Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev (Azerbaijani: İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is an Azerbaijani politician who is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, in office since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, Non Aligned Movement and the head of Azerbaijan's National Olympic Committee.
Aliyev was born on 24 December 1961 in Baku. His grandfather was politician Aziz Aliyev. He is the son of ophthalmologist and academician Zarifa Aliyeva and Heydar Aliyev, who was his predecessor as President of Azerbaijan, serving from 1993 to 2003.
He went to Secondary School No. 6 in Baku between 1967 and 1977. In 1977, Aliyev entered the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-MSIIR) and in 1982 continued his education as a postgraduate. In 1985 he received a PhD degree in history. From 1985 to 1990 Aliyev lectured at MSUIR. From 1991 to 1994, he led a group of private industrial-commercial enterprises.