President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, attended the inauguration of the first campus of the Italy-Azerbaijan University in Baku on October 1.
Rector of ADA University Hafiz Pashayev briefed President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and President Sergio Mattarella on the new campus and the surrounding park. They then viewed an exhibition of agricultural products from Azerbaijan and Italy organized within the campus, The Caspian Post reports citing AZERTAC.
The initiative to establish the Italy-Azerbaijan University was proposed by President Ilham Aliyev during his 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 of Rome, Polytechnic University of Turin, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, and Polytechnic University of Milan. This collaboration brings Italy’s expertise in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, creative industries, craftsmanship, and technological development to Azerbaijan through education and research. It plays a crucial role in training future specialists for key sectors of Azerbaijan’s economy, particularly engineering, agriculture and the food industry, architecture, and design.
The foundation for the university buildings was laid in 2022 in Baku with the participation of the foreign ministers of both countries. Student admissions began in 2023 at the master’s level. Currently, 538 students are enrolled in 8 bachelor’s programs and 102 in 2 master’s programs, including three dual-degree specializations. The programs cover electrical and electronics engineering, architecture, interior and communication design, urban planning, agriculture and food technologies, animal husbandry, and various management fields. In addition to bachelor’s and master’s programs, professional development and certification courses for specialists are also offered.
The campus will feature classrooms along with 6 research laboratories and 7 teaching laboratories developed in collaboration with the University of Bologna and the Polytechnic University of Milan, equipped with modern technologies. It also includes a library with materials related to architecture and urban planning, landscape and photo-video studios, and various design workshops. The teaching workshop serves as a space for practical instruction, providing technological and digital capabilities for working with different materials. It will function as a collaborative space for students and researchers, with the results of their work shared with industry and business structures through a dedicated Design and Creativity Center - a hub where education and research meet the real business world.
The campus also features a “market square” symbolizing Azerbaijan’s historical role on the Silk Road. Once a year, students and faculty will gather here to present their projects to the business community. These exhibitions will foster trilateral cooperation between the university, industry, and the state at both local and international levels.
The implementation of this project is a testament to the high level of humanitarian cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy and reflects the close and sincere relations between the two nations. It also contributes to the development of Azerbaijan’s education system by incorporating Italian expertise.
After touring the campus facilities, President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and President Sergio Mattarella met with leaders of Italian universities visiting Azerbaijan, as well as professors and students of the Italy-Azerbaijan University.
