UFAZ Holds the 6th Research Council Meeting

The 6th meeting of the Research Council of the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ) was held on October 28. Participants included Martin Godon, UFAZ Secretary General; Jean-Marc Planeix, UFAZ Coordinator and Vice-President of the University of Strasbourg (Unistra); Dunya Babanly, UFAZ Teacher-Coordinator and lecturer-researcher at Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU); as well as research coordinators from ASOIU, Unistra and UFAZ representatives.

The meeting covered the progress of ASOIU-funded scholarships for doctoral students studying in France, including the selection process and monitoring of their progress. Participants also discussed the development of joint doctoral programmes between Azerbaijani and French universities, training opportunities for young researchers, and professional development for laboratory staff and engineers. The current status of UFAZ research grants and plans for the next grant call were also reviewed.

The Council discussed challenges related to the employment contracts of young researchers and a proposed scheme that would allow young doctors who graduated through UFAZ to continue their research at partner laboratories in France. Expanding opportunities for researchers through cooperation between universities was another topic on the agenda.

Ongoing research projects were also reviewed, including studies on Absheron lakes and metal pollution in the Balakhani-Surakhani area. Participants explored opportunities for cooperation with Qarabağ University in archaeometry, including the use of analytical chemistry, geophysics and remote sensing to study cultural heritage. The discussion also covered ways to make better use of the universities’ analytical laboratory facilities.

In addition, the participants exchanged views on organising scientific conferences or seminars in 2027, the execution of the research budget, and financial needs for the following year.