Chaired by the Director of the Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic (AzTC), Afag Masud, the Scientific-Literary Board held its first meeting on 9 January 2015. The Board held a discussion on the AzTC’s work performed over the past three months and the problems facing the translation industry in the country.

In her opening remarks, Afag Masud said: 

– Thank you for accepting our invitation and joining us as we at the AzTC meet with our Scientific-Literary Board. We are glad today to be welcoming all of you. The Scientific-Literary Board shall have general meetings at least once each quarter, while all language and translation working groups shall have consistently regular meetings. The Scientific-Literary Board of the Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic (AzTC) is composed of 13 members. Let me list the current membership of the Board as detailed below:   

Nizami Jafarov – Academician, MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Science, Culture and Education

Rafael Huseynov – Professor, Director of the ANAS National Museum of Azerbaijan Literature named after Nizami

Samad Seyidov – Professor, Rector of Azerbaijan University of Languages

Asif Hajıyev – Professor, Rector of Baku Slavic University

Pasha Alioglu – Deputy Director of the ANAS Institute of Manuscripts

Jafar Jafarov ­– Professor, Rector of Azerbaijan Tourism Institute named after Fizuli

Farah Aliyeva ­– Professor, Rector of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts

Tofig Hajiyev – Director of Institute of Linguistics named after Nasimi

Vilayet Hajiyev – Dean of the Azerbaijan University of Languages Translation Department 

Ramiz Mirzayev – Honoured Artist, Producer 

Ramiz Rövşan – Poet

Yashar Aliyev – Head of the AzTC Administration

Farid Huseyn - Board Secretary. 

First of all, I would like to give a brief overview of the work performed. 

The AzTC got moving on August 16, 2014, and has carried out lots of work since then. The Translation Centre had long been in dire financial straits, thus failing to publish Khazar World Literature magazine, Yol newspaper that once held the attention of mainstream audience, as well as hundreds of literary examples translated from World Literature, you know. The Order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, dated 12 May 2014, on establishing the Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic reversed the situation -- these publications are now reissued. The Order also prepared the groundwork for reforms within all fields involving both language and translation. Our new status will allow to  do translations from world's leading scientific and philosophical, social and political literatures in addition to literary one,  to arrange the translation industry through embarking from the educational stage for translation and translating profession, as well as to improve mother tongue and literature textbooks, in terms of their language and content, taught in secondary schools and higher education institutions.

This year we are going to translate and publish books, such as Caspian Energy Resources in the Western Press, The Scientific Heritage of Lotfi A. Zadeh, The Theory and Practice of the Translation by Andrey Parshin, Zecharia Sitchin’s Research on Sumerian History,  Introduction into Translation Studies by Venedikt Stepanovich Vinogradov, a series of books Stories of the Peoples of the World, Children’s Encyclopedia in Different Formats, Extracurricular Reading Materials, as well as ancient manuscripts in old alphabet held at the Institute’s of Manuscripts archives, works by Azerbaijani poets, philosophers and politicians written in Persian and Arabic, as well as significant scientific works involving education and language. And we have plans to compile and publish specific dictionaries, glossaries and thesauruses.

The official website of the Translation Centre - aztc.gov.az was launched some months ago. The website available in eight languages ​​- Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian, English, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Persian - allows readers around the world to access qualitative translations of landmark events taking place in the cultural and social life of the country, as well as the most significant laws and regulations, including presidential decrees and orders. In addition, we have launched the website xezerjurnali.az, which contains archives of Khazar world literature magazine and periodical literature, and the website of Aydin Yol newspaper - aydinyol.az - that regularly covers translation material and literary processes going on in the country. We are currently working on creating a digital library 'Open Book', which will contain books and text-books translated by the AzTC, literatures in foreign languages, books and manuals on translation, dictionaries and other materials.

Our next project aimed at improving the language and translation sphere is the creation of a working group to explore the content and qualitative writing of textbooks on Azerbaijani language and literature for secondary and higher education institutions. In this connection, we have sent letters to the Ministry of Education, Baku City Education Department, universities and institutes, and asked them to send us the list of textbooks in Russian or other foreign languages, which, because of their shortage in Azerbaijani, is taught in Azerbaijani sector of higher education institutions.

