KazNU graduate was elected a foreign academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan

A session of the General Meeting of the National Engineering Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held in Almaty, which became an important event for the scientific and engineering community of the country.

The meeting was attended by representatives of government agencies, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, leading scientists, engineers and specialists from national companies. The results of the Academy's activities for 2024-2025 were summed up, new directions for the development of science and technology were identified, and elections of vice-presidents and new members of the Academy were held.

One of the key decisions was the election of Vitaly Khutoryansky, a graduate of al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Reading (Great Britain), as a foreign full member of the National Research Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This recognition reflects his outstanding scientific contribution and strengthens international ties between Kazakhstan and the global scientific community.

V.V. Khutoryansky's scientific career began at KazNU, where he completed postgraduate studies and defended his PhD thesis in physico-chemistry of polymers in 2000. Then he worked for several years at the Department of Chemistry of High Molecular Compounds as a senior lecturer and associate professor, making a significant contribution to the educational and scientific activities of the university. It was during this period that his interests in the field of medical polymers, biocompatible materials and colloidal systems were formed.

In 2002, he continued his scientific career in the UK, completing postdoctoral studies at the University of Strathclyde and the University of Manchester. Since 2005, he has been working at the University of Reading, where he rose from lecturer to professor of pharmacy. Today, he leads his own research group dedicated to the development of innovative materials and transmucosal drug delivery systems, and also heads the PEVITAC Center, which develops alternative methods for assessing the toxicity and biocompatibility of materials.

Professor Khutoryansky is one of the most cited scientists in the world. According to Stanford–Elsevier, he has been among the top 2% of researchers for five years. He has published more than 270 articles in highly rated journals, and the Hirsch Index is 58 (Scopus). Five of his works are included in the Highly Cited Papers category. The scientist's significant contribution is related to the development of mucosa-mimetic hydrogels, hydrogels that mimic mucous membranes, which have become an important tool for studying the adhesion of dosage forms. The professor's developments have found practical application in the pharmaceutical industry: his publications are cited in patents, and the technologies he developed for the synthesis of thiolated nanoparticles have been commercialized by the American company PolySciTech. He is a recipient of international awards, including the McBain Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry for his contribution to the development of colloidal science, the award for the best scientific publication, the FindAUniversity award as the best scientific leader of the year in the UK, as well as the Innovative Science Award of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Great Britain.

Despite his successful international career, Vitaly Khutoryansky retains close ties with the Russian scientific school. Together with scientists from KazNU and other Kazakhstani organizations, he has published more than 100 articles in the journals Web of Science and Scopus, covering a wide range of fields: from biopolymers to drug carriers. He is the co-head of 12 KazNU doctoral students, many of whom have successfully defended their studies and continue their scientific activities. His contribution to the development of the PhD training system in Kazakhstan is significant and systematic. The professor is actively involved in international scientific communication: he is on the editorial boards of leading international journals, is deputy editor-in-chief of several publications, and works as an expert for British scientific foundations and regulatory bodies such as the MHRA and EPSRC. He is also a member of the committees of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

For his contribution to the development of science in Kazakhstan, V.V. Khutoryansky was awarded the «Ерен ең­бегі үшін» medal of al-Farabi Kazakh National University and awarded the title of honorary professor at a number of Kazakhstani and foreign universities. He actively supports young researchers, participates in educational initiatives, and helps strengthen Kazakhstan's scientific ties with the international community.

The election of Vitaly Viktorovich Khutoryansky as a foreign academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan is an important recognition not only of his personal achievements, but also of the high level of the KazNU scientific school, which continues to form world—class researchers and strengthen Kazakhstan's position in the global scientific space.

Gregory MUN,

Professor, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Chairman of the Department of "Oil and Gas and Chemical Technologies" of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Galiya IRMUKHAMETOVA,

Professor, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Head of the Department of Chemistry and Technology of Organic Substances, Natural Compounds and Polymers