Cooperation Between the Azerbaijan SSR and the Socialist Countries of Eastern Europe in the Field of Science and Education

 Namig ASADOV

Abstract: After gaining independence, the countries of Eastern Europe acquired special significance in the foreign relations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This is because, starting from the mid-20^th century, the emergence of the world socialist system and the expansion of the USSR’s foreign relations accelerated the integration of the Azerbaijan SSR into the foreign relations system. The administrative-command system of the USSR limited the foreign relations of the Union republics; therefore, during this period, the Azerbaijan SSR was mainly able to establish foreign relations in economic and humanitarian-cultural fields. At the same time, these relations were mostly limited to countries within the socialist system and partially to countries leaning toward the socialist mode of production. Despite all these limitations, these relations greatly influenced Azerbaijan’s integration into the international relations system and its subsequent foreign relations.

Keywords: Azerbaijan, science, education, Europe, Romania.

Introduction

From the second half of the 20^th century, the Azerbaijan SSR cooper­ated in the humanitarian field with several countries worldwide, based on treaties and agreements concluded by the USSR. In particular, the relations between the Azerbaijan SSR and fra­ternal socialist countries played a cru­cial role in developing inter-country humanitarian and cultural cooperation. From the 1950s, Azerbaijan’s coopera­tion in the humanitarian sphere ex­panded with socialist countries of Eastern Europe, such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Romania.

Azerbaijani scientists played a sig­nificant role in expanding these rela­tions. At the same time, foreign scien­tists visited the Azerbaijan SSR and conducted research.

During the Soviet period, a true scientific and cultural revolution took place in Azerbaijan. In the 1960s, nearly 9,000 students studied at 12 universities in Soviet Azerbaijan. Spe­cialists who graduated from higher education institutions in Azerbaijan worked not only in the republic and other cities of the Soviet Union but also beyond the country’s borders, in fraternal socialist republics such as Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, as well as in many Eastern countries¹.

The Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences (AS) played an important role in developing scientific and edu­cational relations with foreign coun­tries. In 1945, a decision was made by the Presidium to draft the charter and structure of a scientific center to ex­pand research activities in the Azer­baijan SSR. On March 7, 1945, the Council of People’s Commissars of the Azerbaijan SSR adopted a resolu­tion on the establishment of the Acad­emy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR. The structure of the AS consist­ed of four departments: Physical-Technical Sciences; Social Sciences; Geological-Chemical Sciences and Petroleum; Geology and Agricultural Sciences. The first president of the Azerbaijan SSR AS was Mir Asadulla Mirgasimov, one of the founding sci­entists of the academy, and the Presid­ium had 15 full members. The estab­lishment of the Azerbaijan SSR AS served as an impetus for mutual coop­eration with the Academies of Scienc­es of fraternal socialist countries².

Cooperation with the People’s Republic of Bulgaria in the Field of Science and Education

Among the socialist countries of Eastern Europe, scientific relations between Bulgaria and the Azerbaijan SSR developed intensively from the second half of the 20th century. In 1952, an agreement was signed be­tween the USSR and the PRB on the education of Bulgarian youth in high­er education institutions of the USSR, and this agreement was also extended to higher educational institutions in the Azerbaijan SSR³.

The development of enlightenment required restructuring higher educa­tion institutions in Bulgaria. Accord­ingly, in 1953, a delegation of teach­ers from the Soviet Union, including Azerbaijani scientists, was sent to the PRB. Among them were pedagogues such as Mammadaga Shiraliyev and Yusif Mammadov. A special depart­ment for training teaching staff was established at Sofia University under the PRB, and Azerbaijani scientific staff worked in this department. Azer­baijani teachers were also appointed to managerial positions; for example, Mammadaga Shiraliyev was appoint­ed dean of the faculty of Turkish phi­lology⁴.

In the 1960s, Bulgarian and Azer­baijani geologists collaborated close­ly. The prominent Bulgarian geologist Y. Karakovlev visited Baku in 1964 and continued his work on prominent perlite formations. Toward the end of the 1960s, Azerbaijani and Bulgarian scientists exchanged experiences in the field of geography. A delegation of Azerbaijani scientists participated in practical training programs at the Bulgarian Institute of Rose, Essential Oils, and Medicinal Plants⁵.