Most universities have sent these lists to us, but unfortunately some still have not. And, the Translation Centre has not received the list of textbooks on Azerbaijani language and literature teaching in secondary schools. Our intention is to contribute to our educational system in the translation sphere or in the writing of  missing textbooks and manuals for relevant faculties and specialties, and to take appropriate measures towards improving the quality of the content and design of textbooks on Azerbaijani language and literature in secondary and postsecondary institutions, as it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the quality of some textbooks. Please note that the list of textbooks in English or other foreign languages to be used in postsecondary institutions will be discussed by AzTC’s Coordination Council. We will also invite representatives from the Ministry of Education, the State Students Admission Commission, and higher-education teaching personnel throughout the country in relevant lines. The translation of the textbooks approved for publication during the discussions will be made by the related higher-education teaching personnel together with foreign language specialists at the AzTC. This project, designed to translate, to compile and to publish hundreds of textbooks into the Azerbaijani language, is a significant event on the national scale.

Another problem in the field of translation and language sciences is the use of Azerbaijani language in secondary and postsecondary institutions. In this regard, we have repeatedly appealed to the Ministry of Education and Baku City Education Department. But, I do reiterate   that we have not received any list or sample of textbooks on Azerbaijani language and literature taught in secondary schools.

One more project relating to Azerbaijani language we would like to implement is to popularize our language on the world stage, and to teach it at foreign universities. To this end, we hold meetings with foreign ambassadors in Baku, and discuss our projects and proposals related to the presentation and promotion of the national literature on the world stage. These meetings have proved successful: after each meeting we establish ties with relevant representatives and organizations of the respective countries, thus laying a solid cornerstone to future cooperation.

A further project, being implemented by the Translation Centre, aims to improve translation activities in the country. Therefore, we have organized in the AzTC building specialized qualification courses on various spheres of translation. The courses will be carried out by both AzTC specialists and tutors from local education institutions. Work is currently underway to involve foreign specialists in these language courses. In particular, negotiations are being conducted with foreign embassies and relevant organizations. We seek to embark on this work, yet it is cost-consuming. In addition, we have decided to launch Azerbaijani language courses for representatives of foreign embassies, consulates and companies operating in Azerbaijan, and six ambassadors have already contacted us to attend the course.

We are also expanding international relations day by day. We have been participating at major international book fairs across the world. In September last year, we represented our country at the International Book Fair held in the Swedish city of Göteborg, and in October and November at the book fairs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey. We are about to participate in the 46th Cairo International Book Fair, which will be held late January in Egypt, as well as in international book fairs in April in London, and in May in Prague.

At the present, we are preparing a brief anthology of Azerbaijani poetry and prose in the Czech language. Afterwards, the would-be translated material will be edited by Czech poets and writers. The anthology will be published in Prague under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. And there is a plan to present the book at the international book fair. By the official invitation of the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, a delegation of poets and writers will participate at the fair to be held in Prague in May.

This anthology in a broader format, is currently being translated into Russian, German, English, Romanian, Turkish and Arabic. It is scheduled to publish the anthology in two volumes: prose and poetry. The Russian, Georgian and Turkish versions of the anthology will be published in the major publishing houses in Moscow, Tbilisi and Istanbul, respectively.

Moreover, one of the worthwhile causes, AzTC is currently engaged in, is the edition of four-volume "Anthology of Azerbaijani Literature", which is of great significance for scientific, educational and cultural life of the country. For some odd reason, this anthology that will include selected works of Azerbaijan’s prominent poets, novelists and playwrights has not been released so far. Now, we are working in this direction.

And a three-volume anthology of world drama, which is unrivalled in terms of designing, is under processing. Thus, the works included in this anthology are not in chronological order of their creation, but on three themes - Love, War and Game. Besides, we are prepared to publish anthologies in other formats – an anthology of children's literature, a world’s tales anthology, anthologies of fictions, myths and tales of multiple countries, etc.

One of the most important projects aimed at improving the translation and language studies in the country is the close cooperation with the Institute of Manuscripts. Well, since Soviet times, Azerbaijani readers had had no access to the ancient history of Azerbaijan, its scientific and philosophical thought, stunning examples of language and literature, and are still kept in the archives of the Institute. Thus, the bulk of the national treasure-house was written in old alphabet, and the rest in ancient dialects of the Persian, Chagatai and Arabic languages, today’s readers had failed to access them for a long time. Today, we are gradually translating and publishing these priceless works in Aylın Yol newspaper and Khazar magazine.  Sooner or later we are planning to publish these texts in the form of a book, and then to translate them into foreign languages and send to libraries around the world. The point is that in addition to ancient literary works, among these manuscripts there are also documents and texts, speaking of the important events and facts concerning the ancient history of Azerbaijan, its territory and land. With these valuable materials, the world community may get across the truth about Azerbaijan, his literary heritage and history.

And finally, one of the projects we are seeking to deliver in the field of Azerbaijani language teaching is the preparation of exemplary book "ABC" for primary schools. We do not strive for inclusion of this book into the circulated books in the education field, but we believe that, instead of criticizing existing textbooks, it would be better to show exemplary publications.

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