Shamil Usmanovich Galiev was born on April 18, 1942 in Kazan, Tatar Republic (Russia) and is the son of Usman Zakirovich Galiev and his wife Ajar Khayrutdinovna Valitova. He was a researcher in the Academy Sciences of SSSR, Kazan in 1965–1972 and in Academy Sciences Ukraine, Kiev in 1972–1981, a head of the department in Academy Sciences Ukraine, Kiev in 1981–1995, a professor in Kiev Politech. U. in 1986–1989 and a visiting professor at Brown U., Providence in 1992. Since 1996, he has been a professor and honorary academician at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.