Science Festival Launched at UNEC
On April 8, the Science Festival officially commenced at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC).
The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev, UNEC Rector Professor Adalat Muradov, President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Academician Isa Habibbayli, heads of public and private institutions, as well as other distinguished guests.
In his opening address, UNEC Rector Professor Adalat Muradov stated that the event is dedicated to Science Day, which is held annually in the country by presidential decree. He spoke about two key initiatives launched by UNEC aimed at promoting science—“From School to Science: Science is Beautiful” and “Popularization of Science.” The rector noted that within the framework of these projects, meetings have been held in leading schools and universities across the regions with the participation of renowned Azerbaijani scientists, in order to increase students’ and young people’s interest in science.
Professor Muradov emphasized that the measures implemented to foster scientific development at UNEC are already yielding significant results. He highlighted the university’s recent achievements, particularly the substantial increase in scientific publications indexed in international databases. According to him, in the period of 2024–2025, the number of articles by UNEC researchers published in the Scopus database increased by 6.4 times, and in the Web of Science database by 5.8 times. In 2024, 33% of the articles from Azerbaijan published in Scopus and 23% of those in Web of Science were authored by UNEC researchers. Over the past five years, this share has amounted to 20% for Scopus and 19% for Web of Science. Moreover, there has been a tenfold increase in the number of scientific works written in accordance with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In total, 48.6% of articles published in Scopus by UNEC researchers addressed the Millennium Development Goals. Professor Muradov noted that UNEC ranks among the global leaders in terms of this growth rate.
He also spoke about the projects implemented at UNEC related to the digitalization of science, highlighting that the university currently has access to approximately five million extensive electronic databases, including its own proprietary systems.
Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev stressed the importance of the event and emphasized that the development of science is among the country’s strategic priorities. He addressed the current challenges faced by the national scientific community and underscored the significance of ensuring the integration of science and education. The minister also underlined the importance of presenting scientific outcomes in a way that is understandable and beneficial to society, and ensuring that scientific research contributes to public welfare and the national economy.
He further addressed existing issues related to the efficiency of science funding and the evaluation of academic performance, and discussed the necessary steps to overcome these challenges.
Academician Isa Habibbayli, President of ANAS, spoke about the role of scientific institutions in deepening scientific knowledge and developing new research directions. He noted that the ideas and proposals voiced during the event are of considerable importance for the effective organization of academic activities.
Corresponding Member of ANAS, Professor Rafig Aliyev, drew attention to the role of science in the progress of humanity, emphasizing that such development is only possible through scientific advancement. He also touched upon the necessity of applying artificial intelligence across all scientific disciplines.
The official segment of the event concluded with a presentation by Professor Salim Yüce from Turkey’s Yıldız Technical University on the topic “Scientific Activity Organization at Leading Global Universities.”
Following the official part, participants visited a creative exhibition titled “Future Scientists and Engineers,” showcasing the handicrafts of UNEC students and schoolchildren from regional schools. They also viewed works created by students of UNEC’s School of Design.
As part of the festival, a presentation of the UNEC Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences was held, alongside the presentation of the book The Limits of the Market by Associate Professor Elshan Baghirzada, Advisor to the UNEC Rector.
The Science Festival will continue until April 10.