President of Russia's leading nuclear research centre, the Kurchatov Institute, and a member of the Russian President's Defense Council with portfolios for defense conversion and science policy. A major scientist in plasma physics and controlled thermonuclear fusion, he is the principal science advisor to President Putin, and has also served in this capacity for two previous Russian presidents. Other positions include: First Academician-Secretary of Department of Information Science, Computer Facilities and Automation of USSR Academy of Sciences and Russian Academy of Sciences; Twice elected Vice-President of the USSR Academy of Sciences; Scientific Chief of Studies on controlled thermonuclear fusion in USSR; Russian Representative to the International Council on Controlled Thermonuclear Synthesising at the International Atomic Energy Agency; Chairman of the Board of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program (Russia, USA, European Union and Japan); Scientific Chief of the Program for Development and Implementation of Technological Lasers.