Azernews.Az

By Araz Said

Opening of Moscow State University's Baku branch will give a new impetus to the development of science in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said at the opening ceremony of the Baku branch's new campus on Wednesday.

President Aliyev said the establishment of the Russian university's branch in the Azerbaijani capital was legally formalized in early 2008, but it started functioning a year later, in 2009.

Since the MSU is one of the leading universities of the world, this educational institution needs a separate building, the president noted.

President Aliyev said further that Azerbaijan is rapidly developing.

"All areas of our country's life are dynamically developing," Aliyev said. "The economy is growing at the highest rate on the world scale. Of course, we primarily need professionals in all fields to be able to fulfill all the tasks that we are facing. We immediately see a positive dynamic when a professional comes to an important position. Work is properly organized, and we see professionalism and dedication... It would be very difficult for any country to succeed without this in the present-day world. Skills, science, technology and education define a country's success in today's world. We are happy that we managed to maintain a high level of literacy today in Azerbaijan," Aliyev said.

The president emphasized that over the past eight years, Azerbaijan's education expenses increased six-fold to 1.5 billion manats.

"It's a little less than 10 percent of the total expenditure of our budget. So, education expenses share first and second places with defense spending in Azerbaijan. And it shows how important the proper education process is for us, how important is the creation of such an education system that young Azerbaijanis will receive the knowledge they need in life," the president said.

"We attach great importance to this," Aliyev continued. At my latest meeting with the scientific community at an annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences, I spoke in detail on the challenges Azerbaijani science is facing. We must develop our country's scientific potential in every way.

"Of course, we all rely on the realities of modern society and the modern world. We are realists and expecting Azerbaijan to become a trendsetter in any serious scientific developments, perhaps, would be naive and premature," Aliyev said.

Regarding the tasks that are to be fulfilled, the president said he had issued relevant instructions. "We must strive to adopt advanced scientific expertise as quickly as possible in areas that are developing dynamically to develop our country."

Aliyev stressed that development of any country is impossible without modern technologies and in the 21st century it has become "a reality of modern life".

"Those countries that will lead scientific development will lead on the political map of the world," Aliyev said.

The opening ceremony was also attended by the rector of Moscow State University named after Mikhail Lomonosov, academician Viktor Sadovnichiy and rector of University's Baku branch, Professor Nargiz Pashayeva.

Following speeches of the two principals, President Aliyev and his spouse familiarized themselves with the conditions provided in the campus, which has advanced teaching aids, technological novelties, an extensive library, a conference hall, a cafeteria, and a student center.

The President and the First Lady also viewed the stands on the ground floor with photos of the old Baku and old Moscow.