Abstract:
I believe that the whole field of plasma science and its applications has entered a new era. What we are seeing is not only progress in individual separate areas of plasma physics and technology, whether it is fusion, astro/space, materials or even biomedical applications; but also growing interconnectivity among these areas.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Roald Sagdeev is a distinguished plasma physicist whose pioneering work in controlled fusion, and space research has left a lasting impact on the field. Born in the Soviet Union, he became one of the youngest full academicians of the USSR Academy of Sciences at the age of 35. From 1973 to 1988, Dr. Sagdeev was director of the Soviet Space Research Institute, where he played a crucial role in groundbreaking space missions, including the Venera probes to Venus, Vega mission to Halley’s Comet, Phobos missions to Mars’ moons, and the Soyuz-Apollo Test Project, the first U.S.-Soviet space collaboration. His leadership helped advance international space cooperation during the Cold War. Dr. Sagdeev has been an influential voice in space policy and arms control. In 1990, he moved to the United States and became a professor at the University of Maryland, where he continued his research in plasma physics, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), and international scientific collaboration. Dr. Sagdeev’s groundbreaking work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of plasma dynamics and space exploration, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential figures in modern space science.