Academician A. Ya. Usikov - founder and first director of the Institute for Radiophysics and Electronics, NAS of Ukraine

This work is dedicated to the life and activities of Alexander Yakovlevich Usikov, an outstanding scientist, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, winner of national prizes of Ukraine and USSR. His 100/sup th/ anniversary is widely celebrated this year. A. Usikov's contribution into the development of electronics and radiophysics, radiolocation, and quantum electronics is universally recognised by leading scientists. He was the founder and first director of the NASU Institute for Radiophysics and Electronics located in Kharkiv, an institution well-known to the global research community. In 1996 the IRE was named after Academician Alexander Usikov.