KFU scientists commended at year-end meeting of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences
The meeting was dedicated to the results of the Year of Scientific and Technological Development in Tatarstan.
The event was attended by the Head of the Office of the Rais (Governor) of Tatarstan Asgat Safarov, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan Leyla Fazleeva, Aide to the Rais Albert Gilmutdinov, President of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan Rifkat Minnikhanov, Vice-Rector for Economic and Strategic Development of KFU, Vice-President of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences Marat Safiullin, full members of the Academy of Sciences, and representatives of the scientific community of the province.
In his speech, Rifkat Minnikhanov highlighted the main tasks and priority areas of activity of the Academy of Sciences, as well as national projects to ensure technological leadership, including new health-preserving technologies, unmanned aircraft systems, means of production and automation, technological support for food security, etc. In addition, the report mentioned the program of popular science tourism in the Republic of Tatarstan. Among the institutions visited this year by tourist groups were KFU laboratories, our campus, museums, astronomical observatories, and more.
The President of the Academy of Sciences also announced the measures introduced to support scientists. For example, the sum of scholarships for students, master’s students and PhD students has been increased by 2.6 times. Personal prizes in 11 disciplines also increased from 92 to 500 thousand rubles.
“We are entering the new year with big plans, and we have a good foundation. I wish you and your loved ones good health, kindness, mutual understanding, prosperity, new interesting ideas and projects,” concluded Minnikhanov.
Marat Safiullin reported on the results of the academy’s work in the socio-economic sphere.
“The Center for Advanced Economic Research is the leading specialized research unit in the Republic. With the support of the federal Ministry of Higher Education and Science and the Russian Science Foundation, the first stage of one of the most relevant studies in modern conditions, ‘Import Substitution Economy and Technological Sovereignty’, was completed this year. Its main advantage is a large-scale assessment of international supply chains of enterprises in the Republic of Tatarstan at the level of individual product nomenclatures, which made it possible to identify critical positions and develop a list of adaptive strategic, logistical and industrial solutions,” shared Safiullin.
The Vice-Rector also recalled that this year the Academy of Sciences, together with the Higher School of Public Administration of Kazan University, with the support of Aide to the Rais Albert Gilmutdinov, launched the School of Lab Heads. About 400 scientists from Tatarstan took part in the project.
“To solve the task set by the President of the Russian Federation of a serious increase in R&D spending, it is necessary to consolidate efforts. Therefore, we plan to complete the preparation of a comprehensive program for scientific and technological development of the Republic of Tatarstan next year, where the state program for scientific and technological development becomes the core, strengthened by initiatives of local bodies and enterprises to support innovative solutions, young talents, and educational projects,” Safiullin emphasized.
A number of state awards were presented by Asgat Safarov. He congratulated the academicians on the upcoming New Year, wished them new bright achievements for the benefit of domestic education and science, health, family well-being, and happiness.
“The conclusion of the Year of Scientific and Technological Development does not mean that its goals and events are becoming a thing of the past. On the contrary, they marked the beginning of a new stage in the development of the Republic’s scientific and educational infrastructure,” noted the official.
The event honored outstanding figures in the science of Tatarstan. On the day of his 50th birthday, Albert Rizvanov, Professor of the Department of Genetics at the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology , Head of the Center of Excellence in Personalized Medicine at Kazan University and Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, was awarded the Silver Medal of the Academy of Sciences for Achievements in Science.
“The merit is not only mine, it is the merit of our entire team. And I am especially pleased that I am receiving the award today at the Academy of Sciences. The fact is that in recent years, with the arrival of the new President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Rifkat Minnikhanov, a kind of reform of the Academy of Sciences has been taking place: new projects are being launched, it is more actively involved in the scientific life of Tatarstan, holds a huge number of competitions, examinations of scientific projects. For us, for young scientists – I still consider myself young, despite the fact that today I turned 50, in my soul I am still young – this is a new opportunity not only to engage in science, but also to tell the whole world about our scientific research – not only in Tatarstan and in Russia, but also abroad. And most importantly, we try to do not only fundamental science, but also applied and exploratory research, so that the achievements of biomedicine become available to patients in the near future,” Rizvanov commented on the award.
“Our main task is to bring our developments to the patient, that is, from the laboratory table to the patient. We have learned to develop new drugs based on new approaches that were previously considered science fiction. For example, gene therapy, where we do not treat the consequences of the disease, but correct the root cause of the disease at the genetic level, that is, we make a correction to the human genetic code. If I spent the first half of my life developing principles and prototypes of drugs, now the task is to develop pilot production, conduct full-fledged preclinical and clinical trials of drugs and, finally, register and bring them to those who need them, so that all those who, for example, suffer from severe hereditary diseases, and these are often incurable diseases, have hope for a cure,” said the Professor.
The names of the winners of the 2024 grant competitions (a total of 11 young scientists and leaders of youth research teams of KFU) and the awarding of scientific prizes (4 young scientists of KFU) were also announced. Grant support was also received by Associate Professor of the Department of Astronomy and Space Geodesy of the Institute of Physics, Lead Researcher of the Center for Excellence in Cyber-Physical Systems, IoT and IoE Maria Sergienko.
“We are engaged in meteor and lunar research using new technologies – GLONASS – this is what is important for the province and its technological development. The team of authors included 5 people. The grant funds will be used to conduct scientific research, publish monographs and articles and further implementation,” the winner shared.
Among the winners of the competition and the holders of a grant in the amount of 250 thousand rubles is Assistant Lecturer of the Department of Mathematics and Applied Informatics of the Yelabuga Institute, schoolteacher Vadim Kormishin. His PhD thesis Formation of end-to-end digital competencies of senior schoolchildren by means of project activities was marked for its significance. “My project is aimed at developing new types of competencies in schoolchildren and offers an innovative approach to organizing project activities of high school students with the introduction of end-to-end digital technologies and pedagogical support for the formation of end-to-end digital competencies,” the young scientist commented.