Faculty of Geography and Ecology

The Faculty was founded in 1938. Over these years, the Faculty has trained over two thousand experts in physical geography, geomorphology, meteorology, climatology, economic geography, hydrology and ethnography. The Faculty has a meteorological observatory - the oldest in the country (founded in 1812) - and research laboratory "Soil and Plant Systems and Atmosphere" (headed by Prof. I.Breus).

Specialists are trained in three specialties: geography, meteorology and geoecology. New majors: geoinformatics; social-cultural service and tourism will be opened soon.

The Faculty employs over 30 professors: of them 6 full professors, 19 associate professors, including 6 doctors of science, and 20 candidates of science.

Full and correspondent members of academies of science:

• A.Dedkov - Academician of International Higher School Academy of Science, Honorary Member of Russian Geographic Society, Honorary Member of Water Management Academy of Science, Honored Scholar of Russia and Tatarstan
• V.Mozzherin - correspondent member of Water Management Academy of Science
• A.Trofimov - Academician of International Academy of Informatization, Academician of Russian Ecological Academy, Academician of Russian Academy of Humanities, Academician of International Academy of Eurasia, Honored Scholar of Russia and Tatarstan
• Yu.Perevedentsev - Academician of International Higher School Academy of Science, Russian Ecological Academy, Honored Scholar of Russia and Tatarstan.

The Faculty has over 400 full-time students and about 180 part-time students. Post-graduate school is a key instrument in training highly-qualified experts with the following four scientific specializations:

• Geomorphology and evolutional geography
• Geoecology
• Economic and social geography
• Meteorology, climatology and agricultural meteorology
• Ecology

The dissertation council for defense of candidate theses is operating successfully (chaired by Prof. A.Dedkov).

The Faculty has developed famed scientific schools in Russia: Geomorphology, Meteorology, Mathematical and Geographic Modeling. Research is undertaken within the main research area "Natural and anthropogenic transformations of geosystems, their monitoring and forecast". Annually, dozens of research articles, monographs and textbooks are published. Various scientific conferences are held regularly.

Research is supported by grants of RFFI, URFI and Saint Petersburg Competition Center for Basic Natural Science.

The Faculty provides deep knowledge in basic and natural science as well as skills of working with geographic information. Students participate in student research conferences, competitions and contests; students of meteorology receive professional skills at study section of the meteo center. Sport, tourist and cultural facilities are available. There is an annual ceremony of "ordaining to geographers" held out in the countryside. Summer practices and internships take place both in Tatarstan and a way outside. The Faculty dormitory is one of the best at KSU.

Faculty graduates majoring in "geography" and "geoecology" are trained for professional research in geographic and natural science profile. Thus, they can work at geological, design, exploration, nature protection, tourist and regional study organizations as well as engage in teaching.

Specialists in economic geography are well trained in spatial analysis and regional economics, mathematical and geographic modeling of natural, social and economic systems.

Graduates of the departments of meteorology, climatology and ecology of atmosphere with the knowledge of the physics of complicated atmospheric phenomena, general state of environment, methods of collection and analysis of extensive meteorological information received from different sources, including meteorological satellites, numerical and synoptic methods of forecast get jobs at branches of the Russian Meteo Service, organizations for nature protection and research institutes.