One of the world's leading experts in magnet technology has uprooted his family to join Oxfordshire's growing scientific Russian expatriate community.

Vladimir Datskov, 50, has moved with his wife Nina and 14-year-old daughter Olga from Moscow to join Oxford Instruments's Superconductivity division at Tubney Woods, near Abingdon.

Vladimir, Moldovan by birth, has a diploma in cryogenic engineering and a PhD in cryogenics and superconducting magnet technology.

Like several of his Oxford Instruments colleagues from the former Soviet Union, he has settled in Bicester. He had previously worked in the USA for two years and at Cern, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, in Geneva. After being appointed in competition with 20 highly specialised candidates from all over the world, he had problems getting a work permit.

He said: "All job correspondence sent to me by Oxford Instruments had to be sent by e-mail or fax as letters from abroad regularly arrive late in Russia.

"The demand for foreign currency or employment abroad puts post at risk from theft. In fact we had to arrange a clandestine meeting in Moscow International Airport between Tateyana, the wife of another Oxford Instruments employee Vladimir Mikheev, and Nina to ensure my work permit arrived safely."

Oxford Instruments Superconductivity had to rent the property for him as he had no history of living in this country. "Opening a bank account and even starting an account with various utilities is very difficult if you are new to the country" he said.

As well as the job, Vladimir says the main advantages of the move are being able to learn English and to meet British people. He said: "The most difficult period is finding your feet at the beginning. This is especially so for my daughter who has changed schools. The English she picked up in the US is helping her in Bicester Community College."