Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

On February 25, the General Assembly of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) was held at the Academy’s Main Building.

The event was attended by Farah Aliyeva, Head of the Department for Humanitarian Policy, Diaspora, Multiculturalism and Religious Affairs of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Firudin Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of Science and Education; Rafael Huseynov, Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis; committee chairs of the Milli Majlis Ahliman Amiraslanov and Anar Isgandarov; Famil Mustafayev, Chairman of the Higher Attestation Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Maleyka Abbaszadeh, Chair of the Board of Directors of the State Examination Center; members of the ANAS Presidium; full and corresponding members of the Academy; directors of ANAS scientific institutions and organizations; rectors of higher education institutions; and authors of significant scientific results achieved nationwide in 2025.

The event began with a viewing of an exhibition dedicated to the results of 2025.

The meeting was opened by ANAS President, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, who introduced the items on the agenda of the General Assembly.

The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was then performed.

A minute of silence was observed in memory of the corresponding members who passed away during the reporting year, as well as the nation’s martyrs.

At the event, ANAS President Academician Isa Habibbeyli delivered a report titled “From Azerbaijani Studies to Digitalization and International Relations.”

Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that 2025 has been marked in the history of our country by a number of significant socio-political events. On August 8 last year, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev achieved the initialing of the provisions of a Peace Agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the participation of President of the United States Donald Trump, which stands as a major historic event. President Ilham Aliyev, who secured a historic Victory for Azerbaijan in Karabakh, successfully implemented the Great Return movement and ensured the comprehensive development of the country, has gained high international prestige as one of the global guarantors of Peace. This is a great honor and source of pride for the independent Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that President Ilham Aliyev’s substantive and programmatic speech at the 80th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences on November 3, 2025 defined a comprehensive roadmap for Azerbaijani science and ANAS. He emphasized that, in response to the Head of State’s calls to safeguard the security of the Azerbaijani language and enrich it through internal resources, research institutes of the Humanities and Social Sciences Divisions—where the mother tongue as the state language factor is fundamental—have prioritized this issue and further intensified a number of significant studies.

“For the first time in the history of our science, the creation of a National Language Corpus, the planning of a new edition of the Orthography Dictionary, the preparation of an Orthoepy Dictionary for the first time, and the compilation of a reference guide on personal names are important scientific outcomes achieved in light of our President’s lessons on the mother tongue. At the same time, following November, by decision of the Presidium of the Academy, the establishment of the ‘Modern Azerbaijani Language and Speech Culture’ and ‘Onomastics’ departments at the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics serves the purposeful implementation of President Ilham Aliyev’s language policy,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli said.

He also noted that monographic studies and conferences organized in connection with the Presidential Order “On the Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the First Turkological Congress” are scientific manifestations of the state language policy pursued by the Head of State. For the first time in the country and across the Turkic world, ANAS published a poetry anthology in 2024 using the common Turkic alphabet adopted that year. This represents a practical contribution to the mother tongue–state language policy and to the adoption of a common Latin alphabet.

In his speech, Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that President Ilham Aliyev, in his remarks at the Academy’s 80th anniversary, emphasized that research in history should prioritize the criteria of Azerbaijanism, the realities of the country’s ancient past, and the interests and realities of the independent Azerbaijani state.

“I believe that the most important scientific result of 2025 in the field of history is the discovery of a new paleoanthropological remain of a Neanderthal human dating back 80,000 years, found during joint archaeological excavations conducted by the Azerbaijan–Japan scientific expedition at the ancient Taghlar Cave in Khojavand district by Associate Professor Azad Zeynalov, PhD in History and leading researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. The finding is currently undergoing carbon analysis in Japan. If confirmed, this will be considered the second discovery of global significance after the oldest human jawbone discovered in Azikh Cave in 1968 by Professor Mammadali Huseynov. Furthermore, after many years of interruption, the emergence of a new study dedicated to the state of Atropatena at the A.A. Bakikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology is also a significant event. Work on the planned three-volume History of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the history of independence, is likewise a response to the President’s calls,” he said.

The report also emphasized the expansion of research related to Karabakh, Eastern Zangezur, the Great Return movement, reintegration, and Caucasian Albania, as well as the enhancement of its theoretical and practical significance.

It was noted that the “Encyclopedia of the Flora of Karabakh” prepared by the Institute of Botany and the two-volume “Atlas of the Geology and Mineral Resources of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur” published by the Institute of Geology are among the most important scientific achievements of 2025. Work on the two-volume “Heydar Aliyev Encyclopedia” is also nearing completion.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli further stated that technological development, digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity were identified by the President as essential priorities of 21st-century science. He reported that in 2025 ANAS experienced processes ranging from electronization to digitalization and artificial intelligence, including the renaming of “Electronic Services” departments to “Digital Science and Artificial Intelligence,” as well as the acceleration of the electronic library initiative and the launch of an Electronic Archive program.

It was also noted that the inclusion of the “Astronomy” journal of the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory of the Ministry of Science and Education in the Scopus database is among the significant scientific events of 2025.

Deputy Minister of Science and Education Firudin Gurbanov, addressing the Assembly, conveyed greetings on behalf of Minister Emin Amrullayev. He stated that countries with strong research, creative communities, and innovative activities achieve substantial development. He noted that in his anniversary speech, President Ilham Aliyev identified artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and cybersecurity as priority areas and stressed the need to mobilize scientific potential.

Firudin Gurbanov added that modern technologies and artificial intelligence played a significant role in securing victory in the 44-day Patriotic War. He also spoke about structural reforms in science and education, noting that 15 scientific institutions currently operate under the Ministry of Science and Education, with the main objective being integration between education, science, and industry. He highlighted the adoption of the “Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025–2028” and the acceleration of digital transformation in education.

ANAS Academic Secretary Academician Arif Hashimov subsequently delivered a report on the scientific and organizational activities of ANAS, scientific organizations, and higher education institutions in 2025, emphasizing sustainable development reflected in scientometric indicators.

Speeches were also delivered by Ahliman Amiraslanov, Chair of the Milli Majlis Committee on Health; ANAS Adviser Academician Yagub Mahmudov; Academician Ali Abbasov on “Digital Science and Artificial Intelligence”; Chair of the ANAS Youth Academy Elmir Babayev on “From the Council of Young Scientists to the Youth Academy”; and Head of the Science and Education Department of the ANAS Presidium Administration, Doctor of Philology Sarkhan Khavari, on scientometric rating indicators of ANAS research institutions.

The decision of the ANAS General Assembly was announced at the conclusion of the event.

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

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