Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

At the next meeting of the Presidium of ANAS, discussions were held on the provisions of the unified action plan “Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture” initiated by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, as well as on the tasks facing the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

Addressing the issue, ANAS President Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that on February 11, 2026, under the chairmanship of the head of state, a meeting dedicated to the unified action plan titled “Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture” was held. In his remarks at the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev identified digital development as a key strategic direction determining the country’s future progress and emphasized that the application of artificial intelligence, the establishment of data centers, and digitalization processes shape the development model of countries on a global scale, and that Azerbaijan must act in line with these trends.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that in the modern world, achieving any development without building digital architecture is impossible, and that this direction constitutes one of the strategic priorities in the activities of the head of state. He stated that a number of important state documents have been consistently adopted in this area, including the “Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Information Security and Cybersecurity for 2023–2027,” the “Digital Development Concept in the Republic of Azerbaijan,” and the “Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025–2028.” He added that several significant steps have been taken to strengthen the country’s position in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to ensure its place among leading states, noting that the Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution operates under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, while the Artificial Intelligence Academy functions under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli emphasized that a number of important measures have also been implemented at the National Academy of Sciences in the field of digitalization. He recalled that just three months after being elected ANAS President, in January 2023, the “Electronic Academy” Department was established within the Presidium’s administrative office in line with the challenges facing the state and the modern world. He also noted that “Electronic Services” departments were created in ANAS scientific institutions and organizations, and that personnel databases were initially formed. Over the past period, significant achievements have been made in digitalization, the application of artificial intelligence technologies, and the expansion of electronic services. In September 2025, in light of new realities, the “Electronic Academy” Department was renamed the “Digital Academy, Artificial Intelligence and Electronic Services” Department.

“This is not merely a change in the department’s name; it reflects the expansion of its functions, activities, and scope,” said Academician Isa Habibbeyli. Referring to the instructions given by the head of state in his speech at the 80th anniversary ceremony of ANAS and remarks made during a televised interview on January 5 this year, he stated that by a decision of the Presidium dated January 8, 2025, “Digital Science and Artificial Intelligence” departments were established on the basis of the “Electronic Services” departments in scientific institutions and organizations. He added that these departments were upgraded from auxiliary to main department status and are now headed by scientific staff.

Emphasizing that the initial model of ANAS’s digital architecture has been formed, Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that at the second stage, an action plan for personnel training in this direction will be developed.

He stressed that, as highlighted by the head of state at the meeting, digitalization must be the main priority in the Academy’s activities and should be consistent and continuous.

“Based on the remarks voiced by the President at the meeting, how should we build the Academy’s new digital architecture? First of all, the President of the Academy must be personally interested in this matter and regard it as one of the main strategic priorities. As I mentioned, since January 2023 we have carried out extensive work in the field of electronic services. Over this period, we have created a scientometric database of ANAS employees and established a citation system. We have also formed electronic databases of our journals and now assign DOIs to the articles of all our authors. At the same time, we regularly organize seminars in this direction, including one international conference. The ‘Electronic Academy’ Department has also developed the ‘Humanoid SUFI’ (Processing Words with Universal Functionality) robot. The ANAS President bears responsibility for building digital architecture within the Academy, and directors bear responsibility within their institutions. The ‘Digital Science and Artificial Intelligence’ departments in institutions serve as the main implementing branches of this architecture,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli emphasized.

The ANAS President stated that personnel training and the establishment of a material and technical base are of particular importance for achieving significant results in this area. He noted that appropriate financial resources have been allocated to equip scientific institutions with the necessary equipment. He stressed that institute directors and heads of electronic departments must thoroughly study the tasks set by the head of state regarding digitalization and understand the essence of the work to be carried out in building this architecture.

“This is a challenge of the 21st century and a requirement of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Without technological thinking, technological development, technological vision, and technological achievement, it is difficult even to be counted on the global stage among nations and academies in the 21st century. Therefore, the President’s project to build Azerbaijan’s new digital architecture should, in fact, be understood as the architecture of the country’s new stage of development.”

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also noted that the head of state has instructed that each institution appoint a deputy responsible for digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity in order to ensure more effective organization of work in this field. He stated that this individual will coordinate with the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport and apply the acquired knowledge and innovations at their respective institutions. He added that ANAS Vice-President Academician Rasim Aliguliyev, a well-known scholar in this field who heads the Institute of Information Technology, will oversee future work in digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity at the Academy. Coordination with the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport will be carried out by Fariz Imranov, PhD in Mathematics, Head of the “Digital Academy, Artificial Intelligence and Electronic Services” Department.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also instructed that employees of the “Digital Academy, Artificial Intelligence and Electronic Services” Department conduct training sessions for staff of the “Digital Science and Artificial Intelligence” departments within ANAS scientific institutions.

In addition to the work carried out, Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that significant achievements have been made in recent years in establishing an electronic library, electronic archive, and electronic document management system at ANAS, and stated that the Academy’s digital architecture will continue to expand.

Subsequently, ANAS Vice-President Academician Rasim Aliguliyev stated that the meeting chaired by the head of state will eliminate fragmentation in implementing work in this field and promote interagency coordination. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening the regulatory and legal framework and improving the digital literacy of the population of Azerbaijan.

Fariz Imranov, PhD in Mathematics and Head of the “Digital Academy, Artificial Intelligence and Electronic Services” Department, then spoke about achievements in the field of electronic services at ANAS and provided information on ongoing activities.

Following discussions, the Presidium decided to further strengthen the application of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in scientific research conducted at ANAS, taking into account the provisions and approaches put forward at the meeting chaired by the head of state. It was also decided to establish a Commission to assess the suitability of candidates proposed for the position of deputy responsible for digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity in ANAS scientific institutions and organizations.

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

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