Mikhail S. Gusman

First Deputy Director General of TASS

Mikhail Gusman was born on 23 January 1950 in Baku, Azerbaijan. He graduated from the Azerbaijan University of Languages and the Department of Journalism of the Baku Higher School of Political Science. From 1973-1986, he was Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Youth Organisations of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Baku); from 1986-1991, he was in charge of the Information Department and led the Press Centre of the USSR Committee on Youth Organisations (Moscow); from 1991-1995, he was the Director of the Infomol General Directorate for Information Cooperation; from 1995-1998, he was the Vice President of ANKOM-TASS, an international analytical agency; from 1998-1999, he was the head of the Main Department for International Cooperation at ITAR-TASS. In January 1999, he was named Deputy Director General of ITAR-TASS. In October 2000, by order of President Putin, he was appointed First Deputy Director General of ITAR-TASS. He has led many political and informational projects and programmes. He was the Executive Secretary of the World Association of Russian Press. Mikhail Gusman is the Russian representative in UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC). In May 2000, he was elected Secretary General of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA). He is an active member of the International Informatisation Academy, as well as a professor and a doctor of political science. In September 2002, he was elected Vice President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EAIA).