As part of the Turkic World Week, taking place in Azerbaijan from 29 June to 3 July 2026, an international conference entitled “Teaching Turkic Languages, Literatures and History in the Context of Contemporary Challenges” was held in Baku.
Organized on the initiative of Baku State University, the conference focused on the teaching of Turkic languages, literatures and history in the face of contemporary challenges, the study of international best practices, the expansion of scholarly cooperation, and the development of common academic approaches.
Speaking at the opening ceremony as the guest of honour, the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, emphasized the special symbolic significance of holding the conference within the framework of the Turkic World Week dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress.
The President of the Foundation stressed that, in the era of globalization, teaching Turkic languages, literatures and history is of strategic importance for preserving national identity, shared values and cultural memory. She also noted that the Foundation’s publishing initiatives and the events organized within the Turkic World Week contribute to safeguarding the common heritage and fostering a unified scientific and cultural space across the Turkic World.
The opening ceremony also featured addresses by the Rector of Baku State University, Elchin Babayev; the President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Academician Isa Habibbayli; the President of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), Professor Muzaffer Şeker; the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mrs. Saadat Yusifova; the Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Professor Zhanseit Tuimebayev; the Chairman of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO, Mehmet Öcal Oğuz; and the President of the Turkic Academy, Shahin Mustafayev.
The conference is expected to make a significant contribution to the further development of Turkological studies, promote scholarly dialogue among researchers and experts from different countries, and strengthen the common educational and research space of the Turkic World.
