities, regulatory changes and requirements of the conceptual documents regulating the Information Society development in different countries, the following objectives of the Forum were set to:

• evaluate the current state, prospects of development and technological trends in the information technology industry related with the public administration, municipal
• discuss topical issues of development, production and introduction of national specific software, telecommunication equipment and identify the ways to address them;
• find the ways of cooperation between Russia and other BRICS and SCO countries and the SCO for the consolidation of efforts in the development of information technologies;
• create the image of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area - Yugra as an innovative region developing and applying modern approaches to informatization.

As the press service of the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk District informed, the business related events of the Forum were attended by 1785 people over two days. Thereby, there were more than 2.5 thousand people, including exhibitors. In general, 21 events were held, in which 72 speakers participated, 73 reports were presented and 9 agreements were signed.

Nikolai Nikiforov, Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation thanked Ugra for the consistent arrangement of the Forum. According to him, such events are important, as they allow to establish the necessary contacts not only between the representatives of public authorities, but most importantly - between business representatives.

At the Opening ceremony of 8^th International IT-Forum  with participation of BRICS and SCO Member States was attended by members of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of the Information Society (IIS) Yuri Hohlov and Alexander Raykov and IIS Director General Tatiana Ershova.

A Roundtable “IT in Cultural Institutions” was held on June 8, 2016. It was moderated by Nadezhda Kaznacheeva, Director of the Culture Department of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area - Yugra and Tatiana Ershova, IIS Director General, Chief Editor of scientific and analytical journal “Information Society”.

On June 8-9^th, 2016 in the framework of the UNESCO “Information for All” and the 8^th International IT-Forum the International Conference “Media and Information Literacy and the Formation of an Open Government Culture” took place. Tatiana Ershova, IIS Director General, together with Professor of the University of Szeged, Chairman of the Hungarian Committee of UNESCO Program “Information for All” Laszlo Karvalics moderated the Plenary Session, held on June 9, 2016.

IIS leaders took part in the final Plenary Session of the 8^th International IT-Forum. Yuri Hohlov presented the results of the panel discussion “E-Government: New Requirements and Challenges”.