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"I believe that BHOS graduates will have their say in global science".

Prof. Rena Mustafayeva, Dr.Sc.Chem., Head of Postgraduate Education Department was born in 1955 in Baku. After graduating from Chemistry Department, Baku State University in 1977 she started to work at Olefin Scientific Research and Production Center OSC and worked as an engineer, junior scholar and scholar. During her tenure at the Institute from 1977 to 1995, she worked on two level alkylation of toluene with methanol, design of effective zeolite catalysts for generating styrole and ethylbenzene, as well as design of polyfunctional catalysts for processing pirocondensate and other aromatic condensates which were the most urgent research problems of that time. In 1995-1997, Prof.Mustafayeva worked as a Chemistry teacher at Arts Gymnasium and in 1997-2013 as an assistant, Associate professor and professor at General and Toxicology Chemistry Department, Azerbaijan Medical University. She was conferred the Doctor of Sciences Chemistry and Professor titles for her extensive scientific research and hard work. Since 2013, she has been working as the Head of Postgraduate Education Department at Baku Higher Oil School.

1. Mrs.Mustafayeva, what is the most remarkable moment in your research background?

- My first presentation at the Scientific Conference, the first positive experiment result, as well as my PhD and Dr.Sc. theses defence are the most remarkable moments. Besides, in 2012, a monograph on Zeolite Containing Catalysts in Alkylation Process, the outcome of my twenty year research activity, was published in Germany, by the German National Library and registered in the German Book Catalogue which was quite a remarkable event for me.

2. How did you feel that you are interested in Science and decided to study Chemistry?

- I have been interested in science since my childhood years. As my father Mehdi Mustafayev was a person close to the nature, my family members used to show some interest in science, especially chemistry and biology. As regards my personal interest in chemistry, it appeared after I watched a movie on the research activities of well-recognized chemists when I was a secondary school student. I was admired by interesting and rich aspects of chemistry, and its importance in human life. As soon as I graduated, I decided to apply to Baku State University and I was admitted. I think this was the best choice I've made.

3. What are the challenges of being a female chemistry specialist? What should a scientist sacrifice?

- As a woman and a mother, you encounter challenging and arduous, as well as interesting and meaningful moments working as a chemist. For a female researcher, of course, one of the most important aspects is to maintain a continuous balance among three obligations, which are being a wife, a mother and a researcher. The researchers who are engaged in practical aspects of research face even more difficulties. Petrochemical industry, the field I'm engaged in, requires carrying out sustainable experiences and choosing an optimal working style to be able to provide certain research recommendations on industrial application of chemical processes. Chemists fully understand how challenging these are for a lady, who is also a mother. I always had full support of my family who helped me to overcome all these kind of difficulties adequately. I don't want to speak too much about the challenges too much not to frighten the young people wishing to embark on research, because each time your research conclusions are scientifically recognized or the innovation you propose is patented these difficulties just turn to a sweet memory.

4. Where do you mostly enjoy the fruits of your labour?

- Well, I think the fact that I am holding such a responsible post at a newly established higher education institution as BHOS can itself be considered as the result of my hard work for many years. Besides, working side by side with well-recognized scholars who have significantly contributed to the development and of the national chemical and petrochemical sectors is also quite honourable for me.

5. What are the goals you've set in terms of your personal and professional life? Who supports you and how do you manage to overcome challenges?

- Professionally, my principal goal is to foster scientific interest in students in early years of their studies and have a contribution to training of highly-qualified specialists in petrochemical field, thus contributing to bringing the science in Azerbaijan to the world class levels facilitating scientific approach to solutions of petrochemical research problems. In principle, my family and my colleagues have always been a great support to me. Education and science were of utmost importance for my family and I together with my sister and my brother used to compete intellectually among each other when we were studying at the secondary school. We lost our parents untimely and both my sister and my brother have always backed me up. My husband was also from a family with a scientific background; he was PhD in Physics and encouraged me in difficult situations. As my children grew up, they began to acknowledge science and research as an important part of my life. My eldest son also has yet a few but some research input, he is PhD in Economics.

