Scientific Cooperation Between the Azerbaijan SSR and Asian Countries
Gunel Yusifova 
Abstract. The 1970s and 1980s represented a highly significant period for the USSR in terms of strengthening its position within the system of international relations and further developing cooperation with developing countries. One of the major priorities of Soviet policy during this period was the establishment of scientific cooperation and the advancement of education. The Azerbaijan SSR occupied a central place in the Soviet government’s policy of expanding cultural and intellectual relations with foreign countries. These realtions, however, were conducted under strict state supervision within the framework of the existing totalitarian regime. The appointment of Heydar Aliyev as the leader of the Azerbaijan SSR during the 1970s and 1980s, together with his far-sighted political strategy, marked the beginning of a new stage in Azerbaijan’s international relations with Asian countries. During Heydar Aliyev’s leadership, Azerbaijani educational institutions and scientific research centers established and developed connections with a number of important international academic and scientific centers worldwide. Through higher educational institutions and the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan SSR participated in the training of students from India, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, while also organizing scientific conferences and promoting international academic exchange programs. The primary objective of the present article is to investigate the main directions of scientific and educational cooperation established between the Azerbaijan SSR and the aforementioned Asian countries, as well as to identify and analyze the significant outcomes of these relations.
Keywords: Azerbaijan SSR, scientific cooperation, education, Asian countries, student exchange, Iran