Institute of Physics is a leading national center for education and research in different branches of contemporary physics, astronomy and high technologies. It has more than 200 years of history with outstanding discoveries. Among many the names of Zavoisky, Petrov, Engelhardt, Altshuler and others could be mentioned.

The head of Institute of Physics is Tayurskii Dmitrii Albertovich.

Today the Institute possesses a well-developed scientific infrastructure and offers a unique combination of fundamental classical and engineering education. The Institute has more than 147 modern student laboratories and more than 21 specialized research laboratories, interdisciplinary education and research centers “Medical Physics” and “Physics of Complex Systems”, astronomical observatories in Turkey, North Caucasus and outside Kazan. The Institute owns up-to-date research equipment to search for new crystals, thin films, nanosystems and to study their properties for quantum electronics, optics, spintronics, nanoelectronics and biomedical applications. Several laboratories work together within the All-Russian Center for the Shared Facilities “Physical and Chemical Studies of Matter and Substances”. The scientific investigations are provided in the framework of several main directions – from physics of atoms, molecules and nanosystems to astrophysics and space research.

Students take full advantage of modern computer technologies in their education and research activity. The Institute employs approximately 180 teaching staff members, among them 57 full professors; it has over 1,000 under- and post-graduate students.

The system of higher physical education and scientific-pedagogical school of the institute has gained international recognition. The Institute also offers several joint educational programs for Master and first doctoral degrees. The Institute consists of 4 departments: Physics, Radiophysics and Telecommunication Systems, Astronomy and Cosmic Geodesy, Scientific-Pedagogical Department, in which 17 departments are included.