In order to ensure the implementation of Decision No. 183 of the meeting of the UNEC Scientific Council dated May 31, 2022, the departments of “Environmental protection and economics” and “Social development economics and assessment” were cancelled from 02.09.2022 and the department of “Public administration and social innovations” was established on their basis.
Department of “Protection and Economy of Environment” was established in 2009 as a result of the merge of two independent departments – “Economic Geography” and Economy of Nature Management” and “Production Systems and Environmental Protection”. The department of “Economic Geography”, united in this chair, had been functioning since the 1930s. Since 1966 the departments of “Economic Geography” and “Technology of production” have been functioning independently, and subsequently the name of both chairs has changed many times, and finally, in 2009, continued its activity under the title of “Environmental Protection and Economy”.
In different times the department was run by an Associate Professor K.V.Huseynova (1966-1970), Associate Professor A.H.Mammadov (1971-1975), Associate Professor S.Majidov (1975-1979), Professor R.H.Mammadov (1980-2008), Assistant Professor J.Ibadova (1966-1968), Prof. J.M.Mahmudov (1969-1991,2000-2009), Associate Professor A.Qasimov (1991-2000).
At present, the department has 21 employees, including 16 PhD s, 1 honorary professor, 13 associate professors and 2 assistants.
Since the establishment of the department, up to 60 undergraduate students are admitted to the specialty “Ecology” every year and successfully complete their education. At the same time, 15 masters are trained annually majoring in “Environmental Protection and Restoration”.
During the activity of the department, the state-funded research work included in the plan for each year is carried out. The main directions of scientific work are devoted to the ecological problems arising in the development of regions and production areas in accordance with state programs, and the directions of their solution. The results of research work on various topics are mainly applied in the teaching process.
Over the past 10 years, employees of the department have regularly participated in prestigious index journals, foreign and local conferences and published articles. Conferences dedicated to the anniversaries of the national leader H. Aliyev were organized and these conferences were attended by representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Environmental Protection, ANAS, Youth Organization and others. At the same time, conferences of the Student Scientific Society were organized at the faculty level. The “Green World” circle operates at the department.
The department maintains close relations with other universities of the republic, ANAS and some foreign countries. In particular, employees of the department completed their scientific work at the Institute of Geography of ANAS, defended their candidate thesis for a scientific degree. Within the framework of cooperation with foreign countries, experience was exchanged with universities in Turkey, Germany, the Russian Federation (Baku branch of the Moscow State University) and Kazakhstan.
Employees of the department are always closely involved in the socio-political life of the republic and the university.
A lot of work has been done at the department on the implementation of state programs and documents approved by the decrees of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In order to ensure the implementation of the “Action Plan of the Ministry of Education for the implementation of the National Strategy for 2018-2022”, the department developed and handed over 2 aids on “Recycling and management of solid waste.” Employees of the department made speeches in front of students and teachers in different faculties on these aids. One of the main directions of development of the department is the activities dedicated to environmental protection and environmental problems, which are considered one of the important elements of economic development. In this regard, members of the department regularly take students to various production areas, exhibitions at the EXPO center, and historical monuments of the republic, national parks, and reserves and provide extensive information about them.