Prof. Agadjan Babaev
Prof. Agadjan Babaev was born on May 10, 1929 in Turkmenistan. He is
married.
He was awarded a Diploma in Geography from Turkmenistan State University in
1949, a Candidate’s Degree in Geography from Leningrad University in 1953,
and a Doctorate in Geography from the Institute of Geography of the USSR
Academy of Sciences in 1968. He became a full Professor in 1970.
He started out as a Lecturer in Geography and Head of the Physical Geography
Chair at the Turkmen State University (1950-1960), moving on to become
Director of the Desert Research Institute in Turkmenistan (1960-1975),
(1986-1989) and (1997-todate). He was President of the Turkmenistan Academy
of Sciences (1975-1986) and then Lecturer at the Turkmenistan University
(1989-1993).
Since 1987, Prof. Babaev has been the Director of the Regional Research and
Training Center on Desertification Control ESCAP/UNEP.
Prof. Babaev has over 300 papers and articles to his credit, including five
books and is Chief-Editor of the Journal “Problems of Desert Development.”
He is the President of the Geographic Society of Turkmenistan (since 1956),
Chairman of the Khawarizmi State Prize Committee (since 1992), and Chairman
of the State Committee on Desertification Control in Turkmenistan. He is a
member of the USSR (now Russian) Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Babaev was Deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for two terms.
Prof. Babaev undertook numerous long-term missions during his long academic
career including missions in Iran (1989 & 1997), China (1987 & 1994),
Mongolia (1974), India (1978 & 1990), Algeria (1979 & 1984) and Libya
(1980).
In 1979, the Government of Turkmenistan awarded Prof. Babaev the honorable
title of “Merited Figure of Science and Technology.” He was also awarded the
State Prize of the USSR (former) in Science and Technology in 1981, the
Karpinsky Prize of Germany in 1990 and the General Peel International Prize
of the USA in 1992.
He was elected a Fellow of the Islamic Academy of Sciences in 1994.
