Professor Nargiz Pashayeva: "The creation of the British Foundation is a cultural-historical necessity"

The heads of the Nizami Ganjavi Scientific Center at Oxford University, Professor Nargiz Pashayeva from Azerbaijan and British Professor Robert Hoyland, held a meeting on May 25th, 2016 in the House of Lords of the British Parliament in London, with a member of the House of Lords, the Council of Europe rapporteur on Azerbaijan in 2003-2006 Malcolm Bruce. The meeting was organized by Professor Nargiz Pashayeva and Professor Robert Hoyland. It was also attended by the co-chair of the Anglo-Azerbaijani Society, member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament, Michael German. The main purpose of the meeting was related to the creation of the British Foundation (The British Foundation for the study of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus), which is to examine Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region.

It worth noting that Lord Bruce is the only politician in the British Parliament to have supervised the fulfillment of the obligations by Azerbaijan, taken before the Council of Europe, and who served as the official CEO.

He is one of the parliamentarians who received the largest number of votes in his constituency five times. In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a knighthood.

Professor Pashayeva welcomed the guests and expressed satisfaction after making the acquaintance of Lord Bruce, saying that this meeting is taking place on the threshold of the 98th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The 100-year anniversary of the ADR (1918-2018) in two years is of particular importance for all Azerbaijanis.

Then a conversation ensued about the goals and objectives established in 2013, the year the Nizami Ganjavi Scientific Center at the Oxford University, which is part of the university, and therefore it has a high official, scientific and academic status for the integrated study of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus in the UK (http: / /www.orinst.ox.ac.uk/research/nizami-ganjavi/home).

Professor N. Pashaeva: "It is important and valuable that the Centre is not representative without little functional, temporary, fleeting campaign, designed for external demonstrative effect. We are on a laborious long road, as new scientific schools, approaches, trends, famous names, books, an entirely new generation of gifted people, a serious image and influence cannot appear at once in the world's scientific community. We need scientific evidence that the ancient and immense cultural and historical heritage of Azerbaijan belongs to Azerbaijan. That’s why we organize seminars, conferences and scientific discussions in a professional manner in order to be heard and to spread scientific information to the civilized world from the walls of the University of Oxford. Undoubtedly, this is a unique opportunity that requires serious professional efforts, many years of work, responsibility and great support. Today's results, the recognition of our activities by the University of Oxford, are the first steps that give reason to hope that we can achieve our goals.

Of course, the highly professional work of the teaching staff who work with us is one of the main factors that allow to hope for the realization of expectations, opportunities, as well as reliable, useful and positive results of the work. It is difficult to overestimate the efforts and activities of such famous scientists at the Nizami Ganjavi Scientific Center as the director of the Center who represents the British side – the leading professor at the Institute of Oriental Studies at Oxford University Robert Hoyland, the head of the Center for Iranian Studies at Oxford University Professor Edmund Martin Herzig, Doctor of the Institute of Oriental Studies at Oxford University Paul Vodvors, Doctor of the Institute of Oriental Studies at Oxford University Nikoloz Aleksizdze, researcher at the Research Center at the University of Oxford Dr. Marek Zhankoviak Khalili, Doctor of the History Institute of the University of Oxford Nick Evans, institute researcher at the Rothermere American Institute Doctor Irina Shingiray, and doctoral candidate of the Institute of Oriental Studies at Oxford University Maroussia Bednarkievich. 

It is gratifying to note that now the Nizami Doctoral Center’s scholarship helps James White, who is conducting a comparative study of the works of al-Taalibi (XI century), Afis (XIII century), and Master Elise Mau-Pugh of the USA, who is conducting research into the history of Islam. Thus, four students already receive education with the help of scholarships of the Nizami Ganjavi Scientific Center and two other students will continue next year. Naturally, all of them received this right after serious entrance exams in accordance with the rules of the University of Oxford.’’

Then the audience began to discuss the main theme of the meeting that took place on May 25th. It was proposed to establish a British Foundation for the Study of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region (The British Foundation for the Study of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus).

It was also noted that, after independence, for a second time information about Azerbaijan was not at the right level among people in British society, despite extensive work on the development of cultural, political and economic ties between our countries. The proof is that the British press covered the escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh during recent months, the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, touted as a ‘poorly studied’ and complex region. In the world press the conflict was covered as the Christian-Muslim confrontation.

According to the Chairman of the Council, this fund aims to organize its activities as a major structure that promotes the strengthening of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom in the field of science, education and culture. Professor Pashayeva said: "The creation of the British Foundation is a cultural-historical necessity. Its implementation is very important."

This Fund will be registered in the Commission on the social organizations of the United Kingdom, as well as other reputable and transparent funds in the UK. Thus, in the future the Fund plans to cooperate with other institutions, solid scientific and political organizations in England. The Fund will also establish links with the Azerbaijani community of Great Britain, students of UK universities. Our task is to show the world our great ancestors – more than forty million Azerbaijanis living in different parts of the world, such as Nizami, Fuzuli, Nasimi, N.Tusi, Kamaladdin Behzad, Khatai, and many other personalities who bequeathed a great cultural heritage and eternal values for humanity. The Foundation also plans to cooperate with the media and leading TV channels in Britain in order to provide information about Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, Professor Pashayeva proposed that Lord Bruce, a well-known public and political figure in the UK, become a member of the Board of Trustees to take an active part in the work of the Foundation. Lord Bruce was pleased to accept this invitation. At the end of the event they decided to hold a presentation of the Foundation in London in the near future.