The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has the New President

Abstract

After a prolonged delay of the session of General Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), caused by coronavirus pandemic, the election of new president of the NAS of Ukraine Anatoly Zagorodny were finally held on October, 7, 2020. All the pandemic-related troubles notwithstanding, the elections of the president and the new composition of the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine were admittedly complying with the democratic procedures. Anatoly Zagorodly is an authoritative theoretical physicist. Since 1972 he has worked in the Academy: first in the staff of Institute for Theoretical Physics of the NAS of Ukraine, and as its director thereafter (in 2003). He has been vice-president of the NAS of Ukraine since 2011 and on. Hence, the NAS of Ukraine is to be led by the same “Paton” team presided by the leader recommended by Paton himself. It is hoped that this team will continue the process of democratization of the internal life in the Academy. Unfortunately, the Presidium a determining factor of the Academy prospects, but it is hoped that the newly elected members of the Presidium will find more convincing arguments to persuade the authorities in the vital necessity of a radical shift in their attitude to the science system.