Head of the Department is Professor, Doctor of Science in Geography, Vyacheslav Sirotkin.
Department of Geography and Cartography was established in 2011 on the basis of two departments: Department of Physical Geography which was founded on November 26, 1888 and Department of Economic Geography which was founded on September 11, 1932. The following outstanding scholars and specialists worked at the Department in various years: Yu. Arkhipov, N. Blazhko, E. Busygin, G. Butakov, N. Vorobiyov, A. Dedkov, N. Zorin, P. Krotov, V. Sementovkiy, A. Stupishin, R. Khuzeev.
Currently Department employs 1 Professor, 8 Associate Professors, 2 Senior Lecturers, 3 Assistant Lecturers, 2 members of laboratory staff, 4 postgraduate students.
This Department trains specialists in two majors: Geography (Physical Geography, Regional Analysis and Economic Territorial Organization), Applied Informatics in Geography. Since 2011 they enroll entrants according to Federal State Educational Standards of Higher Professional Learning in specialty Geography with Bachelor Degree (Physical Geography and Landscape Studies, Economic and Social Geography) and Master Degree (Physical Geography and Landscape Planning).
Curricula provide fundamental training of young specialists in geographical and ecological analysis, modeling natural and socio-economic special formations, geoinformational technologies and geoinformational mapping. At the same time the Department provides training in geographical disciplines for students from other faculties and institutes of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University as well as from various Kazan higher educational institutions.
In-class learning is carried out in state-of-the-art classrooms equipped with computers and office facilities. Students of the 1st year and the 2nd year undergo complex of specialized geographical practices: in Geology, Geomorphology, Topography, Soil Studies, Hydrology, Biogeography, Landscape Studies, Manufacturing Organization in Kazan and in natural landscapes. In addition they study territorial and industrial structure of national economy at major Kazan enterprises.
3-year and 4-year students have industrial placement in research institutes, enterprises and companies of the Tatarstan Republic and of the Russian Federation as well as participate in scientific expeditions organized by the Department.
All conditions are created for student independent work, including modern specialized rooms; rich map material and large funds of the Nikolai Lobachevskiy Scientific Library, Internet access, Wi-Fi and others.
The main research area of the Department is Dynamics and Interrelation of Natural and Socio-Economic Systems.