A new agreement on scientific co­operation was signed between the USSR and Bulgaria in September 1960, envisaging the expansion of education for students in higher edu­cational institutions. Accordingly, broad opportunities were created for Bulgarian students in the Soviet Union’s higher educational institu­tions, and Bulgarian students were also given extensive opportunities in higher edu­cational institutions in the Azerbaijan SSR. Successful Bulgarian graduates were retained for postgrad­uate studies⁶.

In the 1960s, Bulgarian students studied at the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry and the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. In the second half of the 1970s, an agreement was signed on the exchange of teaching staff be­tween Azerbaijani universities and Sofia University in Bulgaria. In the field of science and education, the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences and the Bulgarian Institute of Oriental Studies cooperated. Azerbaijani scien­tists participated in the 1st Internation­al Congress on Balkan Studies. In 1971, a world exhibition was held in Bulgaria, where Azerbaijani scientists K. Mammadzade, T. Ismayilov, and others participated⁷.

Student construction brigades were exchanged between higher education­al institutions of the Azerbaijan SSR and the PRB. Bulgarian students spent their summer labor semesters in Baku in 1978, working alongside Azerbai­jani builders. At the same time, Azer­baijani students also traveled to Bulgaria; for example, students from the Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute named after Lenin spent their third academic semester in Bulgaria, con­ducting joint scientific research with Bulgarian archaeologists⁸.

Cooperation with the People’s Republic of Hungary in the Field of Science and Education

Among the socialist countries of Eastern Europe, cooperation in the field of science and education be­tween Hungary and the Azerbaijan SSR developed dynamically. During the Soviet period, scientific and prac­tical exchanges took place between Azerbaijani and Hungarian institu­tions. For example, exchanges oc­curred between the Miskolc Technical Institute of the PRH and the Azerbai­jan Institute of Oil and Chemistry. The Academies of Sciences of Azerbaijan and Hungary cooperated effectively. Loránd Eötvös University in Budapest collaborated with Azerbaijan State University, and their representatives participated jointly in various scien­tific symposia and conferences.

Scientific cooperation was carried out in the fields of plant physiology, chemistry, cybernetics, mathematics, and other areas. In 1961, in the PRH, A. Mirzajanzade delivered a presenta­tion titled “Summary of Hydraulic Research on Drilling and Production in the USSR⁹. “In 1963, the 15th In­ternational Symposium on Theoretical Problems of Macromolecular Chemis­try was held in Budapest. Representa­tives from the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Olefins in Baku also participated in this symposium. The director of the institute, M. Dalin, and the head of the laboratory, A. Bunyadzade, presented reports at the symposium. Their report topics were, “On the Mechanism of Decomposi­tion of Polymer Substances at High Temperatures” and “Obtaining a New Type of Crack-Resistant Polyeth­ylene”¹⁰.

The prominent Hungarian scientist Tibor Tot spent a scientific sabbatical in the Azerbaijan SSR in 1967. He conducted research on determining the origins of the Hungarian people. While in Azerbaijan, he became ac­quainted with the research work of R. Gasimova, a scientific worker at the History Institute of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences. He also reviewed her monograph titled “An­thropological Research of Skulls Found During the Mingachevir Exca­vations”. Tibor Tot visited Shamakhi, familiarizing himself with anthropo­logical and archaeological materials there. At the same time, he examined stone and Bronze Age artifacts in the Azerbaijan History Museum related to his research¹¹.

In 1970, an International Scientific Conference was held in Budapest, in which M. Talibi, head of a laboratory at the Physics Institute of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Scienc­es, participated. He presented a report titled “Investigation of the Physical Properties of Thin-Layer Metal-Dielectric Semiconductor Structures Based on Selenium and Tellurium”¹².

