On June 24, 2026, the opening ceremony of the “8th International Bakhtiyar Vahabzade Congress on Language, History, Culture and Literature of the Turkic World”, dedicated to the People’s Poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, was held at the Sheki Branch of Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University.

The conference was organized jointly by Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Mingachevir State University, the Sheki Branch of ASPU, the Institute of Economic Development and Social Research (IKSAD), and Nakhchivan State University, in partnership with Ege University, the Institute of Turkic World Studies of Ege University, the Sheki Branch of Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS, the Faculty of Philology of Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, the Mahmud Kashgari International Foundation, and the House Museum of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade.

At the opening ceremony, the dear memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan was first honored with a minute of silence, followed by the performance of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Opening the conference with an introductory speech, Head of the Sheki City Executive Authority Elxan Usubov welcomed the participants and emphasized the special significance of holding the event in Sheki, one of Azerbaijan’s ancient centers of culture and literature. He spoke about the exceptional contributions of People’s Poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzade to Azerbaijani literary and philosophical thought, the formation of the idea of national identity, and the strengthening of spiritual ties with the Turkic world. Elxan Usubov noted that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s creative legacy is not only a treasure of Azerbaijani literature, but also a common spiritual heritage of the entire Turkic world. The city official underlined that the conference serves as an important platform for expanding scientific and cultural cooperation among scholars, researchers, and higher education institutions, and wished the participants success.

Then, Rector of Mingachevir State University Anar Eminov delivered a speech. In his remarks, the rector stated that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s creative work holds great scientific and spiritual significance as an artistic and philosophical expression of the ideas of national self-awareness, mother tongue, love for the homeland, Azerbaijanism, and Turkism. He noted that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade left an indelible mark on Azerbaijani literature as a great thinker who preserved the people’s memory, historical consciousness, and ideal of spiritual integrity through his poetry, drama, and publicistic writings.

Anar Eminov emphasized that such international scientific events are important not only for the study of literary heritage, but also for the development of academic integration, a shared scientific environment, and cultural dialogue among universities of the Turkic world. According to the rector, one of the main missions of modern universities is to study national and spiritual heritage on a scientific basis, transmit it to future generations, and promote this heritage in the international academic arena.

In his speech, the rector of MSU also noted that Mingachevir State University is consistently working to expand international cooperation, research activities, academic partnerships, and relations with higher education institutions of the Turkic world. He stated that the international conference dedicated to the legacy of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade is of both scientific and spiritual importance for MSU, and that the active participation of the university’s academic staff in the conference is an indicator of its scientific potential, sensitive approach to literary and cultural heritage, and openness to academic cooperation.

Afterwards, Director of the Sheki Branch of Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University Vurgun Mammadov addressed the conference participants. He described the holding of an international scientific event dedicated to Bakhtiyar Vahabzade at the Sheki Branch of ASPU as a significant occasion for the branch. Vurgun Mammadov stated that the main purpose of the conference is to study the rich literary and philosophical heritage of the People’s Poet from various scientific perspectives and to create a common academic discussion platform in the fields of language, history, culture, and literature across the Turkic world. He thanked all partner institutions for their support in organizing the conference and expressed confidence that the event would be remembered for its productive scientific outcomes.

Later, Elvan Jafarov, Chief Coordinator of “IKSAD Azerbaijan”, delivered a speech. He noted that IKSAD attaches special importance to the development of international scientific cooperation platforms and stated that this conference dedicated to Bakhtiyar Vahabzade contributes to strengthening ties among scientific institutions of the Turkic world, particularly those of Azerbaijan and Türkiye. Elvan Jafarov emphasized that the conference, which brings together the fields of language, history, culture, and literature, is of great importance in terms of studying the common scientific and cultural values of Turkic peoples and introducing them into international academic circulation.

During the opening ceremony, an online congratulatory message by Professor Atık Akgün, Director General of the Institute of Turkic World Studies of Ege University, was also presented. In his address, Professor Atık Akgün spoke about the importance of the conference for the scientific community of the Turkic world, noted that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s legacy occupies an important place in common Turkic thought, and expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the event.

Following the opening ceremony, a plenary session was held. During the plenary session, scholars and researchers delivered presentations on Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s literary and philosophical heritage, issues of mother tongue and national identity, common cultural memory in the Turkic world, the relationship between literature and history, as well as prospects for the development of scientific and cultural cooperation among Turkic peoples in the modern era. The presentations emphasized the importance of evaluating the People’s Poet’s creative work not only as a literary and aesthetic phenomenon, but also as a school of national thought, civic position, and spiritual integrity.

The event continued with an artistic program. The program featured performances dedicated to Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s creativity, Azerbaijani literature, and national and spiritual values.

It should be noted that the “8th International Bakhtiyar Vahabzade Congress on Language, History, Culture and Literature of the Turkic World” will continue with section meetings on June 24–26, 2026. Within the framework of the conference, presentations by scholars and researchers representing various higher education and research institutions will be delivered in the fields of linguistics, literary studies, history, culture, education, and Turkic world studies.