Vladimir Nikiforov graduated from the Department of Automation and Telemechanics of the Leningrad Institute of Fine Mechanics and Optics (now ITMO University) in 1986. He earned his PhD in elements and systems of control and computing devices in 1991 and DSc in system analysis, control and processing of information (in technical systems) in 2001. In 2003, Vladimir Nikiforov was awarded the title of professor at ITMO’s Department of Computer Science and Control Systems by the Higher Attestation Commission under the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education. 

Between 1991 and 2004, Prof. Nikiforov had held several positions at ITMO University: a research associate at the Department of Automation and Telemechanics (1991-1992) and an assistant (1992), an associate professor (1992-2001), and then a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Control Systems. In 2013, he was appointed Vice Rector for Research.

Vladimir Nikiforov has collaborated with several research and educational centers in St. Petersburg. In particular, he was a researcher at the Laboratory of Complex Systems of the Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1993-1995 and 2000-2002); a senior and then chief researcher at Elektropribor (1998-2004); and an associate professor at St. Petersburg State Polygraphic Institute. From 2004 to 2013, he acted as the deputy CEO of the LOMO company. 

He has participated and headed a range of research projects: control of electrical propulsion systems in ships; design and testing of control systems for contoured motion of technological modules (robot manipulators, transport robots, and metalworking machinery); design and testing of control systems for mechatronic rotary table; design and testing of active repair systems; and development of promising systems for automated control of injector engines.

Prof. Nikiforov authored over 150 printed works, including 6 monographs and 5 teaching manuals. He is an editor-in-chief of the journals Scientific and Technical Journal of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics and Control Engineering Russia, a member of ITMO’s Academic Degree Council, and a member of the public organization Academy of Navigation and Traffic Management. 

Selected publications

• Fradkov A.L., Miroshnik I.V., Nikiforov V.O. Nonlinear and Adaptive Control of Complex Systems. – Dordrecht, Boston, London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999.

• Nikiforov V.O. Adaptive servomechanism controller with an implicit reference model // International Journal of Control, 1997, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 277-286.

• Nikiforov V. O. Adaptive non-linear tracking with complete compensation of unknown disturbances // European Journal of Control, vol. 4, no. 2, 1998, pp. 132-139.

• Nikiforov V.O. Robust high-order tuner of simplified structure // Automatica, 1999, vol. 35, n. 8, pp. 1409-1415.

• Nikiforov V.O. Nonlinear servocompensation of unknown external disturbances. // Automatica, 2001, vol. 37, pp. 1647-1653, etc.