ANAS offers to announce 2015 "year of science"
By Nigar Orujova
The Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) suggested 2015 as the Year of Science in Azerbaijan.
ANAS, which turns 70 in 2015, is planning to hold a solemn celebration of the anniversary.
ANAS academic-secretary Rasim Aliguliyev said that appeals will be sent to the state leadership to announce 2015 as the Year of Science, and assign the name "Elmler Akademiyasi" (Science Academy) to a street in Baku.
According to ANAS president Akif Alizadeh, the Academy will petition the state in connection with these celebrations. Alizadeh said it necessary to invite foreign scientists and specialists, and to organize events at national and international levels.
Moreover, ANAS put forward a number of proposals concerning the Academy's activities in the following years on November 20.
The activities include adopting a state program for staff training, establishing a University and Lyceum under ANAS for young talents, constructing an industrial park to commercialize scientific-research innovative works, establishing an academic city, publishing books about the anniversary and the history of ANAS, and improving the staff's working and living conditions.
ANAS development plan
Preparing a document for the development of ANAS is planned by 2020, Akif Alizadeh said at the first meeting of ANAS scientific institutions' Board last week.
The implementation of the "National Strategy for the development of science in Azerbaijan in 2009-2015" is nearing completion, he said.
All the scientific institutions and organizations of ANAS must submit their proposals in connection with the preparation of this document to the Presidium.
Alizadeh underlined the importance of the media coverage of the great work done in the academy, and noted that the main task is to bring the results of scientific researches and innovations to the country and to the world.
He also touched upon the issue of scientific training and said that scientists whose candidacy submitted to the Presidium for the "President's Award for Youth" have a lot of potential.
Heads of research institutions should contribute to the development of their research. Young researchers should be sent to research institutions in Europe, and the results of their research should be discussed at scientific councils, he said.