Institute for Systems Analysis of Russian Academy of Sciences (ISA RAS) is a unique autonomous research, advisory and consultative organization originally conceived, created and evolving as a multidisciplinary scientific entity bringing together experts in areas such as mathematics and economics, management and information technologies, biology and ecology, sociology and philosophy. By making use of the unique creative potential and forms of collaboration, experts in different areas of knowledge conduct fundamental and applied studies aimed largely at developing the theory and tools of systems analysis.

As a scientific theory systems analysis deals, within the frameworks of holistic conceptions, with complicated dynamic objects of different nature, making possible to diagnose the state and functioning of such objects, set tasks and find preferred options for structural transformation thereof on the basis of special formal models and information technologies created for them. Practical capacities of systems analysis are manifold and varied, but it is especially efficient when applied to preparing effective decisions concerned with big and complicated business, regional, national and global problems. 

The Institute was established in 1976 as an all-union research institute for systems studies (vniisi) under the aegis of State Committee on Science and Technology of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

The Institute founders Academicians J.V.Gvishiani (the first director of the Institute from 1976 to 1992) and S.V.Yemelianov (Institute director from 1992 to 2002, and its scientific leader now) molded VNIISI as a unique research organization using systems methodology for exploring key and specifically complicated problems linked to an intensive application of technological achievements and caused by global processes.

The Institute was largely built around three teams of researchers coming from: Institute of Control Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences, headed by S.V.Yemelianov, engaged with development and application of cybernetic methods to problems of technical and organizational system control; Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the USSR AS, headed by S.S.Shatalin, exploring the issues involved with socioeconomic effectiveness; Institute of the USA and Canada of the USSR AS, headed by B.Z.Milner, dealing with organizational methods of economic management. Later on, these were joined by teams involved with development of philosophical concepts of systems studies, science of science, global forecasting, environmental modeling, organizational sociology.

The Institute came to be an ideological and methodological center of interdisciplinary studies into organizational, socioeconomic and technical management problems on the basis of systems approach and modern information technologies. The Institute’s products were in great demand both during perestroika in the 1980’s and reforms of the 1990’s. In those years, several Institute employees took up posts in the supreme bodies of power and administration in this country. 

In 1992, the Institute was renamed into Institute for Systems Analysis of Russian Academy of Sciences.

Fundamental studies of the Institute span a wide range of fundamental problems of systems analysis methodology; new information technologies; modeling of complex systems; artificial intelligence; decision making theory; systems analysis of processes of macroeconomic, territorial and production development; administration and business management; forecasting global environmental and climatic changes; management of public health.

The Institute’s fundamental studies resulted in several major findings. These are: A theory of nonlinear system control under uncertainty (Academicians S.V.Yemelianov and S.K.Korovin); A theory of macrosystems (Yu.S.Popkov, corresponding member of RAS); Systems modeling methods (Academician V.A.Gelovani); Artificial intelligence methods for support of decision making, recognition of character and audio objects, database and knowledge management, search and analysis of information (Academician O.I.Larichev, V.P.Arlazarov, RAS corresponding member, Dr. G.S.Osipov (physics and mathematics), Dr. Petrovsky (Engineering); Organization methods for distributed computing environments Dr. F.P.Afanasiev (physics and mathematics), Methods of information security provision (Dr. D.S.Chereshkin (Engineering); Mathematical support and technology of rapid construction of information systems and circulation of documents automation (Dr. N.E.Yemelianov (Engineering); Methodology of building bioecosystem simulation models and computer-based systems for biomedical monitoring and regional environmental forecasting (Dr. S.A.Pegov and Dr. V.N.Krutko (Engineering); A theory of effectiveness and methods of investment project evaluation Dr. V.N.Livshits (Economics); Methods of systems diagnostics and regulation of spaced organization structures (Dr. V.N.Leksin and Dr. A.N.Shvetsov (Economics); Theoretical principles and mechanisms of intersectoral social partnership (Dr. V.N.Yakimets (Sociology).

As for applied studies the Institute is involved with handling current practical problems by making use of methodology and tools of systems analysis.

The topics of applied projects and many and varied. These are: development of GAS “Vybory” (State Automated System “Election”); development of e-commerce automation system in subjects of the RF; development of a software package for enterprise electronic documents circulation systems; development of electronic instruction systems; development of expert and instruction systems for diagnosis and choice of treatment patterns of several diseases; development of search and metasearch systems; building decision support systems for evaluating the readiness of oil and gas fields for commercial development; preparation of forecasts, programs and plans of regional and urban development; modeling traffic streams; reforming natural monopolies, etc.

