Yuri D. Kononov – Doctor of Economics, Professor, Meritorious Scientist of the Russian Federation, Chief Researcher at the Melentiev Energy Systems Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia. His fields of research are modeling of energy and economy interactions as well as the methods aimed at enhancing the validity of long-term projections of the energy industry development. He has 254 research publications to his credit (including the authorship and co-authorship of 16 research monographs).

• The effects of the forecasting time frame on forecast performance and forecast performance requirements.- Further development of the long-term forecasting methodology for the energy sector.- Methods of projecting price and demand for energy commodities.- Assessment and factoring in of conditions and barriers that limit the projection range of the prospective development of the engery sector.- Quantitative assessment of strategic threats and energy security indicatiors.