Baku State University rector calls on universities to promote heritage of Western Azerbaijan

The rector of Baku State University (BSU), Elchin Babayev, has called on higher education institutions in Azerbaijan to pay special attention to promoting the heritage of Western Azerbaijan among the younger generation.

Speaking at the 1st International Scientific Conference titled "Return to Western Azerbaijan: As a New Stage of the National Idea," Babayev recalled remarks by President Ilham Aliyev that the peace agenda is a strategic choice determining the future of the entire region.

"Therefore, the issue of returning to Western Azerbaijan is presented as part of the peace agenda, not as confrontation. The idea of return is not revanchism, not a continuation of conflict, but a call for historical justice based on law, a search for new opportunities for long-term peace and trust," the rector emphasized.

Babayev added that higher education institutions have a special mission in this matter. "Collecting historical documents, strengthening the legal base, international scientific cooperation, systematization of archival materials, expansion of research in the field of toponymy, ethnography, cultural heritage, human rights and international law remain important tasks," he said.

The rector stressed that the Western Azerbaijan Research Center, established in 2023 at BSU, is intended to study and promote the heritage of Western Azerbaijan and conduct scientific, historical, cultural and legal research.