On October 17, 2025, within the framework of the international conference on “Challenges in Energy, Food, Environment, and Climate Security,” the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan hosted the “Jalal Aliyev’s Lectures” dedicated to the cherished memory of the prominent scientist and public figure, academician Jalal Aliyev.

Opening the event with an introductory speech, Vice-President of ANAS and Director General of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies, academician Irada Huseynova, spoke about the invaluable contributions of the prominent scientist and public figure, academician Jalal Aliyev, to the development of Azerbaijani science, his rich scientific legacy, and the successful continuation of his scientific school today. She also provided the conference participants with detailed information about the tradition and purpose of holding the “Jalal Aliyev’s Lectures”.

Then, Academician Irada Huseynova announced that Professor Byeong-ha Lee, Head of the Plant Gene Regulation Laboratory at Sogang University, Republic of Korea, would deliver an invited lecture at the event and provided brief information about his scientific activities. It was noted that Professor Lee is an internationally recognized scientist in the field of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses and adaptations to environmental stresses, such as low temperatures, salinity, and drought. He defended his PhD dissertation at the University of Arizona, USA, and subsequently continued his research work at the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Professor Lee is the author of numerous articles published in leading international journals such as “Plant Cell”, “Plant Physiology”, and “Frontiers in Plant Science”, and currently serves as Associate Editor of “Frontiers in Plant Science”. His research has made significant contributions to understanding the molecular basis of plant stress tolerance and to developing new strategies in this field.

Subsequently, Professor Byeong-ha Lee delivered a presentation on the topic “Strategies to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants.” His lecture aroused great interest among the conference participants, and the scientific discussions that followed the presentation demonstrated broad prospects for mutual collaboration and joint research in this field.

Concluding the event, Academician Irada Huseynova expressed her sincere gratitude to Professor Byeong-ha Lee on behalf of the conference participants and conveyed her confidence that scientific cooperation would further expand in the future.