Online General meeting of Division of Humanitarian and Social Sciences of the ANAS was held on 14 April 2021. 

Declaring the meeting open, Vice-president of the ANAS, Chairman of Scientific Board of Division of Humanitarian and Social Sciences, Academician Isa Habibbayli brought issues on the agenda to the attention of the meeting attendees, spoke of duties before scientific institutions. 

Later, a number of personnel and current issues were reviewed. Elections for the position of director-general of some scientific institutions have been held in accordance with the decision of Presidium of ANAS dated 8 April 2021. Thus, in the elections held by open ballot system in compliance with pandemic rules, historian-orientalist scientist, holder of “Shohrat” and “Sharaf” Orders, Honored Scientist, Academician Naila Valikhanli has been elected Director-General of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan. 

We should note that being a prominent researcher who tied her fate to the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan for almost 30 years, Naila Valikhanli is also a proficient scientific and administrative organizer. Thanks to her high experience and competence, she made fundamental changes in the activity of the Museum in a short period of time. With her leadership and direct participation, the Museum’s Funds and exhibits being preserved in them have been placed according to their characteristics, several archaeological and ethnographic exhibits including paintings have been restored in the Laboratory of the Museum, appropriate museum equipment have been purchased for renovation of the exposition, and various exhibitions have been organized. For the first time in the Museum’s history, scientific catalogs and book-albums began to be issued, and the publication of scientific works of the Museum was restored. As a result of organization of N.Valikhanli, scientific relations with foriegn museums and scientists have been made, and Museum’s exhibitions have been demonstrated at the museums in Germany, Norway, Russia, etc. Moreover, services of the Academician were higly evaluated by the state. She was awarded the medal “For Valiant Labor”, “Shohrat” and “Sharaf” Orders, and the title of Honored Scientist. 

We congratulate Academician Naila Valikhanli and wish her continued success.