Science

Since the ancient times land of Nakhchivan has been one of the important scientific centers of Azerbaijan. In the Middle Ages tens of well-known scientists, thinkers, philosophers, lawyers, philologists and doctors who were well-known not only in our country, but also in the Near and Middle East region grew up in Nakhchivan. Abu Abdullah al-Mufarrij Nashavi, Ahmad ibn Hajab Nashavi, Akmaladdin Nakhchivani, Kamaladdin Nakhchivani, Nasiraddin Tussi, Najmaddin Nakhchivani, Hasan ibn Omar Nakhchivani, Hindushah Nakhchivani, Mahammad Nakhchivani, Fakhraddin Nakhchivani, Baba Nematullah Nakhchivani, Fazlullah Naimi and others gave valuable presents to the scientific treasury of entire Eastern world.

Since the 1920s, Azerbaijan, including the Nakhchivan AR, embarked upon extensive development path in the majority of different fields of contemporary science. Establishment of the Nakhchivan department of "Investigation and Research on Azerbaijan Society" played an important role in finding out rich natural resources of the land, and learning historical, scientific and cultural heritage.

The establishment of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in 1945 has given a strong push to the development of science in the autonomous republic. Scientific establishments, including Araz (Nakhchivan) Complex Zone Experimental Station, Nakhchivan Scientific-Research Veterinary Station, Nakhchivan Regional Scientific Center of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Science and Techniques Center, and the Observation Station of the Sun of the Shamakhi Astrophysics Observatory were opened in the autonomous republic. Investigations on different fields of fundamental sciences are being carried out in the Scientific Center of Nakhchivan which was created in 1972. A lot of efficient works have been carried out therein to learn natural resources, historical and cultural monuments of the autonomous republic.

In the Nakhchivan Science and Techniques Center founded in 1999 important investigations have been carried out in the field of gathering and learning of medicinal plants, thereby obtaining medicinal preparations, also essences, creams and oils, which are widely used in medical and daily life, and getting different types of salts from minerals therein by their chemical processing. In that regard, so far successful results have been attained.

By the order of Heydar Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, dated 7 August 2002, the Nakhchivan Section of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) was established. The main objective of this establishment is to learn history, archeology, ethnography and natural resources of Nakhchivan. There are 6 scientific-research institutions within the Nakhchivan Section of ANAS. The creation of this section has raised the scientific interest and revived the scientific atmosphere in this region.

As economic power of Azerbaijan, including Nakhchivan AR, is grown, more allocations are rendered for the scientific researches. Various projects are carried out every year so as to strengthen the material and technical basis of this field. Close relationships were established, the exchange of experts and experience was conducted, and joint scientific conferences were held with many scientific centers of the world thanks to the attention and care ensured.

Contribution of Nakhchivan to the scientific potential of Azerbaijan is great. In the scientific administrations and high educational establishments of the country, as well as abroad, hundreds of Nakhchivani scientists have been working. Many of them were awarded with the highest scientific ranks and names, state rewards and honored titles. Academicians Y.Mammadaliyev, H.Abdullayev, E.Salayev and F.Magsudov were the presidents of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences in different periods. The president of the National Academy of Sciences has been Mahmud Karimov from Nakhchivan since 2001.

Education

Education system was developed in Nakhchivan during the Middle Ages, and school and religious school of Muslim education were then widespread. From a decree belonging to the period of the Elkhanies it comes out that even at the end of the XII century there were 4 high religious schools and about 60 primary religious schools named "mollakhana" under the mosques in Nakhchivan. In Nakhchivan and Ordubad religious schools, where secular subjects were also being taught, students coming from the countries of the Middle East were also educated.

The first secular school in Nakhchivan was the Russian-Tatarian (Azerbaijani) provincial school, which was opened at the end of 1830s by Ehsan khan Kangarli. In 1879, that school was transformed into three-graded city school.

As in other areas of Azerbaijan, at the end of XIX century there were new "Ussuli-jadid" (reformed) schools in Nakhchivan as well. M.T.Sidgi established "Akhtar" (1892) in Ordubad, "Tarbiya" ("School of Education", 1894) and "Girls' School" (1896) in Nakhchivan. Educational hearths as "Mahalli Maktablar", "Maktabi-kheyriyya" and "Rashdiyya" were also functioning there.

At the beginning of the XX century enlightenment network expanded, secular schools of different standards were opened in the cities and villages. Together with M.T.Sidgi, the leading intellectuals of the time, the graduates of Gori and Erivan teachers' seminaries - J.Mammadguluzadah, J.P.Sultanov, M.A.Suleymanov, A.Khalilov, S.Khalilov, M.Kangarli, A.Sultanov, M.Gaziyev, M.J.Shurbi and others had worthwhile services in terms of enlightenment in Nakhchivan. There were 45 schools in Nakhchivan until 1920.

Starting from the 1920s a large network of educational institutions was formed and movement for abolishment of illiteracy got a new scope. If in 1939 to each thousand persons of the population there were 47 persons with secondary education, in 1979 their number reached 227. In the autonomous republic school buildings with 51,870 seats started functioning during 1971-90s and their material-technical basis and educational equipment were improved. Number of pupils from 21 thousand in 1945/46 educational year reached 63 thousand in 1990/91 educational year, soaring 3 times.

Just after the consolidation of the independence in Azerbaijan, education system became a strategic field with special attention and care. Significant state programs and vital projects were worked out and implemented to further extend the education. The gratifying fact thanks to policies implemented is that at present in Azerbaijan, including Nakhchivan AR, the literates are 100% of the society. Currently, there are 76 pre-school education centers for children, 47 out-of-school centers, including 14 sport and chess school for children. The renewal of the educational institutions and the improvement of material and technical basis is always principal task with great attention. In all settlements, including very outlying villages, of the autonomous republic, splendid education centers are constructed or restored thoroughly.

Significant measures have been taken regarding construction of new schools, improvement of their technical and personnel capacity, improvement of information-communication technology base and provision with computers and other necessary digital equipment of the educational centers, provision of pupils with free-of-charge textbooks and improvement of school libraries. All schools in the autonomous republic are provided with computers at present.

The quality of education raises and the number of university students increase year by year thanks to measures implemented in the field of education. While 68 percent of school graduates applied to universities in 2008, it was 73 percent in 2009. 1270 (39 percent) of graduates were admitted by the universities in 2008, whereas this number was 1348 (41 percent) in 2009. 5 students with the highest score were awarded with the Presidential scholarship in 2008, however there were 9 students in 2009 with the same award. Furthermore, 232 persons of university recruits in 2009 got 500-700 points.

In the autonomous republic, alongside the secondary education, technical-vocational education has also developed. Technical-vocational schools have been rendering secondary education as well since 1984. There are 1 vocational lyceum, 3 vocational schools and 3 technical schools in Nakhchivan.

In recent years the relations with world universities were broadened extending the scope of activities of the universities. Considerable policies, moreover, are conducted in order to strengthen the material and technical basis of the universities. Currently, there are 3 universities - Nakhchivan State University, Nakhchivan Teachers Institute and Nakhchivan Private University - in the autonomous republic. In these academic centers high-rank experts, pedagogical and scientific personnel work on 54 different professions.