In 1976, Hungarian Science Days were held in the Azerbaijan SSR. These events played a positive role in the development of inter-country sci­entific cooperation. During these events, scientists gave 18 presenta­tions. The issues discussed also in­cluded the challenges in scientific co­operation between the two countries¹³.

Cooperation with the People’s Republic of Poland in the Field of Science and Education

In the second half of the 20^th centu­ry, Poland was one of the socialist countries with which Azerbaijan co­operated in science and education. From the 1950s to the 1980s, many Polish students studied in the Azerbai­jan SSR. Polish postgraduate students conducted research in various insti­tutes and universities of the Azerbai­jan SSR, including Baku State Uni­versity and the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry¹⁴.

Prominent Polish researchers such as Y. Yesman, A. Makolewski, and M. Abramovich actively participated in the scientific life of Azerbaijan. There was a student exchange pro­gram between Azerbaijan and Poland. At the same time, Azerbaijani scien­tists worked in Polish universities. For example, Doctor of Technical Scienc­es N. Gasimzade gave lectures at the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute. Z. Bunyadzade’s activities in the scien­tific society of the city of Plock also serve as an example¹⁵.

In the 1960s, leading Polish scien­tists visited the Azerbaijan SSR and familiarized themselves with the la­boratories of the Physics Institute of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences. In 1968, Polish scholars also participated in a summer school orga­nized by the Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences. They studied research by Azerbaijani scientists on the “Theory of Group Representa­tions.” Dr. Yevgeny Nechiporovich from the University of Warsaw visited the Azerbaijan SSR and exchanged ideas with Azerbaijani colleagues¹⁶.

Scientific exchanges between Azerbaijani and Polish researchers were conducted. For instance, in the late 1970s, Sevil Jabrayilova, a staff member of School No. 159, went to Poland for a scientific cooperation meeting and studied a number of edu­cational initiatives, including the “Open School” project. The Azerbai­jani delegation was led by A. Karalova. The delegation also visited the Polish Ministry of Education and Training and participated in excur­sions to Warsaw and Krakow. The main purpose of the trip was to be­come familiar with achievements in the field of education. Meetings were held with staff from the Institute of Teacher Training¹⁷.

In the 1970s, humanitarian cooper­ation between the Azerbaijan SSR and Poland expanded. In 1972, Polish uni­versity students participated in various meetings in Azerbaijan. Visiting Polish scientists became acquainted with Baku city and the Mirza Fatali Akhundov Library¹⁸.

In the 1980s, Book Days were held in the Azerbaijan SSR, where Polish books were also exhibited. At that time, the Polish-Soviet Friendship Society operated in Poland, and one issue of its journal “Przyjazń” was dedicated to the scientific and cultural life of the Azerbaijan SSR. Infor­mation about Azerbaijan was also published in books like T. Lankamer’s “Sunny Transcaucasia” and A. Milosz’s “The Caucasus.” In 1989, the translation of “The History of Azerbaijan” into Polish made a spe­cial contribution to humanitarian co­operation between the countries. The book was published in Polish in the city of Wrocław by Bogdan Baranovski and Krzysztof Baranovs¹⁹.

Cooperation with the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in the Field of Science and Education

Among the socialist countries with which the Azerbaijan SSR cooperated in the humanitarian field was Czechoslovakia. In accordance with the agreements concluded between the USSR and Czechoslovakia for the development of scientific and cultural relations, cooperation existed between institutions of the Azerbaijan SSR and those of Czechoslovakia. In 1963, an exhibition dedicated to science and technology of the Czechoslovak So­cialist Republic (CSR) was organized in the Azerbaijan SSR. Representa­tives of the CSR’s art community be­came acquainted with Azerbaijan’s ancient monuments. For example, several scientific exchanges were car­ried out related to the study of Gobustan rock carvings²⁰.

The National Museum of Prague and the Zoological Institute of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences collaborated in various fields of agri­culture. Among these collaborations was joint work to prevent the prolifer­ation of agricultural pests. In 1965, L. Rzayeva, a scientific worker at the Zoological Institute of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences, visited Czechoslovakia. An article titled “The Fauna of the Greater Caucasus within the Azerbaijan SSR” was published in a collection of the National Museum of Prague.

