Heritage that creates innovation: there was held International conference dedicated to Academician Vladimir Luganov

Today, the international scientific and practical conference "Sustainable development and modern integrated, resource-saving and energy-intensive technologies in the mining and metallurgical industry" was held at Satbayev University, dedicated to 80^th anniversary of the outstanding scientist, professor Academician Vladimir Luganov, who devoted his life to the development of Kazakh science and metallurgical industry.

Conference was attended by representatives from more than 10 countries, including the USA, Australia, Russia, Bulgaria, Morocco, Poland and Malaysia. Among the participants there were representatives of the world's leading universities, such as Colorado School of Mines, and leading experts, such as Vladimir Luganov's American student, President of Metallurgical Society of the USA Barajendra Mishra, as well as other world leaders in the metallurgy sphere.

— Most of the conference reports concerned the issues of extracting the strategic metals, which are critically important not only for Kazakhstan, but also for the whole world, - said the conference organizer Tatyana Chepushtanova. - Innovative technologies for extracting the copper, production of aluminum and silicon, the processing of lead ores, issues of automation and digitalization of metallurgical processes, issues of digital twins, technologies for the extraction of rare metals - all were considered through the prism of sustainable development goals.

Vladimir Luganov, to whom the conference was dedicated, is widely known not only among the scientific world of Kazakhstan, but also in the world community, as one of the authors of sulfiding firing technologies and technologies for processing peritic concentrates. He introduced his discovery at the Central Ural copper smelter, where the technology of firing the copper concentrates was launched, which made it possible to remove arsenic from the process in the form convenient for burial and significantly improve the quality of the copper obtained. And today, Luganov's works are shaping the future of metallurgy.

For 60 years, Vladimir Luganov taught at Satbayev University, working for the benefit of the university. For the first time, under his leadership, University jointly with the Colorado School of Mines (USA) established the first PhD in metallurgy in Kazakhstan.

"Theory of metallurgical processes" scientific school created by him at Department of metallurgical processes, heat engineering and technology of special materials, has been serving as the knowledge foundation of all streams of University metallurgists for many years. The personal library of books on metallurgy, collected and donated to University, has been the basis for training the best technical personnel in the country for many years.

Within the framework of the conference, a commemorative plaque and a named laboratory of Vladimir Luganov "Laboratory for sustainable development of extractive metallurgy" were opened, which was attended by the scientist's family. The daughter of Professor Tatyana Luganova noted that she was very glad that University was continuing her father's work:

- The speeches cover a huge range of topics relevant to the metallurgical industry, - she said, - from lean manufacturing technologies to the final complex processing of raw materials, - problems that Vladimir Alekseyevich has been dealing with all his life. This is a very relevant topic, since now there are many places in the world with deposits of ores that contain arsenic. The issue of its recycling, disposal in such a way that it does not get into nature, was a very important part of his work, and I am glad to see that young scientists are also working in thie given direction.

The renovation of the laboratory was sponsored by Kazzinc, many of whose employees are graduates of Satbayev University, who deeply understand the importance of training young professionals for Kazakhstan’s metallurgical industry. The laboratory has become another link in the chain of techno-parks created at Satbayev University as part of executing the President's instructions.

Conference not only perpetuated the memory of Vladimir Luganov, but also served as a platform for discussing the innovative solutions in metallurgy, bringing together the scientific community, young scientists and students who are ready to continue developing the technologies for a sustainable future. She demonstrated that the legacy of outstanding scientists such as Vladimir Luganov continues to inspire new generations of researchers to solve modern problems and evolve metallurgy in an environmentally responsible manner.