Applied projects were frequently carried out on requests from Administration of President of the RF, Federal ministries and agencies (RF ministry of economic development and trade, ministry of finance, ministry of energy, ministry of emergencies, ministry of transport, ministry of state property, ministry of industry and science, ministry of internal affairs, etc.), by Administrations of subjects of the Russian Federation (city of Moscow, Altai and Krasnodar territories,  Vladimir, Irkutsk, Samara, Moscow and Yaroslavl oblasts, Khanty-Mansiisk, Chukotka and Yamal-Nenetsk autonomous areas, etc .) and municipalities (cities such as Astrakhan, Kemerovo, Krasnodar, Nakhodka, Novgorod, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Rybinsk; “mining” towns, etc.), big oil and gas, energy, industrial and transport corporations (RAO “Gazprom”, RAO ES (Unified Energy System of Russia), Rosneft, plc, Mosenergo, plc., Slavneft, plc., Sibneft, plc., Sibneft, plc., YUKOS, plc., RAO RZhD (Russian railways, etc.), big state and private banks (Central Bank of Russia, Vneshekonombank, Vneshtorgbank, Gazprombank, etc.), other financial institutions (Pension Fund of Russia and non-governmental pension funds).

The Institute’s team of researchers is made up of highly skilled experts including four full members of RAS, three  corresponding members of RAS, around 50 Doctors of Sciences and over 100 Ph.D. (in areas such as physics and mathematics, economics, philosophy, sociology, geography and law).

Scientific achievements of the Institute’s researchers were awarded with a Nobel prize in economics (Academician L.V.Kantorovich), two Lenin prizes (Academicians S.V.Yemelianov and A.A.Voronov), two State prizes of the USSR (Academician S.V.Yemelianov and Dr. V.V.Kalashnikov), State prize of the RF (Academicians S.V.Yemelianov and S.K.Korovin), two prizes of the Council of Ministers of the USSR (Academicians S.V.Yemelianov and S.K.Korovin, corresponding member of RAS V.P.Arlazarov, Drs. N.E.Yemelianov and Yu.N.Ivanov, Ph.D. A.D.Astakhov, A.N.Godunov, E.A.Dinits, A.A.Leman, M.Z.Rozenfeld, I.B.Chernysjov, L.P.Borisova, G.V.Egorov), two Lenin Komsomol prizes (DrV.N.Yakimets, Ph.D. M.M.Denisov, V.I.Sizikov, A.L.Nersisyan, S.V.Nikitin), RAS prize after academician A.A.Andronov (Dr. N.A.Bobyliov, Academicians S.V.Yemelianov and S.K.Korovin), 1st degree Lomonosov prize on science (Dr. N.A.Bobyliov, Academicians S.V.Yemelianov and S.K.Korovin), RAS medals. 

The Institute’s organization structure is consistent with the systems nature of handled problems. Scientific activities are organized around multidisciplinary studies, which are of matrix character. The ISA research personnel are assigned to complex research areas made up of laboratories uniting representatives of a certain field of science. The Institute is currently running 40 labs grouped in 6 research areas. These are:

• Systems analysis methodology. Information technologies in social development
• Mathematical principles of computer science, management and systems analysis
• Systems modeling methods
• Intellectual information technologies, information security
• Information and telecommunication systems and networks, distributed computing 
• Systems research and information technologies as applied to economics and management

Multidisciplinary teams of researchers from different laboratories are established to handle specific problems and implement projects and programs.

Institute director – Yuri Solomonovich Popkov, RAS corresponding member. 

Scientific leader -  Stanislav Vasilievich Yemelianov, full member of RAS.

Scientific secretary –  Sergei Nikolaevich Osipov, Ph.D.

International relations of the Institute have been established with a great deal of scientific and expert organizations from around the world. These are International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna (Austria), International Institute of Management Problems, Club of Rome, UNESCO, Moscow International Energy Club, to mention only a few. The Institute personnel are involved in projects run under the aegis of World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EU TACIS Programmes, and other international organizations. 

Research personnel upgrading is carried out at the Institute by way of post-graduate study on five specialities: 05.13.01. Systems analysis, management and data processing (technical and physical and mathematical sciences); 05.13.10. Management in social and economic systems (technical sciences); 05.13.18. Mathematical modeling, numerical computing and software packages (technical sciences); 08.00.05. Economics and national economy management (economic sciences); 08.00.13. Mathematical and instrumental methods in economics (economic sciences).

The Institute runs two doctoral and Ph.D. dissertation boards on physics and mathematics, technical and economic sciences.

Higher school students are trained at four basic departments of Moscow Physical Engineering Institute attached to ISA: Systems research, Innovative economics, Highly efficient computing systems and optoelectronics, Management of high and information technology development. There is also a branch of mathematical modeling department МГТУ of N.E.Bauman MSTU running at the Institute. Institute researchers head departments and lecture at M.V.Lomonosov MSU (Non-linear dynamic systems department), at SU – Higher School of Economics, at Russian Academy of Civil Service under President of Russia, at Academy of National Economy under government of Russia, at G.V.Plekhanov Russian Economic Academy, at Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, at State University of Management, at Moscow Institute of Economics, Politics and Law, at I.M.Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, at Moscow State Construction University.

Publication activities of the Institute involve publication of periodicals such as “Systems Research. Methodological Problems” and “Proceedings of Institute of Systems Analysis”. Research findings are published in the form of books, printed by the leading national and prestigious foreign publishing houses, as well as papers in Russian and foreign abstract scientific journals.

Contact information:

• Postal address: 9, 60-Letiya Octyabria Prosp., Moscow, 117312
• Telephones: (495) 135 42 22; 135 51 64  
• Fax: (495) 938 22 08
• e-mail: isa@isa.ru
• Web-site: http://www.isa.ru/