Dr. ZHANG YAO was born in1965. He is a Associate Research Fellow. From 1990, Dr. Zhang has become a research fellow in the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. He was the deputy director of the Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies, deputy director of the Institute for International Strategy and Security Studies. Now, Dr. ZHANG is the director of the Center for Maritime and Polar Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. His main research areas are the international strategy, maritime and polar affairs, Russia and Central Asian affairs. His main academic achievements include some books and many articles.