I am convinced that it is possible to harmoniously combine science and business
Science is the destiny of the chosen ones, who are ready to invest all resources - time, energy and soul - into long-term research. Grigory A. Mun, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Academician of the National Engineering Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Technology of Organic Substances, Natural Compounds and Polymers of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, devoted most of his life to science. And on the threshold of his 70th anniversary I am convinced that it was the most correct and the main choice of his life.
- Grigory Alekseevich, you have come a long way in science. You have achieved a lot. Can you remember where it all started? Why did you choose science?
- I knew that I would be engaged in science, since my school years. In many respects this choice was influenced by my father - Alexey Insenovich Mun, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Laboratory of the Institute of Chemical Sciences, one of the leading chemists of the country. He worked directly together with Academician Abiken Bekturovich Bekturov - the founder and organizer of the Institute of Chemical Sciences of the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, the first dean of the chemical faculty of S.M.Kirov KazSU. He was also a close friend and associate of the corypheus of higher education and chemical science Batyrbek Akhmetovich Berimzhanov, who worked as the dean of our faculty for 26 years.
My destiny in science was quite interesting. Until the 4th year I studied at KazSU, and then in 1976 I moved to Russia with my parents. I transferred to the Faculty of Chemistry of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and did my graduate work in the laboratory of theoretical problems of organic chemistry, which was directly headed by a legendary scientist of world renown, Academician Oleg Alexandrovich Reutov. His laboratory, he himself, as a scientist, his lectures, for all my life made the strongest impression on me. That is why I worked day and night on my thesis. During all working days, including Saturday, I came to the laboratory in the morning at 8.30 - 9.00 and left not earlier than 9 o'clock in the evening, than, probably, surprised the staff and teachers of the department. But I simply could not imagine any other way of life and mode of work. Apparently, I made such a good impression on my direct supervisor on the diploma work of Professor K.P. Butin that he invited me to his postgraduate course.
- My cherished dream is to introduce injectable hydrogel implantation material in pediatric urology and soft tissue contour plasty. I am sure that such material is very much needed in medicine not only in our country, but also far beyond its borders. I am calm about the anniversary. According to Korean custom, 60 years are widely celebrated, and 70 years is not necessary. For myself I decided that on my 75th anniversary I will gather an international scientific symposium, my students. 75 is a beautiful date, but I flatly refused to celebrate my 70th birthday. I do not like very much pathos celebrations.
- Grigory Alekseevich, what words of farewell could you address to our youth?
- I would like to remind my students that they study at one of the best universities in the country. Our teachers try to give quality knowledge to students, and the most important thing is to teach them creativity. Chemists can work in any field, they are usually people with a creative mind. It is necessary to develop this quality by doing science. Science is such a fascinating area of human activity that nothing could be more interesting.
