Alexander Parshin
PhD in Geological & Mineralogical Sciences
e-mail: sarhin@geo.istu.edu

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The main research interests include geoinformation technologies in their broadest possible sense, from data collection equipment to artificial intelligence methods to support decision-making; ecological and geochemical studies of complex and unique geosystems; prospecting and exploration of ore deposits; robotic systems in geosciences and the environment; non-traditional applications of methods of applied geophysics and geochemistry (geoarchaeology, construction, agriculture, geoecology, etc.).

Alexander Parshin graduated from Irkutsk State Technical University in 2008 (program "Information systems and technologies"). In 2009, he was enrolled in the postgraduate program of the Vinogradov Institute of Geochemistry of the Siberiab Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IGC SB RAS) in Geoecology. In 2012, he defended his PhD thesis in Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, specializing in Geoinformatics.

Since 2006, he has worked as an electronics engineer, hydrologist, ecologist, programmer, IT engineer, head of IT department, GIS engineer. From 2008 to 2012, he worked as a scientific consultant. He participated in more than twenty expeditions to monitor the ecological state of Lake Baikal on the Istok research vessel.
Since 2008, Alexander Parshin has been teaching at the Department of Applied Geology, Geophysics and Geoinformation Systems at INRTU in the positions of assistant (2008), lecturer (2010), associate professor (2012), professor (2017). From 2014 to 2020, he also taught at Irkutsk State University. Main subjects he has taught include Geoinformation Systems; Computer Sciences; Radiometry and nuclear geophysics; Administration of information systems; Remote sensing of the Earth; Economics, methodology and organization of geological prospecting and exploration.
Alexander Parshin is a head of the educational programs "Geoinformatics", "IT in Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Geophysical mineral deposit exploration and prospecting methods" for specialists, bachelors and postgraduate students.
He has trained two Doctors of Philosophy.

He organized and headed a number of commercial companies and academic units:

● Joint (IGC SB RAS and INRTU) research laboratory of Geological informatics, developing areas of robotic systems for geological exploration and complex processing of heterogeneous geodata (2014–2020).
● Small technology company “Geoinformation Technologies – Siberia” (the Skolkovo resident with turnover up to 2 million US dollars per year), which specializes in creation and implementation of new UAV aerogeophysical technologies (2016 – present).
● Junior company "Territory" (co-founder). The company conducts prospecting works for gold without attracting external venture investments due to advanced technologies with low cost (2020 – present).
● Institute "Siberian School of Geosciences (SSG)" (2020 – present) is a new version and the successor of the Geological Exploration Faculty of Irkutsk Polytechnic University. The SSG is an international institute that conducts research and development and train specialists in seven different branches of geology and related Earth and environmental sciences, as well as works in Russia, the Near and Far Abroad as a geological service company with original advanced technologies. The Institute continues the best traditions of the Irkutsk School of Geosciences Engineering since 1745 in both letter and spirit, providing training for geospecialists and researchers, capable of working in any natural environment, on land and at sea, like their predecessors from the School of Navigation and Geodesy and the Siberian Mining Institute. The project was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the framework of the Priority 2030 program. The Siberian School of Geosciences has stable international relations and joint academic programs with a number of leading universities in Asia (China, India, Indonesia, etc.) and it strives to become one of the largest international centres in development of mineral resource base and environmental protection.

Since 2025, Alexander Parshin has been the Vice-rector for Geology, Earth and Environmental Sciences at INRTU.

Since 2023, he is the editor-in-chief of the journal "Earth Sciences and Subsoil Use" (is indexed in GeoRef, Chemical Abstracts Service, on the "White List" (level 2); articles in Russian, English and Chinese are published). The member of the editorial boards of Remote Sensing (Q1) magazines; Drones and Autonomous Vehicles.

From 2012 to 2025, Alexander Parshin organized and personally led more than 100 geological projects throughout Eurasia – from Karelia to Kamchatka and from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean – totaling more than a 1 billion rubles.

In 2020, the Academic Board of Irkutsk Polytechnic University awarded the honorary academic title "Professor of INRTU Practice" to him. In 2025, he was awarded the status of "Chief Designer / Key Researcher of INRTU".

Alexander Parshin is the author of more than 120 scientific publications (including about 40 WoS/Scopus), 15 patents and intellectual property certificates, co-author of more than 70 production reports, including reserves estimation. He is the author of the first industry guidelines for the use of UAV geophysics methods in Russia.

He is the winner of the Sino-Russian Science and Technology Cooperation Award (2025), the winner (2025) and two-time finalist of the Russian Mining Award (2023, 2024) for both technical innovations and achievements in transformation of higher geological education. The two-time winner of the Irkutsk Region Prize in Science and technology (2018, 2022). The winner of the Chinese Ambassador's Award (2020) in IT and Artificial Intelligence. The winner of the prize of the Russian Union of Inventors and Innovators (2023) for developments in UAV exploration and a number of other competitions and scientific prizes.
The member of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE Gold Member). The member of the Russian Coordinating Scientific and Technical Council for Geology, prospecting and exploration of uranium deposits.

Alexander Parshin's hobbies include martial arts, kitesurfing, downhill skiing, traveling, yachting. He is the chairman of the Baikal Student Sailing League, the ISSA Inshore Skipper. A weightlifting competitor, in the past, a multiple winner and prize-winner of competitions in historical fencing, oriental martial arts and off-road motorsport.

Grant management experience