A conference-seminar on the topic "A new look at the problems of migration: before and after the COVID-19 pandemic." was held at the Institute of Geography named after acad. H.A. Aliyev of ANAS.
The event was part of the practical activities of the winning project “Linking Dates and Archives for Migration Agencies: Blended Imagery for Europe and the Mediterranean Region”, implemented by the Institute of Geography in collaboration with 10 European universities and research institutes and funded by the Horizon Europe Program. The event was attended by employees of the institute and invited guests from other institutions, including representatives of organizations interested in migration, public organizations, scientists and specialists, faculty of various universities. Among the participants was Yulia Ryzhykh, an expert of the representative office of the International Organization for Migration in Azerbaijan.
Welcoming the participants of the seminar, General Director of the Institute of Geography, Doctor of Geography Zakir Eminov noted that migration is one of the most urgent problems on a global scale in modern times, and spoke about the role of socio-political, economic and environmental factors of migration in various regions and Azerbaijan. Z. Eminov stressed that the population of the Apsheron region is highly settled due to migration, noting that there is a need to develop and submit to the government projects of national importance to regulate migration processes in the country.
According to the head of the scientific and organizational department of the Presidium of ANAS, Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Sciences Rustam Rustamov, migration processes are really important for Azerbaijan. He noted that the winning project was not just a scientific success, but an important practical step in terms of integration into the European scientific space. Rustamov emphasized the use of digital technologies, which are an integral part of project activities, the opportunities and benefits in this area.
The moderator of the event, Leading Researcher of the Department of Demography and Population Geography of the Institute of Geography, Doctor of Philosophy in Geography Rovshan Kerimov informed the guests about the winning project and the state of its implementation. He said that the Institute of Geography, which won the Horizon 2020 research and innovation project, will continue to work hard to participate in continental projects. R.Kerimov made a presentation on “International Migration: trends, influences, factors of a Pandemic” and informed the seminar participants about the main results of a sociological study of migration in the country in 2021.
Elnara Garibova, Senior Advisor at the Center for Social Research, analyzed the results of her study “Globalization in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, human mobility and conflicts with international legal obligations”, access to information, the relationship between access to education and migration.
Hijran Tahirova, Senior Researcher at the Department of Demography and Population Geography of the Institute, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences in Geography, made a presentation on “The rural population of Azerbaijan in international migration flows”, analyzed the migration of the population from rural areas of Azerbaijan to Turkey.
Rovshan Abbasov, Head of the Department of Geography and Environment at Khazar University, Doctor of Philosophy in Geography, shared his views on migration from villages to cities with the seminar participants. Head of the Center for Migration Studies at Khazar University, PhD in Economics Jeyhun Mammadli gave a comprehensive scientific analysis of the relationship between economic diversification and migration.
At the end of the event, Yulia Ryzhykh, project manager of the International Organization for Migration in Azerbaijan, thanked for the invitation to the event, emphasizing the great interest in the issues discussed at the scientific event. She expressed her desire to participate in future scientific activities of the Institute of Geography on migration issues.
The meeting ended with a discussion and exchange of views.