Pavel G. Talalay, is a Professor of Exploration Engineering and Director of the Institute of Polar Science and Engineering in Jilin University, Changchun, China. His research interests are focused on different features of drilling and mining technologies in ice and permafrost; dynamics of ice sheets; ice properties and environmental issues in Polar Regions. He acquired Mining Engineer (1984), Ph.D. (1995) and Doctor of Engineering (2007) degrees at the St. Petersburg Mining University of Russia, where he has also worked as Professor and Chair of Department. Talalay was a guest Researcher in the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1998-1999).

In 2010, Talalay was invited to work at Jilin University within the framework of the Chinese state program "Thousand Talents Plan". Later, Talalay became the Director of the Institute of Polar Science and Engineering in Jilin University. Additionally, Talalay is a member of IDP Technical Assistance Board of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Talalay is the author of over 200 publication, 70 patents, and 19 books and book-chapters, most notable of which are "Mechanical Ice Drilling Technology" (Springer Geophysics, 2016), "Thermal Ice Drilling Technology" (Springer Geophysics, 2020), and "Geotechnical and exploration drilling in the polar regions" (Springer Cham, 2022). He participated in eight field expeditions in Antarctica and the Artic.