Our Former Rectors

Mahmud Tagi oglu Mammadov, the first rector of Azerbaijan Technical University (AzTU), was born in 1909. In 1933 he graduated from the Azerbaijan Agricultural Institute (today's Azerbaijan State Agrarian University), where he later served as a lecturer and dean. In 1939 he completed his postgraduate studies at the Moscow Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture and defended his candidate dissertation. Between 1942 and 1950 he served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan, and from 1950 to 1954 he led the Azerbaijan Polytechnic Institute (today's AzTU) as rector.

Professor Abuzar Asgar oglu Aliyev was born in 1911. In 1937 he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Construction of the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute. During the Second World War he served as chief engineer of a military plant built in Baku and as Deputy Minister of Construction. He was the first scholar in Azerbaijan to defend a candidate dissertation in the field of construction.

Anvar Alibey oglu Gasimzade, a prominent Azerbaijani architect and statesman, was born on February 12, 1912 in Salyan. In 1936 he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Construction of the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute. From 1936 to 1942 he worked as architect and chief engineer at the State Design Institute, and between 1946 and 1962 he held senior positions including head of the Architecture Department of the Council of Ministers, First Deputy Chairman of the Baku Soviet, Chairman of the State Construction Committee, Minister of Construction of Azerbaijan, and Deputy Chairman of the Union of Architects. A decorated veteran of the Second World War, he was awarded the Orders of the Red Star and the Red Banner.

Professor Rza Abdul oglu Badalov was born on September 25, 1915 in Baku. After graduating from the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute (AII), he worked from 1945 to 1968 as a design engineer and shop supervisor at the Mechanical Repair Plant of the Azizbayov Oil Trust, and at AII as graduate student, assistant, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, deputy dean, dean, and head of the Department of Theoretical Mechanics. He was a corresponding member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

Professor Mirzaagha Ayyub oglu Baghirov was born on June 16, 1927 in Lankaran. In 1949 he graduated from the Faculty of Power Engineering of the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute. From 1956 to 1963 he headed a laboratory at the Institute of Power Engineering and Physics of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, and from 1959 to 1967 he was secretary of the Academy's party committee. In 1966 he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Gubkin Institute of Petrochemistry and Gas in Moscow. Between 1974 and 1976 he led the Department of Radiation Research of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences.

Professor Ramiz Gurbanov was born in 1935 in Salyan. In 1956 he graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Petroleum and Mining of the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute, specializing in oilfield development and exploitation. He began his career as an operator at an oil and gas extraction enterprise, working his way up through assistant foreman, foreman, and senior engineer. From 1961 he served at the Department of Theoretical Mechanics of the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry as assistant, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, and head of department. He has been a corresponding member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences since 1989.

Professor Ali Hidayat oglu Sadikhov was born on June 29, 1938 in Baku. In 1962 he graduated from the Azerbaijan Polytechnic Institute (today's AzTU) as a mechanical engineer specializing in mechanical engineering technology, metal-cutting machines and tools. In 1964 he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology as an assistant on a competitive basis, completed graduate studies in 1966–1969, defended his candidate dissertation at the Kuybyshev Polytechnic Institute in 1971, and his doctoral dissertation at AzTU's Specialized Dissertation Council in 2008. During his rectorship, in 1991, the institute received university status and was renamed Azerbaijan Technical University.

Professor Allahverdi Oruj oglu Orujov was born in 1944 in the village of Yagvand, Fuzuli district. From 1964 to 1969 he studied at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Azerbaijan Polytechnic Institute (today's AzTU). In 1975 he started his career at AzPI as an assistant. From November 6, 1992 to January 3, 2000 he served as Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of AzTU. From July 2 to December 1993 he was entrusted with the duties of acting rector of AzTU.

Professor Rafig Mehdiyev was born in 1936 in the Jabrayil district. In 1958 he graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics of the Azerbaijan Polytechnic Institute (today's AzTU). He defended his candidate dissertation in 1964 and his doctoral dissertation at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute in 1981. He currently continues his academic career as a professor at Istanbul Technical University.

Professor Havar Amir oglu Mammadov was born on October 9, 1945 in the village of Gizilkend, Imishli district. In 1963 he graduated with distinction from Imishli Railway Secondary School No. 34 and was admitted to the Azerbaijan Polytechnic Institute (today's AzTU), Faculty of Automation and Computing Technology, specializing in automation and telemechanics. He served as Rector of AzTU from 2000 to 2016 and as Rector of Baku Engineering University from 2017 to 2023.

Professor Khaliq Majid oglu Yahudov was born on August 14, 1946 in the village of Suvagil, Zagatala district. After graduating from Suvagil Village Secondary School with excellent marks in 1964, he was admitted to the Faculty of Economics of S.M. Kirov Azerbaijan State University (today's Baku State University). In 1969 he graduated from the D. Bunyadzade Azerbaijan Institute of National Economy and was assigned to the Research Institute of Economics of the State Planning Committee. From 1981 onward he held various academic and administrative positions at AzTU. He served as Rector of AzTU from September 2016 to July 31, 2019.