Professor Marat Gafurov assumes post of the Director of the Institute of Physics

He speaks about the objectives facing the Institute in the near future.

“Our Institute is marked by an amazing width of research topics,” says Gafurov. “We study everything – from atomic nuclei to black holes. That’s why I think that we are in a unique position to grow as a platform for multidisciplinary research.”

As he mentioned, the Institute of Physics partakes in all five strategic projects listed by KFU in its pitch for the Priority 2030 funding (the University successfully bid for both a general and a special grant). In particular, the Institute of Physics plan to cooperate in creating thin-film structures for quantum memory.

Naturally, space research is ever the focus of attention at the Institute. Of much help will be the Astro Park, a new educational and expo facility opened in the suburbs at the Engelhard Astronomical Observatory. Working with high schoolers is one of the top priorities for all institutes.

Another important goal is to attract and retain young talent.

“Our strategic focus is that all students, PhD candidates, young employees could apply their unique talents in science and teaching, to be in demand in this new technological VUCA-world, to be well adjusted,” shares the interviewee.

 

CV

 

Marat Gafurov was born in 1972 in Kazan. He graduated from Kazan State University in 1994 with a degree in radio physics. In 2003, he presented his PhD thesis on electron paramagnetic studies of rare-Earth ions. In 2020, he completed and defended his DSc (second doctorate) dissertation about EPR applications in water and oil dispersion systems.

Gafurov is a member of editorial boards of Coatings and Petroleomics journals. He is an invited expert at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Science Foundation, and the Potanin Foundation.

 

Source text: Larisa Busil

Photo: Yuliya Akmurzina

Translation: Yury Nurmeev