The research plan for 1966-1967 included cooperation between Azer­baijani and Czech scientists on the problem of “Biological Characteristics of Parasites.” According to this plan, Czech scientists visited the Azerbaijan SSR. Among these scientists was Z. Boucek, who toured several cities in Azerbaijan and became acquainted with the research of Azerbaijani scien­tists²¹.

In 1967, Azerbaijani scientists par­ticipated in the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union held in Czechoslovakia and also in the 23rd World Congress held in August 1968. In 1970, an international sym­posium on issues of polyvinyl chlo­ride production was held in Czechoslovakia. Representatives from the Physics Institute of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences participat­ed in this symposium. Among these scientists, Dr. Y. Mammadaliyev and M. Bagirov should be especially men­tioned. During the First World Con­gress of Protozoologists held in Prague, Azerbaijani scientist Altay Veysov participated as well²².

In 1970, the director of the Physics Institute of Prague University, V. Proser, visited the Azerbaijan SSR. Dr. I. Kudacek also took part in this visit, during which they visited the Physics Institute of the Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences. They be­came acquainted with research on selenium and selenium compounds being carried out there²³.

Cooperation with the People’s Republic of Romania in the Field of Science and Education

During the Soviet period, humani­tarian cooperation between Romania and the Azerbaijan SSR held a special place. In 1948, a treaty of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance was signed between the USSR and Romania. In accordance with this trea­ty, humanitarian cooperation between the Azerbaijan SSR and Romania de­veloped. Above all, partnership in the scientific field was one of the main factors in expanding humanitarian relations.

In 1964, during an International Congress on Soil Science, Azerbaijani academician G. Aliyev delivered a report. During these years, scientific relations between Azerbaijan and Romania developed dynamically²⁴. The participation of numerous scien­tists in exchanges of experience and scientific missions positively influ­enced the development of coopera­tion. For example, in 1965, N. Tahirov engaged in pedagogical activities in Romanian higher educational institu­tions²⁵.

In 1968, Professor Heybat Abdullayev participated in a medical conference. Towards the end of the 1960s, Azerbaijani scientists were involved in scientific work in Roma­nian educational institutions. Simulta­neously, Romanian student delega­tions visited Azerbaijan. For example, in 1968, a delegation from the University of Bucharest visited Azerbaijan. In the 1970s and 1980s, Azerbaijani institu­tes and factories continued to coope­rate with the Romanian Academy of Sciences²⁶.

Professor M. Mardanov, a special­ist in technical sciences at the Azer­baijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry, traveled to Romania several times on scientific missions. Among these trips, his one-month scientific mission to Romania in 1969 can be noted. Dur­ing his stay in Romania, Professor Mardanov familiarized himself with the research work of Romanian scien­tists and benefited from their experi­ences in studying petroleum chemistry processes. At the same time, students studying at the Bucharest Institute of Oil, Gas, and Geology completed in­ternships at the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry²⁷.

Cooperation with the German Democratic Republic in the Field of Science and Education

Scientific relations between the Azerbaijan SSR and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) began to develop intensively from the second half of the 1950s. In the 1950s, the Soviet Union prioritized cooperation with the GDR in scientific, cultural, and other fields due to ideological closeness, and accordingly, scientific and cultural relations existed between the Azerbaijan SSR and the GDR. During these years, effective coopera­tion was carried out between scientific research institutes of the Azerbaijan SSR and the GDR. Azerbaijani spe­cialists also participated in marine seismic exploration works in the GDR. Among them were employees of the Baku branch of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Geo­physical Exploration Methods²⁸.

One of the institutions maintaining scientific and cultural relations with the GDR in the 1950s was the Sumgait Scientific Research and De­sign Institute for Petroleum Chemistry Automation. At the same time, the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chem­istry also cooperated with the GDR in the humanitarian sphere, actively par­ticipating in cooperation with higher technical educational institutions.

