On 22 April 2022, the city of Shusha—the pearl of Karabakh—hosted the 5th Congress of World Azerbaijanis. Considered one of the most significant milestones in the history of independent Azerbaijan, the congress brought together almost 400 compatriots from 65 countries. The comprehensive speech delivered by the President of the Republic, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, at one of the largest events held in the liberated territories, placed great responsibilities on our rapidly developing diaspora. Acting on the President's instructions, purposeful work is being carried out to ensure better organization of the diaspora today. The active participation of scientists and academics in the Azerbaijani diaspora, which stands out for its diversity and potential, promises major opportunities for its further development. Throughout and after the congress, we met many new Azerbaijani scholars and academics, explored possibilities for future collaboration, and shared ideas.

With the support of the State Committee on Work with the Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a group of Azerbaijani intellectuals focused on the need to organize the scientists represented in our diaspora. We set out to create a shared platform that would unite all of us. To realize this intention, we convened in Türkiye and laid the foundation for the World Association of Azerbaijani Scientists (WAAS).

The meeting took place on 9 December 2022 in Istanbul with the participation of representatives of the State Committee and Azerbaijani academics who had travelled from different countries.