24 January 2014
The First Meeting of International Academic Council

The first meeting of KFU International Academic Council was conducted on January, 24.  

KFU International Academic Council was formed in relation to the project of Russian universities inclusion into top-100 world universities. The International Academic Council (IAC) is represented by 13 distinguished international scholars – partners of Kazan University in different areas. 7 members attended the first meeting: Prof. Marat Yusupov (University of Strasbourg), Prof. Alexandre Varnek (University of Strasbourg), Prof. Isak Froumin (Higher School of Economics), Prof. Henri Raphael Alloul (Paris-Sud University), Prof. Rudolph Grimm (University of Innsbruck), Prof. Roland Oberhänsli (University of Potsdam), Prof. John Round (University of Birmingham). Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Noyori Ryoji took part in the meeting via Skype.

KFU Rector Ilshat Gafurov opened the meeting with words of gratitude addressed to the guests who had agreed to become members of International Academic Council. He presented the system of higher education in Russia and its structure. The Rector’s report on Kazan Federal University and “road maps” of KFU priority directions (geology and petroleum technologies, biomedicine and biotechnologies, advanced materials) was further developed by heads of these priority directions. The Rector emphasized that the “road maps” were worked out by structural subdivisions taking into account science data and science development in the world, resources and scientific schools of Kazan University.   

Noyori Ryoji, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, President of RIKEN (Japan) greeted the participants of the meeting. He congratulated KFU upon its competitive growth project and emphasized that he is proud of being a member of International Academic Council. It will contribute to the development of key areas and to promotion of cooperation. “Kazan University as an object of national pride meets requirements of society development”, he mentioned.  

The second part of the meeting passed as a discussion.

Prof. Marat Yusupov, a leader of “Structure of ribosome” research team (University of Strasbourg) announced the idea to establish expert councils on biomedicine and biotechnologies. “It would be sound to organize the advisory expert committee in order to evaluate the chosen directions and control their implementation”, he summoned.

In reply to Marat Yusupov, Ilshat Gafurov mentioned that the expert councils on each priority directions are planned to be established within the International Academic Council. “We would like that the participants of the meeting would act as heads of these councils”, the Rector proposed.

Alexandre Varnek, head of Laboratory of chemoinformatics (University of Strasbourg) spoke about student exchange: “The importance of student exchanges should not be underestimated in cooperation with leading international laboratories. Three students of Kazan Federal University are studying at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Strasbourg. One of them, Pavel Sidorov, is the best according to all indicators. This is one of the image factors of the University, too”.   

Prof. Varnek appealed for interdisciplinarity in main research directions. The idea was supported by Prof. Round who urged to pay attention to socio-humanitarian research and offered his support in publication of materials in well-known international journals.

The IAC members posed many questions, in particular, on application of research results, teaching English, interaction with schools and the Academy of Sciences, etc.

The IAC members had a tour of KFU institutes and laboratory facilities after the meeting. The discussion will proceed tomorrow.

Source of information: Press-center, photos by Nailya Badykshanova
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