An event was held at academician Ali Guliyev Institute of Chemistry of Additives (ICA) of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) devoted to Science Day in Azerbaijan. Deputy Director for Research of the ICA, Dr.Sci. in Chemistry, Associate Professor Afsun Sujayev said at the event, organized in video format on the ZOOM platform, that the establishment of “Science Day” by President Ilham Aliyev on April 9, 2018 is a symbolic expression of respect and attention to scientists. According to him, this date coincides with a significant time for the country – the day of foundation of ANAS. A. Sujayev noted that in the first years of independence, the Academy faced threat of closure. Only with the return of national leader Heydar Aliyev to political power in Azerbaijan, science, like other spheres of public life in our country entered a new stage of development. He stressed that the national leader gave ANAS a national status and contributed to its development at a new stage and preservation as Azerbaijan’s national treasure. Speaking at the anniversary event of ANAS, President Ilham Aliyev also highly appreciated the activities of the Academy and outlined new priorities for its development at the new stage. According to him, in recent years, a lot has been done to develop academic science, integrate it into world science, integrate science and education, increase the popularity of science and attract talented youth to science, and certain successes have been achieved. He also noted that under the leadership of the President of the Academy, structural and institutional reforms were carried out at ANAS and management was improved, and in continuation of this it is necessary to carry out reforms related to improving the content of science. A.Sujayev noted that based on world practice, it is possible to create healthy competition between all scientific institutions and researchers in the country on the basis of scientometric criteria, and thereby improve the quality of science.
Then, speaking at the event, the chairman of the Independent Trade Union of the Institute, Ph.D. in Chem., Associate Professor Elkhan Isakov, Chairman of the Council of Young Scientists and Specialists, Ph.D. in Chem. Sabiya Omanova, leading researchers, Associate Professors – Khuraman Efendiyeva, Jeyhun Gamidova and Elnara Hasanova spoke about the importance of the Science Day, ways to overcome problems and difficulties hindering the development of science, and made their proposals.