Azerbaijani scholar: Reading shaped me

On April 21, China Daily and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) co-hosted the 2025 World Book Day event under the theme "The Power of Reading." Among the featured speakers was Agshin Aliyev, director of Azerbaijani Language Teaching and Research Office at BFSU, who shared his personal journey with reading.

Aliyev recalled that in 2003, as a young student, he bought a copy of The Analects of Confucius for just three yuan — a book he couldn't understand at the time. Yet, he made a vow to one day fully comprehend it and eventually translate it into Azerbaijani.

"Reading is magical because it's like a seed," he said. "It takes root and blossoms in your heart as your life experience deepens. We read to live with clarity and brilliance."