A scientific-practical session dedicated to the 100th birthday of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev was held at the Institute of Control Systems of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The event was attended by the administration of the institute, heads of departments and laboratories, young scientists and specialists.

 

First, a video about the political activities of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, prepared by the ICS staff, was shown.

 

Opening the event, Academician Ali Abbasov, General Director of the ICS, spoke about the special attention and care shown by Heydar Aliyev, architect and founder of the modern Azerbaijani state, to the development of information technology in Azerbaijan, and shared his memories of the brilliant personality of Heydar Aliyev. The academician described in detail various stages of life and political activity of the national leader, who was distinguished for his strong will, far-sighted policy not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the USSR as a whole. He said fundamental changes took place in the country after Heydar Aliyev was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan at the July Plenum of 1969. Due to wisdom of the great leader, rich experience of statehood and firm determination in 1970-80s Azerbaijan became one of the leading states in the region, and the basis for transition from agrarian to industrial country was laid.      

 

Speaking about the political activities of the national leader in 1982-1987, A. Abbasov told about his struggle for independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as a member of the Politburo under the USSR leadership and first deputy chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, about his resolute position in the face of pressure. He noted that the complicated political situation faced by the Azerbaijani people in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the threat of loss of independence could only be overcome under the leadership of such a visionary, resolute leader as Heydar Aliyev. It was during this difficult period that the return of the great leader to power at the insistent demand and request of the people led to the preservation of Azerbaijan's state independence, the development of the oil industry and the country's entry into the international arena.

 

A. Abbasov noted that on the initiative of the great leader in the 60-80s of the last century talented scientists and experienced specialists in the field of electronics, automation and computer technology were trained in the Academy of Sciences, higher educational institutions and sectoral institutes, plants for the production of electronic equipment were built. The Institute of Cybernetics (now the Institute of Control Systems), Space Research Center, Information and Communication Research Center, "Neftegazavtomatika" and other research institutions were established. During this period, such large industrial complexes as the research and production associations "AZON", "NORD", Radio Plant, Electronic Computing Machines Plant, "Sputnik", "Ulduz" were built and put into operation; a new and favorable industrial sphere was organized in the republic. The special design bureaus "Tellur", "Cybernetics" and others set up under research institutes began to operate. Saying material and technical basis had been created in the leading higher schools of the country for training of ICT specialists A.Abbasov stressed Heydar Aliyev's successful implementation of 'university-economy-government' triple model in Azerbaijan.

 

A.Abbasov stressed that during the leadership of the great leader in Azerbaijan, accompanied by the absolute development, the country saw rapid development in communications, information technologies, space research and other spheres, foundations were laid for production associations, research institutions. Noting higher educational institutions were created in the regions by the initiative of the great leader, important steps were taken towards commercialization of science, the academician talked in detail of expansion of borders of Azerbaijani education, opening of military schools.

 

Speaking of the national leader's successful domestic and foreign policies, General Director of the ICS highlighted the international documents signed to strengthen the country's military capabilities and establish peace in the region. He noted that projects implemented in many spheres under the leadership of the great leader are still bearing fruit today. In this regard, he recalled that Azerbaijan won the right to host the International Astronautical Congress in 2023. A.Abbasov said that the holding of the Congress in Azerbaijan for a second time after it was first held in Baku in 1973 under the leadership of national leader Heydar Aliyev is of great symbolic importance.

 

Noting Heydar Aliyev's period of leadership in Azerbaijan is one of the most glorious pages of the centuries-old history of statehood, A.Abbasov expressed confidence the cherished memory of great leader Heydar Aliyev will always live in our hearts and gave relevant instructions within the Year of Heydar Aliyev in connection with the forthcoming tasks in this direction.

 

Then, Executive Director of ICS, Corresponding Member of ANAS Aminaga Sadigov made a presentation on "Legacy of Heydar Aliyev: science and education". He said due to foresight policy of Heydar Aliyev with his natural managerial talent, deep intellect, wisdom, courage and humanism successful internal and foreign policy of the country was determined, foundation of the new oil strategy was laid and Azerbaijan became one of the leading countries of the world. He noted that the great leader always used the latest achievements of science in his political practice, approached the issues related to the development of various spheres of science and culture with great care, linking the progress of society precisely with the development of science and education.

