«KBSU in Faces». Guest of the column is Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Svetlana Khashirova

As part of the new project «KBSU in Faces», the Information Policy Department continues to introduce you to people who develop the scientific, educational, sports and creative areas of the university.

The guest of the second issue is vice-rector for research, head of the Center of Advanced Materials and Additive Technologies, Professor of the Department of Organic Chemistry and High-Molecular Compounds of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov Svetlana Yuryevna Khashirova, who is celebrating her 50th anniversary today.

A graduate of the Chemistry Department of KBSU, she went from a postgraduate student to a famous scientist, who has hundreds of unique world-class inventions to her credit.

The strong and lightweight polymers that Khashirova and her colleagues created have created a real sensation in the scientific community. This material is twice as light as aluminum and titanium, does not conduct heat and does not change temperature under the influence of sunlight or frost; in addition, it is resistant to radiation. This makes it promising for use in space and the Arctic. Products made from innovative polymers are used in the construction of aircraft, rockets and cars, as well as in the oil and gas industry. Superstructural polymers can be used to manufacture medical implants, exoskeletons, as well as complex parts of robotic devices or elements of a space suit.

But these unique inventions could have never been born. The young girl from Sarmakovo was initially closer to the humanities. Although she was an excellent student, she loved history more than all other subjects and after finishing school almost entered the history department of KBSU.

I will not say that I decided to connect my life with chemistry back in school. No, my interests were constantly changing. At first, I wanted to be a historian. But when I read a lot of literature and realized that there are many blank spots and black holes in this science, for the deep study of which more than one life will be needed, I changed my mind,

— Khashirova recalls.

As a result, she entered the then chemistry and biology faculty of KBSU. Khashirova’s school teacher influenced her choice. The chemistry teacher lived next door and gave the girl additional lessons to prepare her for the exams.

Chemistry later seemed to me to be the most creative of the natural sciences. Here you can invent, create, arrange molecules in different ways, obtain new properties,

— Svetlana Yuryevna continues her thought.

Even after graduating from the university, being a chemistry teacher at the second school in Terek, she wanted to apply for a postgraduate course in “Pedagogy”.

I really liked teaching, working with children, finding the key to each student, delving into the psychology of the child, motivating him to study.

But there was simply no place in the Pedagogy program, and she had to choose chemistry — apparently, you can’t escape fate.

After defending her PhD thesis at the Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, she was offered a job in Moscow, but she preferred to return to her native university, where she began a vigorous teaching and research career.

She received her first patent back in 2005 for developing a sorbent for water purification. She managed to submit an application for participation in a joint Russian-American grant competition, which allowed the project to be implemented, at the flag.

I remember that I only managed to press the button at the last minute and send an application for participation in the grant. It was difficult with the Internet in the Elbrus region at that time. I didn’t even think that I would win, since the competition was very large. But just in case, I called Rostov State University and said that I would not move to work for them, even if I became the owner of the grant, since I already had two children at that time. And they answered: «Yes, you will not win…». But I became a laureate. Moreover, my foreign colleagues gave me more points than our experts,

— Svetlana Yuryevna recalls with a smile.

She still considers the sorbent for water purification to be the best of all her inventions. The first patent was followed by dozens of others, including for famous polymers. Svetlana Khashirova is the author of 185 Russian patents and the first Eurasian patent for a biodegradable polymer composite in the KBR and KBSU, which says a lot.

Her unique developments have received wide international recognition and were awarded two gold medals at the 69th International Exhibition «Ideas-Innovations» (IENA), a silver medal at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, a bronze medal and a special award at the International Invention Fair in Seoul, as well as a silver medal at the exhibition of intellectual property, innovation and technology in Bangkok.

A distinctive feature of our heroine is her versatile research and inventive activity. Over the years of her work, she has published 680 scientific papers, 2 monographs and 15 textbooks.

Svetlana Khashirova’s achievements have not gone unnoticed. Honored Scientist of Kabardino-Balkaria, laureate of the State Prize of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in Science and Technology, Honorary Diploma of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, laureate of the national prize of the Russian Professorial Assembly «Vice-Rector of the Year for Research and Development 2022» — these are just some of her regalia and awards.

But most of all, she is proud of the fact that at the Center for Advanced Materials and Additive Technologies, which she considers her brainchild, she managed to gather around her young and promising scientists, among other things, graduates of KBSU. When she enters one of the laboratories and starts talking about this or that equipment, her eyes immediately light up. She affectionately calls expensive installations «saucepans». She can distinguish polymers by their appearance alone and enthusiastically talks for a long time about their properties and endless possibilities for application.

She considers the great scientist Abdulakh Mikitaev, who laid the foundation in the field of polymeric materials, to be her mentor and teacher. In his memory, KBSU annually holds the «Mikitaev Readings» in the Elbrus region, which are very popular among foreign scientists.

The most cherished dream of the hero of the day is the prosperity of science and our university.

I sincerely wish that our university would become one of the most advanced in the country. It is currently among the top hundred universities, but we have something to strive for. I dream that young people would strive for science, choose natural science and technical areas that are the basis of scientific and technological progress. Unfortunately, the prestige of professions related to engineering sciences and high technology is falling every year. And of course, I want this situation to change,

— she says.

Svetlana Khashirova considers the young scientists working at the center her children and takes care of them like a mother. She devotes all her free time to her family. She is truly happy when she is with her granddaughters. The eldest will go to school this year, the youngest is only three years old.

I spoil them endlessly. My son says that they are becoming uncontrollable. I answer: “I will love them, and you will… raise them.

The grandmother is proud of their abilities. The eldest granddaughter, who is only six years old, at such a young age plays the piano masterfully, composes songs and wins music competitions, including international ones. Children are the “flowers of life”, Svetlana Khashirova devotes all her free time to them, and she also loves to grow real flowers.

As a hobby, I like to plant flowers, although my husband is reluctant to look after them, since I spend most of my time at the university or on business trips,

— jokes Khashirova.

As they say in one famous Soviet film, Svetlana Yuryevna has a Nordic character. She approaches any task with a balanced and cool head. She loves order in everything. She considers herself a true patriot, and it is hard to disagree with this. Although she has been invited to work at famous foreign universities more than once, she has remained faithful to her alma mater.

Money is not the key to happiness; spiritual, moral, emotional and other types of wealth can give us much more satisfaction and joy,

— she emphasizes.

The staff of the Information Policy Department wishes Svetlana Khashirova inexhaustible strength and great enthusiasm, great achievements and significant successes, honor and respect, universal recognition and promising proposals, vital energy and vigor, sincere happiness and good health! Happy birthday, Svetlana Yuryevna!