Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
AS each year passes, I am growing to appreciate my teachers more and more. It is thinking about them which motivates me to try to climb higher. Below are the names of the most influential ones:
Dr. Boris Merkulov
tought me to see the world through the spectacles of science.
Even more importantly, he showed me
how one can give all of oneself to others.
R.I.P.†
The collapse of the Soviet Union,
left many people disoriented about their values and the future direction
of their lives. For students in university, it was especially hard.
Dr. Vladimir Pospelov
supported me in those times when everyone
believed that knowledge, integrity, and passion for science and technology,
were no longer of any relevance.
He tought me, through his own example, how to
keep faith in fundamental values,
despite anything which can happen in life.
R.I.P.†
Dr. Valery Rubakov
tought me the difference between good science and bad science
(aka "mathematical pornography").
R.I.P.†
Dr. Alex Vasilos
supported my ideas and gave me everything necessary to make my work possible
— even when other people thought my ideas were just dreams of a mad
student.
R.I.P.†
Mehmet Niyazi recognised the importance of my work and welcomed me into IBM.
Prof. Binh Nguyen showed me Smalltalk.
Prof. John Pugh was like a father to all of us at The Object People — the happiest place ever on this planet, a family of like-minded thinkers.