Today's Zaman
Thursday, July 22, 2010
ROVSHAN IBRAHIMOV
In the 20th century mankind took the biggest leap forward compared to all previous periods of history.
It’s no secret that the 20th century was marked by a revolution in information and communication technologies, which in turn greatly accelerated the globalization process. In the process of globalization, where the distances and differences between civilizations and nations declined apace, an amazing paradox occurred when the features of a particular culture had the ability to be better understood.
At the end of the 20th century, the Azerbaijani people received a unique opportunity to restore their own statehood, thus adding color to the overall mosaic of existing states.
Curiously, however, while establishing a nation-state is paramount, it is by no means the only condition for the preservation and enrichment of the community of a “people.” Azerbaijan in this case is not an exception. Since the restoration of its independence, this state has had a unique opportunity to develop its own culture. However, in this context of globalization, nation-states are responsible not only for the preservation and development their own countries but also for their contributions to humanity as a whole, a unique community of rational beings. Contributions should occur regardless of cultural, religious, national or other differences. The world has new opportunities for common solutions to problems and the development of the individual. Contemporary nation-states directly involved in these issues are precisely those which have attained the ability to think globally and are not limited by the short-term preferences of society.
This responsibility is conferred on every member of the international community of states, including Azerbaijan. Despite its young human capacity, public infrastructure and development, Azerbaijan has in its evolutionary stages, in accordance with the modernist and postmodernist paradigms, defined the conditions of these processes. Today’s Azerbaijan is able to successfully solve political and economic problems, i.e., the “products” of the transition period of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Dealing with the problems in this period, Azerbaijan has successfully implemented its own energy strategy. This strategy consists of steps to find alternative transport corridors to world markets for exporting Azerbaijani hydrocarbons. The strategy was important not only for economic welfare but also to strengthen the independence of the state and its external policy. Successful implementation of this strategy has provided Azerbaijan with new opportunities and helped it achieve new goals. In general, Azerbaijan is trying to transform energy-gained capital into intellectual capital. It is no secret that in the modern information age the most important kind of investment is investment in capacity building. Energy resources are exhaustible, whereas human resources are renewable and have a unique feature for development. That is why Azerbaijan has begun a series of programs under which young people have the opportunity to continue their education abroad thanks to government grants. Educated young professionals will soon be able to provide invaluable contributions to the development of a knowledge-based society in Azerbaijan.
However, this is by no means the sole aim of Azerbaijan. Located in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan plays the role of a bridge between different parts of the world, cultures and religions. The historic Silk Road passed through Azerbaijan and in the late 20th century the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), between the EU and Asia, was constructed here.
The new strategy of Azerbaijan is based on a synthesis of the two main aspects: the geopolitical situation of the state and the development of a knowledge-based society. In light of this, Azerbaijan wants to act as an intellectual hub in the region, becoming a platform for the exchange of ideas and opinions between specialists in various spheres. What is important here is that discussions will occur regarding international relations in general and in the South Caucasus in particular. The involvement of specialists from around the world and the creation of the necessary conditions for their joint work and exchange of views will play a huge and positive role in the development of a new knowledge and skills in this area. Not by accident, the first step to developing the systematic and sustainable platform of communication that Azerbaijan plans to create is the holding of an international conference in Baku in late October, 2010. This conference will gather experts in international relations from different parts of the world specializing in the region. This will allow specialists from different states to get to know each other, share their research and create groups to connect their work.
The conference in Baku will be a milestone, since the introduction and development of scientific thought related to the subject of international relations in the South Caucasus will take place in the actual region. It is expected that the presence of well-known experts in turn will inspire young professionals to reach new horizons. This conference is planned to be an annual event, which will subsequently become a permanent venue for meetings at a new level. Baku will thus return to its days of being a sustainable intellectual hub at the regional level. The most important condition for the sustainability of this initiative is receiving support from those who are not indifferent to intellectual contact and scientific development. So, the autumn in Baku is expected to be very hot.
Rovshan Ibrahimov, Ph.D., is the chairman of the department of international relations at Qafqaz University. e-mail: rovshanibrahimov@gmail.com
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