The largest polymer forum in Russia started at KBSU

Over 800 scientists take part in the XVIII International Scientific and Practical Conference “New polymer composite materials. Mikitaev Readings”, which started on July 5, 2022 at the Elbrus Educational and Scientific Complex of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H. M. Berbekov. About 250 participants are young scientists and representatives of the polymer industry.

The largest polymer forum in Russia is held in a mixed format — some of the participants speak to their colleagues online. Scientists from more than 90 cities from all federal districts of Russia and foreign countries gathered at the foot of Elbrus. Among them are representatives of educational, scientific organizations and business structures from Moscow and St. Petersburg, regions of the Urals, Siberia, subjects of the Russian Federation and states with a developed infrastructure of the oil and gas complex, such as Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, the Chechen Republic, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, etc.

Opening event, acting Rector of KBSU, Doctor of Technical Sciences Yuri Altudov greeted the guests and wished fruitful work:

“Mikitaev’s readings are gaining more and more popularity every year. Polymer composite materials are a very important and topical topic at the moment, which closes many positions on import substitution. In addition, this conference is an anniversary one and is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the birth of Abdulakh Mikitaev, an outstanding scientist who founded one of the leading scientific schools in the field of macromolecular compounds at KBSU. Mikitaev’s scientific school includes more than 30 Doctors of Science and over 120 Candidates of Science.»

More than 300 reports have been submitted for the conference at the Berbekov KBSU, whose 90th anniversary is celebrated in 2022.

During the work of the forum, a wide range of problematic issues related to the synthesis of new monomers is considered; methods for studying polymers and composites based on them; structures and properties of thermoplastics, lastomers and thermoplastics and composites based on them; polymeric (including reinforced) composite materials of a dispersed structure; polyelectrolytes and biopolymers: synthesis and properties, new generation polymers and composites for additive technologies and others.

By the beginning of the forum, a Russian-language collection of materials was published with the assignment of the international standard book number ISBN and inclusion in the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI).

The work of the conference will last until July 9, according to its results, a Russian-language collection of works (a collection of full-text articles) will be published in the journal Izvestia of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University (ISBN, RSCI, VAK). By decision of the Organizing Committee, the selected articles will be published as a separate issue of the journal «Plastic Masses» (ISBN, RSCI, VAK, RSCI).

As part of the conference, on July 6, 2022, the first polymer school for young scientists will be held.

Svetlana Khashirova, Vice-Rector for Research, Doctor of Chemistry, explained:

“The school attracted a lot of attention from the scientific community. For example, 16 people came from the Institute of Macromolecular Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 people from the Kurchatov Institute and several people from other institutes. For young scientists, specialists with vast experience will give lectures and conduct master classes in various fields, such as the creation, research and processing of polymers.”