On December 3, 2016, an event entitled “Conference on Modern Academic Music: Development and prospects. The preservation and development of musical diversity based on the example of protecting copyrights” was held in the Marble Hall of Khazar University’s Neftchilar Campus. The conference was jointly organized by TURKSOY, Khazar University, and Azerbaijani Authors’ Society and included the participation of composers and music scholars from the Republics of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

Professor Hamlet Isaxanli, the founder of Khazar University and Chairman of its Board of Directors and Trustees, opened the event with a welcoming speech. He announced that the Academic Council of the university had made a decision to award an Honorary Doctorate Degree on behalf of Khazar University to Mr. Dusen Kaseinov, General Secretary of TURKSOY and former Minister of Culture of Kazakhstan, for his invaluable contributions to the development of Turkic culture. He gave the floor to University President Hassan Niknafs, who made a speech about Mr. Dusen Kaseinov and presented his diploma. Mr. Kaseinov made a speech to thank the university and the organizers of the event.

Then Ismayil Mammadkarimov, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Authors’ Society, moderated the conference. Lectures were given by Professor Zemfira Gafarova, Secretary of the Azerbaijan Composers’ Union and music scholar; Professor Lala Huseynova, Vice Rector of Azerbaijan National Conservatory and music scholar; Balnur Kidirbek, Secretary of Kazakhstan Composers’ Union; and Habibulla Setekov, Kazakh composer. The conference ended with discussions about the lectures.