Abstract. The introductory article by the Editor-in-Chief of the new peer-reviewed scientific e-journal “Polycentric World”, published by the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, serves several important purposes. Firstly, it identifies and comments on the main issues and topics that the journal is intended to cover. The article also formulates the mission of the journal and outlines the so-called “niche”, which the journal intends to carve out gradually in the general spectrum of scientific periodicals in the international political and economic fields of studies. Hence, the thematic profile of the journal will become clear to the authors interested in a new platform for scientific communication. Secondly, the Editor-in-Chief poses the question of which challenges still lie ahead for the scientific and expert community, taking into account the new vectors of integration processes, the emergence of a variety of new concepts and terms that require operationalization, methodological solutions for the study of complex multilevel and multifunctional systems emerging at the stage of transition to the new world order. Thirdly, the author emphasizes the specific role of network scientific and expert interactions, in which modern journals hold a special position along with traditional and new media and social networks, as well as the increasing importance of scientific communication, both internal and external. Certainly, one of the purposes of an editorial article is to characterize the issue materials, to announce next issues of the journal and to share future plans. Each issue of the journal is planned to be opened with the subject “From the Editorial Office” in order to introduce the issue and to outline the scope of further discussions on the pages of the journal.