President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Sergeev withdrew his candidacy from the election of the head of the academy

The current president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Alexander Sergeev withdrew his candidacy from the election of the new head of the academy. In addition to him, the general director of JSC “Research Institute of Molecular Electronics” academician Gennady Krasnikov and the director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science Institute of Thermal Physics named after A.I. S. S. Kutateladze SB RAS, academician Dmitry Markovich. The elections are to be held at the general meeting of the members of the academy on September 20th.

“In these difficult conditions, I thank the members of the Russian Academy of Sciences who support me, I am sure that they are the majority. However, the events of recent days are forcing me to withdraw my candidacy from the election of the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This is a forced decision,” said Mr. Sergeev at the general meeting of members of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Mr. Sergeev drew attention to the fact that the presidential elections of the Russian Academy of Sciences are taking place in “unprecedented conditions.” According to him, many members of the academy “are subjected to psychological and even external administrative pressure, especially after publicly declaring their position.” However, he did not specify from whom and in what form such pressure came.

Alexander Sergeev headed the Russian Academy of Sciences after the elections in 2017. Vladimir Fortov, who was then President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recused himself.

The news is being supplemented