abstract:The Candidate of Sciences (, Kandidat nauk) is a first post-graduate scientific degree in some former Eastern Bloc countries, such as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, which is awarded for original research that constitutes a significant contribution to a scientific field. The degree was first introduced in the USSR on January 13, 1934, by a decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.
Multiple newspapers, including The Chicago Sun-Times and The New York Post, are reporting that sources in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences count Oprah Winfrey as the top candidate to host the 2012 Oscars next February.