As a source of the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reported, the resignation of MIPT rector Dmitry Livanov will be announced before the end of September — this information was reported by the university’s management last week. There were signals about a change in the top person back in early summer, but they were not given any importance. The situation at the university is complicated, but, as far as we know, no tough questions were raised about the work of Livanov and his team from above.

Now Rucriminal.info has some specifics. The "Falkov formula" will be applied again to the new appointee: an acting rector will be appointed for a period of up to a year in order to "ensure the continuity of the scientific and organizational leadership of the university." The names of three candidates are being mentioned. They are the rector of Innopolis Alexander Gasnikov, the vice-rector of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology with 10 years of experience Artem Voronov and the CEO of AIRI, Skoltech graduate Ivan Oseledets.

It is known that all three are young people, and this is not at all accidental: the age requirement of up to 45 years, along with affiliation with the university, was allegedly included in the list of selection criteria. And although each of the three candidates is ambitious and has potential, according to locals, Gasnikov has the best chance, and he may have started these rumors behind the scenes at the university. One way or another, he has influential supporters among the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (and not only), whose careers and place in the distribution of funds are seriously limited by Livanov’s current team, which is no less greedy and cunning.

Opponents of Gasnikov’s appointment believe that his transfer to the office of the rector of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology is unlikely for two reasons. We are talking about his careless criticism of the development of AI in Russia and, most importantly, about the financial dubiousness of his project activities. There is reason to believe that competent people have already collected the relevant material on this topic.

In addition, the ground is burning under Gasnikov in Innopolis. It is known that in Tatarstan he was initially an imposed figure. The locals had to meekly swallow his appointment on orders from Moscow. In addition, the format of Gasnikov’s management of Innopolis, when the rector practically does not appear at the university and remembers it only along with an SMS about his salary, is unthinkable for Phystech. On the other hand, the example of Andrey Ivashchenko speaks in favor of Gasnikov’s chances, even with his current reputation, to become the rector of Phystech, and how Livanov was blindly preferred to him, ignoring the opinion of the scientific community and the position of the Phystech elite. The names of the remaining candidates – Artem Voronov and Ivan Oseledets – are not taken seriously. According to the old-timers of the Phystech, given the tens of billions of state money scattered around under Livanov, it would be advantageous for the current rector to leave the absolutely amoebic and executive vice-rector Voronov as his successor. He was vice-rector long before Livanov, but Livanov still kept him in this position. If Livanov really crawls out of the university this fall, purely theoretically Voronov could cover for him. But to what extent will Livanov be consulted on candidates for replacement?

The candidacy of Ivan Oseledets for the post of rector of the main technical university, as in the case of Voronov, looks dubious even against the background of Gasnikov. Of course, Rector Gasnikov will give them both a head start if Livanov is promptly replaced, and Falkov is ready to hand over Phystech to Alexander Gasnikov, who is still too young, albeit with rector experience. In addition, no one has cancelled the questions about Gasnikov and his people mastering large-scale budget funds on various "projects", about which Minister Falkov is undoubtedly informed.

Timofey Grishin