6. What do you think should be done to bring the national science up to the world class level?

- Back in the Soviet times, the National Leader Haydar Aliyev pioneered in this regard sending Azerbaijani young people to study in Russia and other countries in order to train local specialists with the view of developing the national science focusing specifically on learning the international best practice and exchange of experience with overseas scholars, thus demonstrating the potentials of the national young people. Today, those specialists are working hard in various local industrial and economic sectors to contribute to the development of the country. Azerbaijan made a number of scientific achievements after gaining independence. An Azerbaijani researcher has already become an active member of some science centres. I think educating potential Master's and PhD students should be trusted mainly to the universities having strong educational and scientific infrastructure, high-profile faculty and the exchange potential with leading international universities. This would increase interuniversity competition and facilitate human-resources capacity improvement, and due to such highly-qualified specialists another step could be taken to bring forward the national science potential to a global level. The National Strategy on the Development of Science in 2009-2015 signed by Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, incorporating the targets, principles and approaches of the measures defining the research priorities in compliance with the international research development path, generation of the knowledge-based innovative economy, modernisation of the research management system and infrastructure, improvement of research institutions and scientific financing mechanisms in whole, training highly-qualified specialists, ensuring integration among education, research and industries, improving scholars social welfare benefits and integration of the national research system in the global research area, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the Presidential Decree on implementation of that Strategy reflects the government's care to the development of science in Azerbaijan. The primary responsibility lying on our shoulders as scientists is fulfilling the obligations set forth in the Decree, one of which is to facilitate close academic and scientific partnership that cannot be ensured by promoting science only. Education and training should encompass the pedagogical methodologies which would enable us to foster research habits in young people. Good academic background is obviously essential, but training should maintain a harmonic balance between academic knowledge and research skills. And our scholars have a significant role is this regard. They define proper research perspectives, set specific targets, form research teams and finally, work with those team members. By the way, today, BHOS is taking namely this kind of approach. Recently, we organized Students Scientific and Technical Conference with participation of nine transnational companies where our students made various presentations and had discussions on their research interests. Of course, financial aspects also have certain role. However, being engaged in science and research is gusto by itself which can be achieved not by earning money, but finding solutions to certain research problems. And the most important factor is being able to be a talented scientists and a good teacher simultaneously. Perhaps, the opinion that I'm going to express next can be considered as the one expressed by a female scholar, but I think that if a pedagogue is a female scholar, she will see her students as her own future, while a male one will think of them as his potential competitors. This is, of course, my subjective opinion.

7. What are your main responsibilities and functions as the Head of Postgraduate Education Department at BHOS?

- I lead the department where I am responsible for all its activities. I study and analyse the relevant scientific and methodological aspects for developing Master's and PhD level education programmes and international experience and work out specific proposals to improve it. I regularly participate in scientific theoretical and practical conferences, seminars and consultative meetings to contribute to increase of students' scientific interests, improve disciplinary quality, as well as to support the faculty. We conduct opinion surveys to study the pedagogical view on developing Master's and PhD level education and put forward appropriate proposals.

8. What would you recommend young people to achieve success in education and research?

- Well, first of all, young people should specify what they want and pursue lifelong learning approach in terms of study and research, as well as analyse advanced research activities of their interests in developed countries. Mastering a foreign language is an essential factor in this regard. One should take into account that people succeed only when they love what they do. Young people should bear in mind that if today we want to bring our scientific potential to the world-class level, they have to be closely engaged in expanding the scope of the research at higher education institutions. Students can achieve certain success in various research fields being a member of student unions available almost in every higher education institution. In fact, a mature person is the one who have scientific perception. Patience and decisiveness in acquiring knowledge and skills are the most essential factors that can help young people to occupy rightful place in the society. Today, BHOS students are the ones who have achieved the maximum scores in the national examinations. The higher school have created every opportunity to ensure high-quality education with experienced and highly-qualified faculty and laboratories which are appropriately equipped. I believe that BHOS graduates will have their say in global science.