Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

Abdullayev Ilyas Kerim oglu was born on March 23, 1913 in Aghstafa, in the family of railwaymen. He graduated from the Agricultural Institute (1934).He defended his thesis in 1939  and was elected as an active member of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan USSR (1955). From 1956 until the end of his life he headed the Department of Genetics and Selection of Perennial Plants of the Genetics and Selection Institute (present-day Genetic Resources Institute).

İ.Abdullayev was the chairman of the Republican Commission on preparation of events on development of fruits, vine, mulberry growing in the Azerbaijan USSR (1957), chairman of the Commission of Azerbaijan USSR AS on preparation and publication of the Atlas of the Azerbaijan USSR (1958), member of the General Exhibition Committee of USSR and chairman of the Azerbaijan Republic Committee of Agricultural Achievements Exhibition (1948-1958).

İ.Abdullayev was also a member of Scientific Council of the Genetics and Selection Institute (1959),member of the Scientific Editorial Council of the Soviet Encylclopedia of Azerbaijan and member of the Council on Problems of Genetics and Selection of the Azerbaijan USSR AS (1963), President of the Azerbaijan Society of Genetics and Selection, member of the Presidium of the Union of Genetics and Selection Society named after I. Vavilov, deputy secretary-assistant of the Department of Biological Sciences of Azerbaijan USSR AS (1967), member of the United Council for Biological Sciences, member of the AS Coordinating Council of the Azerbaijan USSR and a member of the Defense Council for Genetics, Selection and Seed-Growing (1969) .

I.Abdullayev was a representative of Congress of Genetics and Breeders (1966, 1971, 1976, 1981), chairman of the Organizing Committee of congresses of that society. Academician I. Abdullayev had been the Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan. From 1959 to the end of his life he was engaged in scientific activity.

The scientist is the author of 8 books and 6 monographs, about 200 scientific articles. His scientific work is devoted to the solution of many problems of genetic cytology and selection. Creating the polyploid sequence of Morus is one of the greatest scientific achievements of the scientist.Several types of mulberry have been created as a result of the researches carried out by  i.K Abdullayev.

Abdullayev has made great efforts to train highly qualified staff. More than 10 candidate dissertations were defended under his supervision.

Academician I.Abdullayev's services were highly appreciated by the state and the scientist was awarded with various orders and medals.

Academician Abdullayev Ilyas Kerim oglu died on April 30, 1985 in Baku.