Doctor of Sciences in Sociology, Full Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine. Actively engaged in research and teaching in higher school.

In 1990, Vil Bakirov organized and headed the first in Ukraine School of Sociology. Since 1998 he has been President of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.

The scope of his research interests covers analysis of the role of classical universities in intellectual development of society, studies of classical university education peculiarities in the context of globalization and post-industrial challenges. Widely known are Bakirov’s works on the communicative paradigm of university democracy development, innovative processes in higher school, information and communication technologies in higher education.

The asteroid (18731)Vil’bakirov = 1998 KW7 discovered by the American astronomer of Lowell Observatory Edward Bowell is named after Vil Bakirov.