Reflecting on the first half of 2014, we keep on reminding the events held in the university as a part of KFU Development Programme. Over 30 key Russian and foreign lecturers and experts became the professors of KFU.  The KFU Department of HR Development has looked back to those who worked in the university.

In June 2014 the Institute of Ecology and Geography invited Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Koch, Director of the Department of Aerosol Research and Analytical Chemistry of the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (Hannover, Germany) to deliver a series of lectures “Aerosols: Health Effect and Monitoring”. It is challenging nowadays to develop the methods of monitoring aerosol ultradisperse nanoparticles which are characterized by the number concentration prevailing over mass concentration. These aerosols are a part of exhaust gases actively produced by diesel engines and therefore they are of exceptional interest for modern science.  These tiny particles can get deep inside man’s respirator system and cause serious diseases. Thus, there are a number of researches focused on the development of measuring devices, their calibration, and study the influence of nanoparticles on the human organism and health. The mentioned areas are not presented in the educational and scientific programmes of Kazan University.  Prof. Koch’s visit was aimed to close this gap.

Alexandra Boltasseva and Vladimir Shalaev, professors of the Birck Nanotechnology Center of the Purdue University (USA) visited KFU in late June. Alexandra Boltasseva lectured in contemporary issues in new functional materials development. Vladimir Shalaev (Professor of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Purdue University and Head of Nanophotonics Department of the Birck Nanotechnology Center (USA)) spoke on the problems of the development and use of metamaterials.