In the year of the 880th anniversary of the great Ganjavi, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between scientific and educational institutions of Russia and Azerbaijan
On 12th of October, the First Deputy Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Muslim International Forum, Director of the Center for Islamic Studies of St. Petersburg State University, Professor Damir Mukhetdinov, who is on a visit to Baku, visited the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts and met with the Rector of AGUKI, Doctor of Art History, Professor Jeyran Mahmudova, vice-rectors and leading professorship of the university.

At the beginning of the meeting, Damir Mukhetdinov conveyed greetings from the spiritual leader of Russian Muslims Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, as well as Rector of St. Petersburg State University, Professor Nikolai Kropachev to the leadership of the forge of the Azerbaijani creative intelligentsia and noted the centuries-old deep and inextricable threads of cultural and spiritual ties between the peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan. The Memorandum of Cooperation signed on the same day between AGUKI and the Center for Islamic Studies of St. Petersburg State University is intended to strengthen these ties and pass on the experience of cooperation and cultural exchange to younger generations. The document was signed by Professors Damir Mukhetdinov and Jeyran Makhmudova.

The year 2021 is being held at the university under the sign of the 880th anniversary of the outstanding poet of the Middle Ages Nizami Ganjavi. The first jointly implemented projects in pursuance of the Memorandum of Cooperation may be initiatives aimed at familiarizing the Russian young public with the literary heritage of the author of "Khosrov and Shirin" and other works. In general, the signed document assumes cooperation in the field of studying the cultural heritage of the Muslim peoples of Eurasia, strengthening humanitarian contacts, including projects aimed at rapprochement and dialogue of cultures for the target student audience.