The official visited Kazan for the annual meeting of the Federal Service for the Supervision of Natural Resources (Rospridodnadzor).

Rector Ilshat Gafurov showed the guest around the Main Building, including the Zoological Museum and the Museum of History. He explained what KFU’s development has been about since 2010, talked about the merger that formed the Federal University, as well as about the University Clinic, new institutes, and the University 3.0 ideology.

Mr. Khloponin was among those who participated in founding the first federal university in Russia (Siberian), so he is well versed in the matter. He stated his vision that new research projects must be concentrated at universities.

The topic of technological development and its influence on people and the environment was continued during a meeting with students. The Vice-Premier said, “I have visited KFU museums and can say that you have things to be proud of. This treasure is not only yours but also of all Russia. The goals that we must pursue during this Year of Ecology are mostly in strengthening our control over compliance with the environmental laws”.

Students then proceeded to ask questions, mostly in their domains of expertise – biology and ecology. They asked about scholarship programs, legal changes in environmental protection, and even about the recently hot topic of a new waste incineration plant in Kazan.

The Vice-Premier concluded, «Concentrated here you have a big scientific heritage and big prospects. I think the approach to teaching has to change. For instance, European lecturers can spend as little as 20 hours a year on lectures per se, and other workload is spent on practical research. I know that it’s difficult to change approaches, but we must aspire to that. Thank you all for your questions. It’s an honor to be here».

Later in the Rector’s office – and in the presence of President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov – Dr. Gafurov gave a traditional gift to the guest.