William Viktorovich SMIRNOV, assistant professor, chair of politology and political management, PhD (law).
From 1969 to 1974, he worked at the Institute for Sociology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, from 1974 – at the Institute of State and Law of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He has been doing research in the USA under IREX programs and at G. Kennan Institute of W.Wilson Center. He received Galina Starovoitova fellowship at Kennan Institute of W.Wilson Center. In 2001- 2002, visiting professor at the Texas University, in Austin, USA. In 1994, member of the Russian Presidential Commission on Human Rights. From 1998 to 2001, deputy chairman of the Russian Presidential Commission on Human Rights. From 2001 to 2004, executive secretary of the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights. From 2004 to 2009, member of the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.
Full member of the Russian Academy of Political Science, member of the Public Research and Methodological Council of the Russian Central Electoral Commission, head of the Section for International Cooperation of the Public Research and Methodological Council of the Russian Central Electoral Commission, chairman of the Audit Commission of the Russian Association of Political Science, member of the Coordination Council on the Protection of the Citizens’ Electoral Rights, member of the Public Council “Fair Choice”, member of the Bureau of the International NGO “Federation of Peace and Cooperation”, head of section of theory of law and state, the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The area of academic interests: comparative constitutional law, law and politics, political and legal culture, democracy and human rights.
He delivers the following courses of lectures:
- Theory of politics;
- Latest tendencies and trends of today politology.