Oleg Manaev was born on February 3, 1952 in Vladivostok, Russia.
In 1969 graduated from High School No. 4 in Minsk, Belarus.
In 1974 graduated from the School of Journalism of the Belarusian State University (BSU).
In 1974-1976 served in the Soviet Army (commander of a tank platoon), Belarus.
In 1976-1978 was a Junior and then a Senior Research Fellow of the Sector for Applied Sociology (SAS) at BSU.
In 1979 - 1988 was a Leading Researche and then a Head of Sector for Youth Studies of the Problem Laboratory for Sociological Studies (PLSS) at BSU, for 20 years led the Group for Mass Communication Research (GMCR).
Over the years of work in the SAS and PLSS provided dozens of analytical and policy papers submitted to various institutions - from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus to the Editorial Boards of various Republican mass media and industrial enterprises.
In January 1983, defended at BSU Ph.D. dissertation "Inclusion of the Personality into the Mass Media Influence" (specialty "Applied Sociology", supervisor Prof. Georgy Davidyuk).
In December 1991, defended at BSU Doctor Habilitatus dissertation "Theoretical Problems of Mass Media Effectiveness Studies" (specialty "Social and Political Processes", academic consultant Prof. Boris Grushin).
In 1992 – 1999 was a Professor of the Department of Sociology of the School of Philosophy and Economics at BSU.
In 1999-2012 was a Founding Professor of the Department of Social Communication of the School of Philosophy and Social Sciences at BSU.
In 1993-1999 was a Founding Chairman of the Scientific and Pedagogical Committee of the TEMPUS (EU Universities Exchange Program) – Communication Project; in 1997 within this Project a new Major in Information and Communication was established at BSU, and in 1999 a new Department of Social communication was established at BSU.
At BSU was teaching three courses for the Information and Communication students: Communication Theory, Sociology of Mass Communication, and Media Impact.
In Sociology of Mass Communication provided concepts of the inclusion of the Personality into the Mass Media Influence; the Role of Alternative Mass Media in the Democratization Process; the Peculiarities of Mass Media in the Political, Economic, and Legal System of the Transitional Society; in Political Sociology provided a concept of "Civic Construction", and methodology for studying Media and Electoral Behavior in the Transitional Society.
Dr. Manaev represents the Participatory Sociology, which implies both a professional analysis of social-political processes and structures, as well as an active participation in their development, based on professional analysis. Following this approach, he provided a concept of "Civic Construction" in Belarus (DOWNLOAD). Thus, in November 1990 he became one of the founders of the United Democratic Party of Belarus (DOWNLOAD), and in October 1992 - one of the founders, and then Chairman of the Board of the Belarusian Soros Foundation (DOWNLOAD). As a follower of the Participating Sociology he also promotes his experience to the public through publishing in numerous national and foreign media, as well as teaching at various Universities in different counties.
In February 1992, together with his associates, he founded and headed the first non-governmental research and analytic center in Belarus - the Independent Institute for Socio-Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS), widely known both at home and abroad (www.iiseps.org).
Led dozens of research projects focused on the problems of information and communication, development of civil society and democracy at the national and international level.
Was a member of Council for Ph.D. in Sociology at BSU and the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Was also a member of the Editorial Board of several national and international academic journals including European Journal of Communication (UK), Political Communication (USA), Intercom (Brazil), Konteksty Spolechny (Poland), the Editor-in-Chief of the IISEPS News (Belarus-Lithuania) and the Analytical Bulletin of Belarusian Think Tanks.
Presented papers at 200 National and International Conferences and Symposia.
Published nearly 200 academic publications on problems of media and communication, democracy, civil society and political process (in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, the USA, Yugoslavia, Germany, Poland, France, Korea, Canada, South Africa, Slovakia, Brazil, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Japan), including such peer-review journals as: Sociological Research, Telescope, Issues of Psychology, Herald of the Moscow University (Russia), Philosophical and Sociological Thought (Ukraine), Przekazy i Opinie, (Poland) , Novinarstvo (Yugoslavia), Osteuropa, Media Perspektiven (Germany), International Journal of Market Research, European Journal of Communication (UK), Journal of Communication, Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, Communication Research, Political Communication, Journal of International Affairs, Global Media Journal (USA), Canadian Journal of Communication (Canada), Intercom (Brazil), Communicatio (South Africa), Acta Slavica Iaponica (Japan).
Published (as the author/co-author or editor/co-editor) 20 books, including: The Future of Belarus. The View of Independent Experts. St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prostor, 2012; Youth and Civil Society in Belarus: a New Generation. St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prostor, 2011; Formation of Civil Society in Independent Belarus. Sociological Experiments: 1991-2010. Vol. I-III. Minsk-Riga-St. Petersburg, 2000, 2005, 2011; Belarus and "Wider Europe": Quest for Geopolitical Self-Determination. Novosibirsk, Aquarius, 2007; Presidential Elections in Belarus. From Limited Democracy to Unlimited Authoritarianism: 1994-2006. Novosibirsk, Aquarius, 2006; Independent Research in Independent Belarus: Struggling for the Reality. Novosibirsk, Aquarius, 2004; Belarus: on the Way to the Third Millennium, Minsk, PhilServ Plus, 2001; Belarusian Think Tanks. A Comprehensive Directory of Independent Research and Analytical Centers in Belarus. Minsk, BTT, 1999; The program TEMPUS. Guide for the Major "Information and Communication" at BSU. Minsk, BSU, 1997, vol. I-III; Media in Transition: From Totalitarianism to Democracy. Kyiv, Abris, 1993; Interaction of Mass Media, Public and Power Institutions in Democratization Process. Minsk, BSU; Problems of Mass Media Effectiveness. Minsk BSU, 1981, Vol. I-II.
Publications about the author: Oleg Timofeevich Manaev // Belarus Encyclopedia. Minsk, 2000. Vol. 10, p. 56; Manaev Oleg Timofeevich // Sociological Encyclopedia. Minsk, 2003, p. 187; Manaev Oleg Timofeevich // Sociology. Encyclopedia. Minsk, 2003, p. 525; Manaev Oleg Timofeevich // Who is who in Belarus. - Minsk, 2004, pp. 150-151; Manaev Oleg Timofeevich // Personalities of the Belarusian Sociology. Electronic reference book - http://soc-by.livejournal.com/39914.html; Oleg Manaev: The "Civil (Society) Constructor" Soldiers On / Karol Jakubowicz // Political Communication, 2006, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 379-385; Oleg Manaev / A. Tomkovich. The Fortunes. Minsk, 2006, pp. 80-89 (DOWNLOAD); Oleg Manaev, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Manaev; Oleg Manaev, Sociologist and Public Person // A. Alekseev, R. Lenchovsky. Profession: Sociologist. From the Experience of Dramatic Sociology). – St.-Petersburg, Norma, 2010, pp. 487-499.
Married, has a son, daughter and grandchildren.
Since May 2015 the author has been doing research, teaching and public activities in the US (DOWNLOAD).