The 15^th International Conference of Young Folklorists was held in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on October 1–3, 2026. Dedicated to the theme “Transcending Boundaries, Connecting Worlds” the prestigious academic event brought together young researchers in the field of folklore studies.

Amil Azimli, a full-time doctoral student at the Department of Folklore Theory of the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), participated in the conference with a scholarly presentation.

The young researcher made presented a paper entitled “The Hero Model in Azerbaijani and Slovenian Folklore: A Comparative-Typological Analysis”. The paper provided an in-depth comparative-typological analysis of epic texts belonging to the folklore traditions of the South Caucasus and Southeastern Europe.

At the outset, the researcher highlighted common layers of mythological thought and archetypal structures manifested in the heroic traditions of the two peoples, with particular emphasis on the context of the epic “Koroglu”.

At the presentation the historical and cultural transformation of heroic figures, differences shaped by religious, political and social factors, as well as their functions in collective memory in terms of social protest and the pursuit of social justice were studied.

It was noted that, despite emerging in different geographical and ethno-cultural environments, the moral and ethical codes of folk heroes and their models of resistance to oppression demonstrate universal parallels. The presentation was met with interest by the conference participants and was followed by a discussion on the topic.