On May 14 of this year, an educational and consultative seminar was held at the Avicenna Tajik State Medical University. The event was organized at the initiative of the Higher Attestation Commission (HAC) under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan. The seminar was attended by the leadership and officials of the HAC, university administration, representatives of dissertation councils, scientists, and researchers.

The seminar was opened by the Rector of the University, Mukhiddin Nuriddin Davlatali. In his speech, he emphasized that in the context of rapid development and increasing competition in modern science and technology, improving the quality of research work and strengthening the activities of dissertation councils are among the most important directions for the development of national science.

Subsequently, the Chairman of the Higher Attestation Commission, Saifiddin Davlatzoda, delivered a speech regarding state policy in the field of scientific development and the system of attesting scientific personnel. He noted that the quality of scientific dissertations, the validity of research results, and adherence to methodological requirements and scientific ethics are the primary criteria for evaluating scientific activity. Specifically, he pointed out that recent years have seen several problems and shortcomings related to the preparation and submission of attestation files, the operational procedures of dissertation councils, and the quality of scientific articles. The main issues addressed during the seminar included:

• Non-compliance with dissertation formatting requirements;
• Incorrect citation usage and instances of plagiarism;
• Improper selection of scientific journals for publication;
• Deficiencies in the preparation of attestation documents.

Continuing the meeting, Fazliddin Kholmurodzoda, Chief Specialist of the Legal Support Sector, gave a presentation on the requirements of regulatory legal acts in the field of attestation, the correct procedure for documentation, and the responsibilities of dissertation councils. It was emphasized that strict adherence to legal requirements and approved standards is a vital factor for transparency and legality in the dissertation defense process.

Additionally, Mehrdod Yorov, Chief Specialist of the Commission's Information and Scientific Journals Sector, spoke on issues regarding peer-reviewed scientific journals, publication requirements, international indexing, and increasing the citation rate of scientific works.

Savrina Ismatullohzoda, Chief Specialist of the Medical Sciences Attestation Department, briefed participants on the procedures for preparing attestation files, submitting documents to the Commission, timelines for dissertation review, and new requirements for scientific research.

During the seminar, special attention was paid to the use of the "Anti-Plagiarism" system. It was stated that preventing scientific theft and ensuring research transparency are paramount tasks for the scientific community, and every researcher must observe the principles of integrity and scientific ethics.

During the exchange of views, participants suggested that such educational events be held more frequently to further improve the functioning of dissertation councils, enhance the professionalism of researchers, and bring scientific research into alignment with international standards.

At the conclusion of the seminar, representatives of the Higher Attestation Commission provided specific answers to participants' questions and offered practical recommendations for eliminating existing shortcomings and improving the quality of scientific work. The training seminar was regarded as a significant foundation for strengthening scientific cooperation and perfecting the system of scientific personnel attestation in the field of medicine.