In modern times, it is not easy to talk about some people, especially those who are engaged in science, to comment on them, to give them the value they deserve. Well-known and proven scientists achieve greater success when they combine knowledge and hard work in their work. This makes it important to be more responsible, especially when it comes to women, and to value them as they are. Today, it is very responsible to speak about professor Sayyara Ibadullayeva, one of the people who combines the unity of science and labor, who has won the great respect of people and the scientific community with her knowledge and skills. Ms. Sayyara has dedicated 40 years of her life to botany and its development.

On February 22, 2022 doctor of biological scienes, professor Sayyara Jamshid gizi Ibadullayeva, well-known scientist in the field of botany in the republic and in the international scientific community for his knowledge and hard work, turns 65 years.

Sayyara Ibadullayeva was born on February 22, 1957 in Nakhchivan. She graduated from Nakhchivan State University, Faculty of Natural Geography in 1980.

A well-known scientist in botany, geobotany, ethnobotany and plant resources has been working at the Institute of Botany for many years. She successfully defended her PhD in 1994 and doctoral dissertationin 2005. In 2002 she was awarded the title of associate professor, in 2012 – professor. The scientist, who has a wide scientific range in the field of botany, studied the composition of formations and associations in the flora and vegetation of Azerbaijan, studied the genesis and ways of formation, assessed populations in accordance with the coenological and international Red List for the conservation and restoration of endangered plants. She has conducted about 500 field surveys in this area, including an ecological assessment of flora biodiversity in reserves and sanctuaries, identified important species of national importance, studied their reserves in the regions and developed a set of measures to protect endangered plants. She has conducted about 500 field surveys in this area, including an ecological assessment of flora biodiversity in reserves and sanctuaries, identified important species of national importance, studied their reserves in the regions and developed a set of measures to protect endangered plants. In particular, she studied the patterns of plant distribution in nature in the Shahbuz State Nature Reserve, Shahdag National Park, their relationship to soils, the causes of desertification in the Kur-Araz and Arazboyu plains, and published articles in several international journals with impact factor.In addition, the main scientific activities of the department “Ethnobotany” are ethnobotanical inspection of Azerbaijani flora and research of new opportunities and ways of plant use, ethnobotanical inventory of biodiversity, control over sustainable use of rare and endangered useful resources, population assessment and identification of resources and development and application of modern monitoring methods.

S.J. Ibadullayeva, who has a deep knowledge of the flora and vegetation of our country determined the taxonomic composition and bioecological features of a number of plant families in the flora of Azerbaijan, studied the reserves of important species of economic importance in the regions and for the first time developed a set of measures for the protection of more than 70 endangered species. She also included 36 species in the second edition of the Red Book of Azerbaijan, gave additional recommendations on more than 30 species for the third edition, and included 5 species in the flora of the Caucasus and Azerbaijan for the first time. The scientist compiled the determinants of some families, studied their bioecology, phytocenology and economic importance, compiled an area map of about 300 species, as well as discovered the source of raw materials of some substances used in medicines in the biodiversity of Azerbaijan. She identified 85 types of essential oils in the flora of Azerbaijan, studied their dynamics depending on environmental conditions, and discovered the component composition.

S.J. Ibadullayeva ethnobotanically analyzed useful plants in the flora of Azerbaijan, determined the habitats of 200 species of wild vegetables, 330 species used as fodder, up to 500 species of medicinal plants, the current state of populations and the role of vegetation, reintroduced species exposed to anthropogenic factors in natural phytocenoses for the first time and returned to their original state in nature. She also collected information from the regions about plants used in folk medicine by ethnic methods and published articles in dozens of indexed journals, prepared an electronic catalog of them. S.J. Ibadullayeva published the book “Folk medicine”, which proves the identity of the methods of folk medicine, reflecting the history of the whole Azerbaijan (including South Azerbaijan).

S.J. Ibadullayeva is the author of more than 300 scientific works, including 5 monographs, 7 books, 3 textbooks, 2 inventions. At the same time, 100 scientific articles and 4 chapters in Springer book were published abroad. Under her leadership, 14 doctors of philosophy and 4 doctors of sciences were trained.

S.J. Ibadullayeva is a member of the Working Group on the European Cooperation Program on Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) (Representative of Azerbaijan), member of the New York Academy of Sciences since 2001, Expert of the Central Asia and South Caucasus Regional Network on PGR, Scientific Adviser on Embryophyta for Biodiversity Conservation in Azerbaijan, member of the ECPGR Working Group on Study and Protection of Medicinal, Aromatic and Wild Food Plants (Azerbaijan Representative),Georgia, Tbilisi, Member of the International Board of Editors of Multidisciplinary in “Black Sea” Journal, an honorary member of “Rosalind London Journals” (Membership ID: HH32160).

S.J. Ibadullayeva is the scientific secretary of the Defense Council operating under the Institute of Botany in 1999-2018, Deputy editor of the collection of scientific works of the Institute of Botany of ANAS (2012-2015), member of the editorial board (2016-2020), Chairman of the Problem Council on the Biology Section of the Coordinating Council, Expert on Biological and Agrarian Sciences of the Supreme Attestation Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2017-2019), Member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of ANAS (2018-2020), Member of the Defense Council at the Institute of Botany of ANAS (2019-2020), chairman since 2021.

S.J. Ibadullayeva was awarded Honorary Decrees of ANAS (2005; 2012), Letters of Appreciation of ANAS (2007; 2012), Honorary Decree of the Department of Biological, Medical and Agrarian Sciences of ANAS (2017), Honorary Diploma of “Scientist dedicated to science” on the basis of Interkhabar projectand “Influential Intellectual of the Year” Supreme Media Awardaccording to an opinion poll conducted by the Trade Union of Mass Media Workers of Azerbaijan. She was also electedactive member of the Turkic World Research International Academy of Sciences andawarded a gold medal in 2021, and active member of the European Academy of Natural Sciences and the Order of the Crown.

Currently Dr., prof. S.J. Ibadullayeva successfully continues her productive scientific-organizational and pedagogical activity as the general director of the Institute of Botany. Thus, she successfully leads the team in the process of building the scientific activity of the Institute in accordance with the requirements of modern times, the restoration of plant biodiversity in the liberated areas. As a team of the Institute of Botany, we wish the outstanding scientist new success in her personal life and scientific activity.

Executive Director of the Institute of Botany of ANAS,

doctor of biological sciences Sh.N. Gasimov