During his speech, Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev emphasized the importance of protecting the title of “scientist” from fake scientists.
Commenting on the topic to AzEdu.az, Professor Zahid Mammadov, Doctor of Economic Sciences from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkey, stated that the minister is absolutely right on this matter:
“Unfortunately, the number of fake scientists has increased in recent times. As their number grows, they present themselves as real scientists in society. Of course, in previous years, scientists reacted to such cases among themselves.
Especially after the 1990s, wealthy individuals, high-ranking officials, and people who had never been in scientific institutions or worked in higher education institutions obtained various diplomas in foreign countries in a short period. They kept these diplomas after acquiring them. If you pay attention, you will see that these individuals, after being dismissed from their positions, first turn to higher education institutions. The main question arises here: who brings these fake scientists to higher education institutions? How do they enter these institutions? We see that hypocritical people line up and engage in praising these fake scientists.
Sometimes, individuals who call themselves scientists also join fake scientists and promote them. I believe that there must be an ethics commission within the Ministry. This commission should distinguish between fake scientists and real scientists, and seriously evaluate their scientific activities and the positions they hold.
You see that a person has “n” number of scientific articles during their tenure, but after leaving office, they have no scientific activity left. Generally, can a person in office fully engage in scientific activity? No. In this regard, specific rules must first be established. For example, in Turkey, if you are a member of parliament or work as an official in a ministry, you cannot operate in a higher education institution. Why does this practice continue with us?
How can a person who has never been to a library, has not completed a doctorate, has not conducted research in foreign libraries, and has not used scientific literature, come and obtain a scientific degree? If you ask a fake scientist which foreign library they have visited regarding their specialization, there is no answer. If you ask them to present a reader's card, that is also missing. It is precisely for this reason that I positively evaluate the views expressed by the Minister”.
