Opening of Azerbaijani-Turkish University - step towards international cooperation, chairman says

Erol Ozvar, Chairman of Türkiye’s Higher Education Council (YÖK), has described the upcoming inauguration of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye University in Baku as a historic event.

Speaking at a press conference at Gazi University in the Turkish capital İstanbul, Ozvar emphasized that the new university, scheduled to open in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on September 23, represents a significant milestone in international educational cooperation for Türkiye, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Ozvar revealed that Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan are expected to address the attendees of the university’s opening ceremony.

He highlighted that the initiative to establish the modern university in Azerbaijan has received strong support from leading Turkish universities, including Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), Middle East Technical University (ÖDTÜ), and Hacettepe University.

Ozvar expressed confidence that the Azerbaijan-Türkiye University will serve as a successful example of a new international model for universities.

He noted that this university in Baku will operate differently from the Kyrgyz-Turkish University “Manas” and the Kazakh-Turkish University of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.

“The leading universities of Türkiye will contribute their expertise to the Azerbaijan-Türkiye University in their strongest fields. This model of university operation is being implemented for the first time, and we plan to extend this model to other countries in the coming years,” Ozvar said.

He also drew attention to the high level of higher education in Türkiye, noting with pride that five Turkish universities have been included in the QS World University Rankings 2025 top 500.