He has a degree in theoretical and applied linguistics and a PhD in theoretical computer science. His research interests include formal concept analysis and its applications in knowledge representation, knowledge acquisition, data analysis, social networks, and related areas. After completing his PhD, Sergei worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Dresden University of Technology; in Paris (where he held the Diderot fellowship from Maison des Sciences de l'Homme); and at the University of Pretoria. He has industrial experience as a programmer and translator.