Andrei Fursenko entered the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics of the Leningrad State University in 1966 and graduated from there in 1971. In the university he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which he left in August 1991 as it had been banned.
Career
From 1971 to 1991 he worked in Leningrad at the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute as a junior researcher, senior researcher, the chief of the Computer Department (1985–1989), deputy director for science (1987–1991).
In 1990-1991 together with Yuriy Kovalchuk (another deputy director) and Vladimir Yakunin (head of the foreign relations department of the institute) he tried to create a commercial enterprise within the institute that would be engaged in the application of scientific achievements. These plans, however, were opposed by Zhores Alfyorov, director, so that Fursenko, Kovalchuk and Yakunin left their positions in the institute.[citation needed]
Outside the institute in St. Petersburg they founded several companies specializing in science application.
In 1991-1992 Fursenko was a vice-president of the R&D company Advanced Technology Center Ltd headed by Yuriy Kovalchuk.
Since 1992 - November 2001 he was the Director General of the St. Petersburg Regional Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development attached to the electronic factory OJSC Svetlana. RFSED was founded by the Russia bank, JSC "Fund for Regional Development, OJSC Svetlana, City Property Committee of St. Petersburg and three more enterprises.
In May 1994 - September 1995 he was CEO of Russian-German Joint venture Investment Consulting Company St. Petersburg (ICC).
In 1995 Andrei Fursenko became a member of the pro-government Our Home Is Russia party.
In September 2000 - 2001 he was a Philippines consul in St. Petersburg, A.H.
Since October 2000 he is the Chairman of the Academic Council of the Foundation "Centre for Strategic Research North-West" (CEO Yuriy Kovalchuk).
Government
From November 2001 until November 2003 Fursenko was Deputy Minister of Industry, Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation. From November 2003 until March 2004 he was Minister of Industry, Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation. From 9 March 2004 until 21 May 2012 Fursenko was Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federatiom.[8]
Andrei Fursenko refused to prevent compulsory teaching of religious subjects at school[9][10][11] and objected to teaching advanced mathematics at school.[12]
Andrei Fursenko is married and has a son named Alexander. He is fluent in English.
Order "For Services to the Fatherland» IV degree (10 August 2009) - for his great contribution in the development of education and science of the Russian Federation and many years of fruitful activity.
Certificate of Merit from the Government of the Russian Federation (17 July 2004) - for his great personal contribution to the development of fundamental and applied science, the formation of the national innovation system and many years of fruitful work.
^Savitskaya, Natalia (4 September 2008). ""Нам столько творцов не нужно!"" ["We don't need so many creative people!"]. ng.ru (in Russian). Nezavisimaya Gazeta. Retrieved 4 October 2020. Andrei Fursenko: All the time, why are we talking about education keeping in mind that we have to prepare some creative people? So, the same theme comes through in your question. We don't need so many creative people at all