Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan has reached a significant milestone in the development of cultural law with the successful defense of the first master's theses under the newly established Cultural Law specialization, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry.

The program, launched jointly by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and Baku State University (BSU), marks the country's first graduate-level specialization dedicated to this field and aims to train highly qualified legal professionals specializing in cultural law.

The inaugural thesis defense session was held on July 8 at the Azerbaijan National Library in Baku.

Chairman of the Specialization Council for the thesis defenses, the Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli, who holds a Ph.D. in Law, described the event as a landmark in the advancement of cultural law as an academic discipline in Azerbaijan.

He noted that the master's specialization was introduced at Baku State University beginning with the 2024–2025 academic year in response to the growing demand for legal experts in the protection of cultural heritage, the legal safeguarding of cultural property, the restoration of cultural heritage sites in Azerbaijan's liberated territories, and the international legal protection of cultural assets.

The curriculum was developed through close cooperation between the Faculty of Law at Baku State University and the Ministry of Culture. Students enrolled in the program are conducting research across various areas of cultural law and have successfully defended theses on a wide range of contemporary legal issues.

Speaking at the event, BSU Rector Elchin Babayev emphasized that the establishment of the Cultural Law specialization is a successful outcome of the university's partnership with the Ministry of Culture. He said the program will contribute to preparing professionals at the intersection of law and culture, strengthening academic research in the field, and enhancing the legal protection of Azerbaijan's national cultural heritage.

The master's theses presented during the defense covered a variety of topics, including the legal foundations of cultural governance, international legal cooperation, current challenges in the national and international legal protection of cultural heritage, cultural rights, and the development and contemporary trends of cultural law.

The Cultural Law specialization was established within the framework of the "Azerbaijan Culture – 2040" Concept, which seeks to strengthen the scientific foundations of legal regulation in the cultural sector, develop a new generation of legal professionals specializing in cultural heritage protection, and promote the adoption of modern legal approaches based on international best practices.