Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

Roida Rzayeva, Head of a Department at the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Academician Ziya Bunyadov of ANAS, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences and Professor, participated in the 9th Congress of Political Science and International Relations, held in Trabzon, Türkiye, on October 21–23, 2026.

At the congress, the scholar delivered a presentation entitled “New Diplomacy, Media and Soft Power in Contemporary Politics.”

In her presentation, Roida Rzayeva discussed the role of the media in shaping social consciousness and its functioning and development. She emphasized that the struggle for public opinion is the lifeblood of contemporary politics. The presentation noted that persuasive communication technologies are used more extensively on social media than in traditional media, and that targeting is based on psychological profiles (psychograms) rather than homogeneous socio-demographic groups.

The professor noted that we are now witnessing a technological turning point in the mass dissemination of political content. The presentation also stated that soft power is regarded as a new and modern form of ideology. Soft power is used to achieve geostrategic objectives through non-violent methods, means and technologies of influence, making it a form of governance.

It was emphasized that soft power is an element of contemporary politics and that its influence is both cultural and cognitive-psychological in nature.

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

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