The main theses from the interview with the new KNRTU-KAI vice-rector for development
I came to Kazan more than six years ago to create a new university, «Innopolis». I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of life in the city. Already in Kazan I got married, I had a child, I enjoyed living here. Kazan is incomparably more comfortable for life than Moscow. Especially for living with little children.
In the short term, we have already changed our work with Olympiad participants - those guys who enter the university out of competition, according to the results at Olympiads. We have established work with those who have already entered KAI, and we hope that this will bring us noticeable results both in the number of those students who will come to the university and in the quality of work with those who have already come, because these guys are talented. They have great potential. I think it’s right to make every effort to reveal their potential in KAI, to make it so interesting for them, to make them striving to stay here, so that they feel themselves in KAI necessary, important and just feel at home.
In the long term, we, of course, are striving for high position in world rankings. KAI is the top university, nevertheless in international rankings, it is not yet sufficiently represented. And this is what is needed to change, in case of KAI’s great opportunities for that. And our task is not only to show the maximum potential of the university, but also to reflect this potential in indicators that are understandable to the international community.
Double-diplomas programs with German universities are a good example of how students get accept for, perhaps, the best elements of Russian and German education, get both diplomas recognizable in our country and in Germany. At KAI this programs concern only magistracy, cause it is the most flexible system of currently existing ones. But it would also be interesting to build a bachelor’s system that would be a hybrid.
I taught hydrodynamics and, probably, if we have an English-language program (cause I was teaching in English), I’d gladly return to teaching either an introduction to hydrodynamics or teaching hydroacoustics. Another discipline I could teach is about how professors should be taught.
For KAI students, I wish to preserve and cultivate this particular identity that KAI has. This is very important and very valuable. KAI graduates and students are really different - in the good sense of the word. And it’s very important that they remember this and be proud of it.