SOCAR strengthens Azerbaijan’s role as regional knowledge, talent hub

Azerbaijan is strengthening its position as one of the region’s leading centres of knowledge and talent, with SOCAR playing a key role in advancing human capital and education, Vice President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Zaur Gurbanov said.

At the opening of the AZEMBA program of the IE Center for Leadership and Innovation, held with the support of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Science and Education in partnership with SOCAR and Spain’s IE University, he highlighted SOCAR’s expanding cooperation with leading international companies and organisations in education and knowledge exchange, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“We are implementing joint management programs with the German company Uniper, and organizing cultural and educational exchange projects. We cooperate with the Japanese organization JCCP in technical and management spheres, and pay special attention to the development of women's leadership qualities and the promotion of inclusivity. In addition, under a memorandum with the Turkish company TPAO, we hold mutual seminars on geology, drilling, and other engineering fields, and provide young people with vocational education programs, scholarships, and internships in Türkiye. All this contributes to the development of human potential and strengthening Azerbaijan's role as one of the leading regional centers of knowledge and talent,” he said.

Gurbanov also pointed to the role of SOCAR’s scholarship program for studying abroad in advancing the professional development of the company’s employees.

“For many years, SOCAR has been investing in international education through this program. The program has supported 380 participants, including 18 executives who have graduated or are currently studying in Executive MBA programs at such leading educational institutions as Chicago Booth, IMD, IE University, and Columbia Business School. Many graduates now hold senior positions in SOCAR and the industry as a whole,” Gurbanov said.

He also drew attention to the international recognition of SOCAR’s human capital development initiatives.

“This year, the program received the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Award, which confirms our commitment to developing world-class talent and investing in human potential. International cooperation with institutions such as IMD, Bogazici University, Sabanci University, and Baker Hughes allows us to attract international expertise in leadership, management, energy, and technical education. At the same time, SOCAR pays special attention to the development of higher education in Azerbaijan by collaborating with ADA University, Karabakh University, and Nakhchivan State University,” he added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada