Scientific Research Strategy

Rector of Azerbaijan University of Languages

Academic Kamal Abdullayev
“___” ______, 2021

Scientific Research Strategy of Azerbaijan University of Languages for 2021–2026

Based on the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Science” dated June 14, 2016, the Scientific Research Strategy of the teaching and academic staff of the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL) has been developed to stimulate scientific activity, enhance scientific quality, and promote scientific innovation.

The main principle of AUL's scientific research strategy is the development of the scientific activities of the academic staff in line with international standards. In order to achieve this goal, the following objectives are planned:

Ensuring that AUL’s scientific research strategy is accessible not only to the institution’s academic staff but also to local and international partners;
Ensuring the presence of an active teaching and research faculty engaged in scientific research;
Increasing the number of Doctors of Science and Professors involved in the teaching process across all levels of higher education (at least 5%);
Monitoring changes in the ratio of researchers with academic degrees among academic staff;
Publication of scientific works and studies of AUL's faculty in cooperation with international publishers;
Presentation of the university’s significant scientific achievements on international platforms;
Organizing training sessions to help faculty prepare scientific research papers in accordance with modern international standards (e.g., MLA, APA citation styles);
Promoting scientific activity that strengthens the connection between teaching and research;
Developing a mechanism for encouraging the preparation and publication of research in international peer-reviewed journals;
Applying research outcomes to the teaching process;
Ensuring protection of intellectual property and continued efforts to combat plagiarism;
Strengthening scientific collaboration among university departments and units;
Translating fundamental scientific literature required by other higher education institutions and research centers in Azerbaijan into Azerbaijani, based on the foreign language competencies of AUL’s faculty;
Translating journalistic materials reflecting the realities of Azerbaijan and prominent literary works into various foreign languages;
Stimulating scientific research through differential salary systems and monetary incentives for publications in high-index international journals;
Placing faculty members’ research activities into their personal electronic portfolios for evaluation purposes;
Developing grant programs in the field of science and facilitating academic travel for faculty under international grant projects;
Organizing and hosting international scientific conferences and events in collaboration with foreign universities;
Organizing national-level conferences in partnership with educational institutions located in various regions of Azerbaijan;
Promoting joint scientific activities among the university’s faculties and research centers, including collaborative projects and mutual support in research work preparation;

Proposals for Transforming the AUL Journal “Scientific News” into an International-Level Academic Journal

Publishing articles reflecting current and relevant research that meets modern academic requirements;
Publishing original research articles in Azerbaijani, Russian, and English in fields such as linguistics, literature, methodology, pedagogy, and psychology;
Obtaining an ISSN for the electronic version of the journal;
Taking steps to include the journal in international indexing databases (DOI, EBSCO, etc.);
Developing a website for the journal that complies with international standards;
Ensuring the participation of internationally recognized scholars in the journal’s editorial board and peer review process;
Ensuring that article references comply with current international citation standards;
Prioritizing the publication of foreign authors' research and analytical works;
Publishing the journal regularly and in accordance with its established frequency;
Giving preference to articles published in English as a core strategic direction;

Incentivizing Innovation in Teaching and the Use of New Technologies; Implementation of Evaluation Criteria for Ranking

Integrating scientific innovations and research findings into the teaching process;
Increasing the efficiency of research and enhancing the scientific potential of faculty members;
Conducting research aligned with European standards and the needs of the labor market, including the development of academic disciplines and textbooks required for modern specialties;
Establishing a scientific foundation for teaching global languages, including European, Near Eastern, and Far Eastern languages, in Azerbaijan;
Evaluating and analyzing the scientific output of university research laboratories in the relevant period;

Improving Research Environment and Quality in Doctoral Education

Enhancing academic mobility among doctoral students as part of strengthening integration processes;
Supporting co-supervision models for dissertations;
Ensuring that dissertation topics are aligned with current national economic and scientific priorities;
Aligning research qualifications with the scientific research goals of the university;
Organizing dissertation writing and defense processes;
Promoting doctoral programs and ensuring graduate employment policies are in place;
Involving doctoral students in ongoing university research projects;
Supporting the publication of doctoral students’ research in internationally recognized journals and participation in international conferences;
Organizing training sessions on using international research databases for preparing dissertations according to global standards;
Attracting foreign researchers and ensuring the successful integration of international doctoral candidates into the academic environment;

Proposals for the Use of Modern and International Research Databases in Master's Theses and Research Methodology Courses

Conducting research aligned with European and international standards;
Supporting experimental and analytical research projects;
Increasing the visibility, dissemination, and application of university research outcomes through the use of various databases;
Ensuring that dissertation topics and content reflect modern scientific trends;
Using internationally recognized citation styles;
Conducting the necessary research to support the transition to distance education and creating a scientific foundation for it;
Preparing electronic textbooks in view of a future transition to hybrid education formats;