International conference on "Heydar Aliyev and the development of modern biological science: achievements and challenges" jointly organized by the Division of Biological and Medical Sciences of ANAS and the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan opened on December 19 at the Central Scientific Library of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

First, the exhibition devoted to the services rendered by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the development of modern biological science and the achievements in this field was viewed.

The opening ceremony of the conference, held in a hybrid format, began with the playing of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

At the international conference, the video address of the president of ANAS, academician Isa Habibbeyli, was presented to the event participants. Academician Isa Habibbeyli drew attention to the fact that 2023 was declared the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" in Azerbaijan by the relevant decree of the head of state, and multi-faceted events were held both in our country and abroad.

“The research works written about the Great Leader, the scientific reports listened to, and publications allow us to evaluate the reality of Azerbaijan in the light of the great personality of Heydar Aliyev," said academician Isa Habibbayli.

Then the Vice-President of ANAS, academician Irada Huseynova made a speech, emphasizing the great merits of the Great Leader in the development of biological and medical science of Azerbaijan and the important results achieved in these areas. She noted that the creation of new scientific institutions and laboratories, improvement of their material and technical base, training of highly qualified scientific personnel, and government support provided to science were an integral part of the activities of the brilliant leader and politician. The Vice-President of ANAS added that this policy is successfully and far-sightedly continued by the worthy follower of the Great Leader, President Ilham Aliyev.

Academician Irada Huseynova drew attention to the painstaking work of the outstanding scientist and social and political figure Academician Jalal Aliyev, performed in implementing the targeted policy of national leader Heydar Aliyev to train highly qualified personnel in the most modern and promising fields of science. According to her, thanks to the foresight of Academician Jalal Aliyev, biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular genetics, biophysics, gene and cell biotechnology, mathematical biology, bioinformatics, computer biology, etc. made a great contribution to the organization and development of important scientific areas, the involvement of educated specialists in various scientific fields in biological research, the use of scientific and educational centers of the former Soviet Union and foreign countries in the training of scientific personnel.

  “Representatives of the great school founded by academician Jalal Aliyev, whose 95th anniversary is celebrated this year, serve science with dignity and bring Azerbaijan a reputation at the world level. It is gratifying that many of these scientists are among the participants in today’s conference,” noted academician Irada Huseynova.

The head of the group at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the UK Medical Research Council, Professor Garib Murshudov, spoke at the online event. He emphasized that such conferences are important from the point of view of increasing the scientific interest of young researchers and stimulating their activities, and also noted that Azerbaijani youth have the necessary potential to contribute to world science.

Speakers at the international event were Advisor to the Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Nijat Mammadli; Head of the Laboratory of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Correspondent Member of ANAS Novruz Guliyev; Director of the Emerson Scientific Computing Center at Emory University USA, prof. Jamal Musayev; Professor Tahir Takhirov from the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Eppley Research Institute of USA, Nebraska Medical University; Professor Walter Bodmer from MRC Weatherall, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, UK; head of the department of Baku State University, Correspondent Member of ANAS, professor Elshad Gurbanov; Rector of Inenu University Ahmet Kizilay, Türkiye; Ali Naz, professor at the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences in Germany; Professor of the Russian Institute of Fundamental Problems of Biology Tatyana Savchenko, Dean of the Faculty of Biology of Baku State University, prof. Afat Mamedova and doctoral student at Oxford University Gulnar Abdullayeva.

Later, the reports were heard at plenary sessions, moderated by Professor Garib Murshudov.

The conference, which will last two days, includes a total of 185 scientific reports from representatives of 30 countries. At the symposiums, reports will be presented on the topics “Global challenges and prospects for the development of biological science”, “Digital technologies, machine learning methods and artificial intelligence in biology”, “Problems of bioethics and synthetic biology”, “Genomics, proteomics”, “Post-genomic technologies in solving problems of biological science”, “Gene, cellular and protein engineering, transgenesis”, “Study of the population genome”, etc.