Elena Shchepakina graduated with DSci in Applied Mathematics from the Zhukovskii Airforce Engineering Academy, Moscow, Russia in 2004 (PhD in Mathematics in 1995). She is the author of 3 books and a number of papers devoted to problems of Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems, Singular Perturbations, Geometrical Methods and Integral Manifolds Theory, Slow/Fast Models in Laser and Reacting Systems, Mathematics of Combustion, Biochemistry and Chemical Kinetics, Theories of Coherence and Polarization of Light, and Light Interaction with Natural Media. She was Professor at the Samara State University, Researcher at the Dept of Physics of University of Miami, and she is now Professor at the Department of Technical Cybernetics, Samara State Aerospace University. Vladimir Sobolev graduated with PhD in Mathematics from the Institute of Mathematics, Ukrainian Academy of Science, Kiev in 1980, and with DSci in Applied Mathematics from Institute of System Studies Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 1991. He is Professor at the Department of Technical Cybernetics, Samara State Aerospace University, and also he is Professor  and Chair at the Samara State University. His main scientific interests are in the following areas: Decomposition method for singularly perturbed systems; Investigations on control systems with singular perturbations; Theory of slow integral manifolds and complex dynamics of slow/fast systems; Investigations on slow/fast chemical kinetics a nd laser systems; Mathematical modelling of critical phenomena, safety and risk assessment in biological and chemical systems. Michael P. Mortell graduated with a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in 1968. He has published extensively in the general area of nonlinear waves with special reference to bounded media. He was President of University College Cork for 10 years before taking up a personal Chair in Applied Mathematics, and he is now retired.