In the 1960s, numerous scientific gatherings were organized in the GDR, with Azerbaijani scientists par­ticipating. Among these scientists were A. Abdullayev, M. Topchubashov, F. Dadashov, and oth­ers. Azerbaijani academics delivered lectures in various cities of the GDR. In 1963, a lecture was delivered in the GDR by prominent scientist A. Sumbatzade on the topic “The Flour­ishing of Socialist Azerbaijani Cul­ture”²⁹.

In 1965, Walter Ulbricht, Chair­man of the State Council of the GDR, visited Baku and participated in events organized by the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry. During those years, German scientists benefited from the achievements of Azerbaijani scientists in drilling electroenergetics and oil extraction.

In 1965, the 200th anniversary of the Freiberg Mining Academy in the GDR was celebrated, and academi­cian A. Mirzajanzade participated in this jubilee³⁰. In 1967, during the All-Union Assembly of Oil Specialists held at the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry, GDR specialists par­ticipated as well. Azerbaijani repre­sentatives S. Salayev and F. Dadashov took part in an international confer­ence dedicated to oil and gas fields held in Magdeburg, GDR³¹.

In 1968, scientists from the GDR participated in a summer school for mathematicians held in Baku. In the same year, an agreement was signed between the Institute of Stellar Phys­ics of the GDR Academy of Sciences in Berlin and the Shamakhi Astro­physical Observatory on the joint study of the “Stars and Nebulae” problem for the years 1968-1971³².

Cooperation with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the Field of Science and Education

During the research period, one of the countries with which the Azerbai­jan SSR cooperated in the humanitari­an sphere was Yugoslavia. During these years, scientists from fraternal socialist countries underwent practical training at the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry named after M. Azizbayov. They also became ac­quainted with oil fields. Among those participating in such practical ex­changes was engineer Maloš Jože, a representative of Yugoslavia’s “INA Naftaplin” oil enterprise. While in Azerbaijan, Maloš Jože familiarized himself with innovations introduced by Azerbaijani oil workers. He under­took practical training in areas such as water injection into the reservoir, the impact of hydrochloric acid on the near-wellbore zone, and other pro­cesses.

In the fields of astrophysics, phys­ics, and mathematics, Yugoslav scien­tists participated in research conduct­ed in Azerbaijan to become acquaint­ed with the achievements attained there³³.

In the 1980s, the humanitarian re­lations of the USSR were quite exten­sive, and accordingly, the humanitari­an relations of the Azerbaijan SSR with foreign countries developed fur­ther during these years. Between 1981 and 1985, Azerbaijani scientists coop­erated with their colleagues in social­ist countries in solving nearly 60 sci­entific problems³⁴.

In the 1980s, the humanitarian re­lations of the Azerbaijan SSR with socialist countries developed inten­sively. Azerbaijani scientists conduct­ed research work in Poland, Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary, and the GDR and participated in interna­tional fairs and exchanges of experi­ences. At the same time, they actively participated in exchanges of experi­ence in personnel training in these countries³⁵. During these years, they also participated in international exhi­bitions and fairs held in cities such as Plovdiv and Poznan in Poland, Berlin and Leipzig in the GDR, and Budapest in Hungary³⁶.

Conclusion

Thus, humanitarian cooperation between the Azerbaijan SSR and the socialist countries of Eastern Europe developed comprehensively. The par­ticipation of Azerbaijani scientists in symposia and conferences held in these countries, as well as the visits of representatives from these countries to Azerbaijan, played an important role in promoting Azerbaijani science on the international stage.

The humanitarian ties that existed between Azerbaijan and these coun­tries during the Soviet period served as a foundation for the development of direct relations maintained after Azerbaijan gained independence. During the researched years, rich humanitarian and cultural relations existed between Azerbaijan and the socialist countries of Eastern Europe.

