Alexandr Kapto

Alexandr Semenovich Kapto (born April 14, 1933 in Upper Tarasovka Village, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine is a Russian and Ukrainian scientist, sociologist, political scientist and a diplomat, journalist, politician and statesman. He earned a philosophy degree in 1967 and his Ph.D. in 1985. As of 2008 he is head of the UNESCO International Board of the Institute of Socio-Political Research under the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).

Education

Kapto graduated from Dnipropetrovsk University in 1957 with a philosophy degree, studying the problems of war and peace, international relations, political sociology, sociology of morality and education, social activity of youths, and professional ethics.

Career

In addition to his duties with UNESCO, Kapto serves as Chairman of the Expert Council under the Top Certifying Commission for Political Science; Chairman of the Council for Defending a Doctoral Thesis under the Institute of Socio-Political Research (ISPR RAS) (sociology of spiritual life and management); Vice-President of the Academy of Social Sciences; and is a member of the Presidium of the Academy of Political Science. He was a Soviet Ambassador to Cuba from 1985-9, and the last Soviet and first Russian Ambassador to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Writing career

Kapto is a member of the Union of Russian Writers. In 1971 and 1974 he received a first-degree diploma certificate for winning the All-Union Competition for the best popular science works.

Awards and prizes

• 3 Orders of the Red Banner
• Order of Friendship of Peoples
• Cuban Order of Solidarity
• S. Vavilov Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Spreading Scientific Knowledge, Enlightened and Humanitarian Activities
• Honorary Citizen of Denver, Colorado

References and sources

• A. Kapto’s biography (in Russian)