Arif Mir Jalal oglu Pashayev was born on February 15, 1934 in the city of Baku in the family of Mir Jalal, the outstanding Azerbaijani writer and scientist.
     
In 1957 he graduated from the Odessa Electrotechnical Institute of Communications (now Odessa National Academy of Telecommunications named after A.S. Popov), majoring in “Radio Communications and Broadcasting”. A. M. Pashayev began his scientific activity in 1959 at the Institute of Physics of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Science. In 1960 in Moscow, he entered in graduate school at one of the leading scientific centers of the former Soviet Union, The State Research and Design Institute of the Rare Metal Industry (JSC Giredmet) and in 1965 successfully defended his dissertation on the topic: “Development of contactless methods and devices for measuring the parameters of semiconductors at high and ultra-high frequencies” and received the degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences. Since 1969, the research and development carried out by Arif Pashayev has laid the foundation for a new direction in microelectronics - microelectronic converters of non-electrical quantities.
    
In 1978, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic “Physical basis, principles of development and application of electromagnetic methods in the study of semiconductors” and received the degree of Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Based on his research, telemetric multifunctional hydroacoustic complex equipment was created, designed for monitoring and studying underwater objects.
     
From 1971 to 1996, Arif Pashayev headed the laboratory of “Physical methods of measurement and control without damage” at the Institute of Physics of ANAS. In 1991, Arif  Pashayev was awarded the title of laureate of the Azerbaijan State Prize “For complex work in the field of creating an autonomous hydroacoustic information system.” The results of his research in the field of microelectronic sensors were published in the form of two monographs: “Solid-state microelectronic converters of non-electric quantities” (1998) and “Solid-state microelectronic magnetoelectric and moisture-electric converters” (1999).
     
For achievements in the field of physics, Arif Pashayev was awarded the "Honoured Inventor of the USSR" badge; in 1989 he was elected a corresponding member, and in 2001 a full member of ANAS (Azerbaijan National Academy of Science).
     
The academician’s activities are highly appreciated by the country’s leadership, A. M. Pashayev was awarded the Orders of “Shohrat” (2004), “Sharaf” (2009) and “Istiglal” (2014).
      
He was also awarded the Nobel Prize Laureate Pavlov Golden Badge, the “Gold Medal” of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Medal named after Academician Y. Mamedaliev, the “Gold Medal” of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Order of “Glory of Engineering” of the International Academy of Engineering. In 2005, he was awarded the honorary title “Honored Worker of Science.”
     
Academician Arif Pashayev was elected honorary doctor of the National Aviation University of Ukraine, honorary doctor of the Georgian Aviation University, honorary professor of the Vienna International University, vice-president of the International Academy of Engineering, honorary academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and full member of the Russian Academy of Engineering.
     
He is a member of the expert council of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the territorial council of Georgian Technical University, chairman of the scientific council for instrument engineering of ANAS, co-chairman of the joint specialized council at the National Academy of Aviation and the National Aerospace Agency of the AR and a member of the coordinating council for the training of aviation specialists at the Interstate Aviation Committee.
     
Arif Pashayev is the author of more than 600 scientific works, over 60 books and monographs. He has copyright certificates and industrial designs for more than 60 inventions.

An outstanding scientist devoted many years of his life to training qualified personnel. Under his leadership, many candidate's theses were defended. At the same time, he acted as an opponent of many doctoral dissertations defended in Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia and Azerbaijan.
    
A large period of the life of academician Arif Pashayev is associated with the formation and development of national aviation. Arif Pashayev is heading the National Aviation Academy of Azerbaijan since 1996, and made a great contribution to this area. He is the President of the Azerbaijan Engineering Academy, established in 2005, the President of the International Academy of Engineering and the Public Association “Scientific-Equipped Innovation Association”, established in July 2009. The Azerbaijan Engineering Academy, headed by a scientist, together with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) is actively working towards the development and improvement of the professional level of personnel in the field of aviation.

Recommended literature:

1. Həsənzadə, Nəriman Əliməmməd oğlu. Şərəfli insan / N. Ə. Həsənzadə. - Bakı : Milli Aviasiya Akademiyasının nəşriyyatı, 2014. - 37 s.
2. Azərbaycan Mülki Aviasiya tarixi: 1910-1980 : dərs vəsaiti /Azərb. Hava Yolları, Qapalı Səhmdar Cəmiyyəti, Milli Aviasiya Akad., Mülki Aviasiya Muzeyi ; layihənin rəhbəri A. C. Paşayev ; tərt. F. Hüseynova; red. E. Hüseynqulu oğlu ; [rus dil. olan mətnləri Azərb. dil. tərc. ed. Y. Muradova (dizayn)]. - Bakı: [n. y.], 2012. - 152 s.
3. XXI əsr Azərbaycan ziyalıları /layihə rəhbəri, tərt. ed. və red. E. İsgəndərzadə ; ing.dilinə çevirənlər və ing. mətnin red. H. Abbasov, S. Gülten. - Bakı: Vektor, 2009. - 115 s.