 

A. Sadigov said that the intensive development of science in the country, progress of the National Academy of Sciences coincided with the years of Heydar Aliyev's leadership, noting that due to purposeful measures taken by him fundamental scientific researches were expanded, important scientific achievements were made. During this period on the great leader's initiative the number of scientific workers at the Academy of Sciences, higher educational institutions and other scientific establishments was considerably increased, thousands of students were sent to various universities of the Soviet Union, new institutes, laboratories, design offices were established, practical measures were taken to increase the prestige of scientists in the society.

 

Emphasizing that after Heydar Aliyev returned to power for the second time Azerbaijan entered the new stage of development, A.Sadigov said that it was at the National Academy of Sciences that the great leader held one of his first meetings with scholars in Baku, made momentous decisions for development of the Academy. The scientist stressed that the great leader, who had once said "Education is the future of the nation", also paid special attention to development of this area in our country in 1993-2003, Azerbaijan's education system was improved, upgraded meaningfully and opportunities were created for its integration into the world education system.

 

Speaking in detail about the great leader's exceptional merits in the development of science and education in Azerbaijan, A. Sadigov noted that at present the state strategy in these areas is successfully continued by the head of the country Ilham Aliyev. Sharing his memories of the great leader, the scientist honored his memory.

 

Then, Head of Laboratory at ICS, Corresponding Member of ANAS Gorkhmaz Imanov made a presentation on "Heydar Aliyev as a founder of socio-economic development of independent Azerbaijan". He said that it was through socio-economic development of the country Heydar Aliyev achieved all-round development of Azerbaijan, improvement of the people's wellbeing, and establishment of Azerbaijan's independence in general. He said political and economic changes since 1991 were accompanied with decline in pace of development, which had a negative impact on all spheres of the country's economy. The main direction of the model of economic development during this period was attraction of foreign investments into the economy by the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, implementation of the Strategic Plan stipulating mutually beneficial cooperative relations with the world's leading states and international organizations.

 

Describing various directions of social and economic development of Azerbaijan during the period of Heydar Aliyev's leadership, the scientist noted that this period was characterized by creation of a powerful industrial potential and rapid development in all spheres. G. Imanov noted that on September 20, 1994 in Baku, on the initiative and leadership of great politician Heydar Aliyev 12 large oil companies representing world states with high reputation, specializing in oil production, signed an international agreement on joint exploitation of Azeri, Chirag and Gunashli fields located in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. With the signing of this historic document, which was called "Contract of the Century" and played an invaluable role in the economic development of our country, the successful implementation of Azerbaijan's new oil strategy began. It was after this contract that the interest of world states in the economy of Azerbaijan increased, a powerful impetus was given to expanding international ties of our country. The scientist noted that as a result of construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline, successful continuation of the future-oriented oil strategy of great leader Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan today maintains its worthy position among the advanced countries of the world.

 

At the end of his speech, G. Imanov, who shared his memories of the great leader, expressed confidence that his cherished memory will always live on in our hearts.

 

Then Advisor of ANAS, Academician Telman Aliev spoke about the attention and care that the brilliant Heydar Aliyev gave to the development of information technologies, scientific and educational institutions in Azerbaijan. The scientist stressed that it was the great leader who laid the foundation for development of communications, the sector of electronic equipment and information technologies, the system of e-state in Azerbaijan. He noted that in the 1970s-80s talented scientists and specialists were trained in the field of electronics, automatics and computer technology, plants were built for production of electronic equipment, scientific-research institutions were established.

 

T.Aliev noted that on the initiative of the great leader Aliyev the president of the USSR Academy of Sciences, academician M.Keldysh came to Azerbaijan and the first large electronic computing machine BESM-6 was brought to our country. The academician said that as a result of this the country made rapid progress in programming, automation, applied mathematics, cybernetics and other fields and talked about the genius leader's unprecedented merits in development of science in the country and shared his memories of him.

 

At the end of the event, Head of Department at ICS Tofig Babayev, PhD in Engineering, talked about the political course of Heydar Aliyev, the founder of the modern Azerbaijani state, as well as the attention and care he gave to the development of informatics, and shared his memories of him.