The opening of the first academic buildings of the Italy-Azerbaijan University was held in Baku. On October 1, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva, and the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who was on an official visit to Azerbaijan, attended the opening ceremony of the first academic buildings of the Italy-Azerbaijan University.

The Rector of ADA University, Hafiz Pashayev, briefed President Ilham Aliyev, First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella about the newly constructed academic buildings and the park created around them.

This was followed by a visit to an exhibition in the academic building featuring agricultural products from Azerbaijan and Italy.

It should be noted that the initiative to establish the Italy-Azerbaijan University was proposed by President Ilham Aliyev during a state visit to Italy in 2020. To implement the project, academic cooperation agreements were signed in 2022 between ADA University and five leading Italian higher education institutions – Luiss Guido Carli University, Sapienza University, Polytechnic University of Turin, University of Bologna, and Polytechnic University of Milan. This collaboration brings to Azerbaijan, through education and research, the Italian experience in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, creative industries, craftsmanship, and technological development, playing a key role in training future specialists in strategic sectors of Azerbaijan’s economy, particularly in engineering, agriculture and food industry, architecture, and design.

The foundation of the Italy-Azerbaijan University buildings was laid in 2022 in Baku with the participation of the foreign ministers of both countries. Student admissions at the university began in 2023 at the master’s level. Currently, 538 undergraduate and 102 master’s students are enrolled across eight bachelor’s and two master’s programs. Three of the programs are dual-degree programs. The curriculum covers electrical and electronics engineering, architecture, interior and communication design, urban planning, agricultural and food technologies, animal husbandry, and various management programs. In addition to bachelor’s and master’s programs, regular professional development and certification programs are also conducted for professionals.

In addition to classrooms, the academic buildings will host six research laboratories and seven teaching laboratories, established in collaboration with Italy’s University of Bologna and Polytechnic University of Milan, equipped with modern technologies. The facilities include a library with architectural materials, urban planning, landscape, and photo-video studios, and various design workshops. The newly built teaching workshops are spaces for practical instruction, equipped with technological and digital tools for working with different materials. These workshops serve as collaborative spaces for students and researchers, and their joint work will be delivered to industry and business structures through a special Design and Creativity Center. In short, this is a hub where education and research are combined with the real-world professional environment.

The “market square” in the academic building reflects that Azerbaijan was part of the historical “Silk Road.” Once a year, university students and faculty will come together in this space to present their projects in competitions, showcasing them to the business environment. These exhibitions will serve trilateral cooperation between the university, industry, and the state, both locally and internationally.

The implementation of this project reflects the high level of humanitarian cooperation between our countries and demonstrates the close ties between us. It also contributes to the development of Azerbaijan’s education system by utilizing Italian expertise.

After familiarizing themselves with the conditions created in the academic buildings, President Ilham Aliyev, First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella met with the heads of Italian universities visiting Azerbaijan, as well as the professors and students of the Italy-Azerbaijan University.

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