Notes

• Казиев, История Азербайд­жана, Баку, 1969, 70 (2), pp. 68-69.
• Ə. Hacıyeva, N.A. Əliyarlı, “Azərbaycan Elmlər Akademiyasının yaranma tarixi”, AMEA, Bakı, 2015, p. 114.
• N. Məmmədov, Azərbaycan-Şərqi Avropa: mədəniyyətlərarası əməkdaşlığın tarixi, Mütərcim, Bakı, 2008, p. 57.
• H. Sərdarov, Səmərəli əməkdaşlıq: Sovet İttifaqının Bolqarıstanla əməkdaşlığında Azərbaycanın iştirakı, Bakı, 1979, p.33.
• N. Məmmədov, op. cit., p.58.
• H. Sərdarov, op. cit., pp.34-36.
• A Ömərov, Azərbaycan-Bolqarıstan mədəni inteqrasiyası (XX əsrin 70-ci illəri), https://sesqazeti.az/news/mia/ 366336.html istinad tarixi: 19 sentyabr 2013.
• H. Sərdarov, op. cit., p. 37.
• N. Məmmədov, Azərbaycan-Macarıstan münasibətlərinin inkişaf tarixindən, Pedaqoji Universitet xəbərləri-humanitar elmlər seriyası, nr. 2, 2015, p. 121.
• A. Ömərov, “Azərbaycan-Macarıstan mədəni əlaqələri (XX əsrin 70-ci illərinədək)”, “Səs” qəz, nr. 177 (4425), Bakı, 2013.
• N. Məmmədov, op.cit.
• A. Ömərov, op.cit.
• C Manafovanın və N.T Əfəndiyevanın (redaktəsi ilə.), Beynəlxalq mədəni əlaqələr: Dərslik, bah, Bakı, 2008, p. 558.
• [1], p. 529.
• A. Ömərov, op.cit.
• A. Hacıyev, Sosialist ölkələri ilə elmi və mədəni əməkdaşlıq, Bakı, 1975, p. 22.
• Cəbrayılova, “On gün Polşa Xalq Respublikasında. “Azərbaycan müəllimi””, nr. 11(3105), Bakı, 7 fevral 1979.
• N. Məmmədov, Azərbaycan-Şərqi Avropa: mədəniyyətlərarası əməkdaş-lığın tarixi, Mütərcim, Bakı, 2008, p. 54.
• A. Ömərov, op.cit.
• C Manafovanın və N.T Əfəndiyevanın (redaktəsi ilə.), op.cit, p. 550.
• A. Hacıyev, op.cit, p. 6.
• [1]Ibidem, pp. 13-14.
• [1]Ibidem, p. 23
• C Manafovanın və N.T Əfəndiyevanın (redaktəsi ilə.), op. cit., pp. 561-562.
• A Ömərov, Azərbaycan-Rumıniya mədəni əlaqələri (XX əsrin 70-ci illərinədək), https://sesqazeti.az/news/ mia/366909.html istinad tarixi: 22 sentyabr 2013.
• Ə. İmanova, Rumıniya-Azərbaycan münasibətləri (1991-2011-ci illər): Tarix.fəl.dok….dis. Bakı, 2014, pp. 23-24.
• A. Hacıyev, op.cit, p. 21.
• C Manafovanın və N.T Əfəndiyevanın (redaktəsi ilə.), op. cit., pp. 448-449.
• A Ömərov, Azərbaycan-Almaniya: mədəni inteqrasiyanın güclənməsi (XX əsrin 60-80-ci illəri), https://sesqazeti.az/news/mia/360728.html istinad tarixi: 15 avqust 2013.
• A. Hacıyev, op. cit., p. 12.
• Ibidem, p. 13.
• Ibidem, p. 6.
• Ibidem, pp. 21-22.
• A. Hacıyev, Sosialist ölkələri ilə elmi və mədəni əməkdaşlıq, Elm, Bakı, 1975, p. 26.
• N Muradov, Azərbaycanın beynəlxalq humanitar əlaqələri(1980-1991-ci illər): Tarix.elm. nam………..dis., Bakı, 2000, p. 27.
• İ.A. İsmayılov, Azərbaycan SSR beynəlxalq humanitar əlaqələr sistemində (XX əsrin 80-ci illəri): Tarix.fəl.dok….dis. Bakı, 2014, p.71