**Azerbaijan and Bulgaria Discuss Expansion of Scientific Cooperation**
Baku – The president of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Academician Isa Habibbayli, met with the president of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Evelina Slavcheva, and members of the Bulgarian academy’s Presidium to explore new avenues for scientific collaboration between the two countries.
During the visit to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the participants discussed strengthening institutional ties and launching joint research projects in areas of mutual interest. Particular emphasis was placed on cooperation in the humanities, including architecture, archaeology, ethnology, folklore, and art history.
The two academies agreed to update the existing framework agreement governing their cooperation and to draft a new document outlining future collaborative activities.
As part of the cultural exchange, Academician Habibbayli presented the Bulgarian Presidium with the book *Gabrovo Humor and Sheki Laughter*. The publication was a joint effort of ANAS’s Literature Institute named after Nizami Ganjavi, the Institute of Folklore, the Sheki Regional Scientific Center, and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Vice President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Professor Emanuel Mutafov, and Professor Ina Aneva, scientific secretary of the Department of Biodiversity, Bioresources and Ecology, also addressed the meeting, underscoring the potential benefits of expanded joint research initiatives.
During his stay, Habibbayli visited the Institute for Literary Studies, the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies, and the Akademika Library of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He also attended the exhibition “Cosmogony: From Mythology to Cosmonautics,” organized by the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies, which examined the connections between ancient cosmological ideas, mythology, and modern space exploration.
The Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, established in 1945 as the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and renamed after Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, serves as the country’s principal state scientific institution. Headquartered in Baku, ANAS coordinates a network of research institutes covering natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering, earth sciences, information technologies, and biomedical research. It also oversees the preservation of Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage and promotes international scientific cooperation through partnerships with academies, universities, and research organizations worldwide.
Article and image source: azernews.az
