On September 12, a forum titled "Prioritising Climate Action on the Global Higher Education Agenda" began, co-organized by the Ministry of Science and Education and the global higher education data company Times Higher Education (THE), with the cooperation of Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU) and Sumgayit State University (SSU).
The Minister of Science and Education, Emin Amrullayev, emphasized that hosting COP 29 in Baku is a historic event for Azerbaijan. He noted that significant steps are being taken in Azerbaijan, the cradle of oil, to transform "black gold" into "human gold" and ensure the transition to renewable energy sources, aligning with modern challenges. He also pointed out that this forum serves as a platform to showcase the contributions and capabilities of Azerbaijani education in addressing climate change. The minister mentioned plans to include environmental literacy in PISA assessments and expressed hope that the forum would be beneficial for Azerbaijani universities and the education system as a whole.
Deputy Minister of Energy and CEO of COP29, Elnur Soltanov, highlighted the political and economic advantages of countries coming together ahead of COP 29 to unite their efforts. Praising the collaboration between Azerbaijani higher education institutions and foreign universities, scientists, and experts, Soltanov emphasized the need for the active participation of the scientific community in climate change discussions at COP29 and the importance of their input.
Welcoming the forum participants to the university, the Acting Rector of ASOIU, Associate Professor Vazeh Asgarov, noted the significant tasks ahead for higher education institutions in addressing the current climate challenges, particularly during the Green World Solidarity Year and the upcoming COP 29. He mentioned that ASOIU is the first university in Azerbaijan to offer a master's program in renewable energy and stressed the active efforts being made to transform energy resources into human capital. He expressed confidence that the forum would make a significant contribution to this noble mission.
The Rector of SSU, Associate Professor Rufat Azizov, stated that universities play a key role in responding to the critical challenges posed by climate change. He emphasized the importance of higher education institutions, not only in education but also in their influence on society and decision-making processes. Azizov underlined the necessity of establishing a joint agenda for local and foreign universities in this direction.
Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer of the THE, stressed that as the world reaches the brink of climate disasters due to climate change, it is crucial to take action for the future. He stated that to ensure sustainable development in this regard, the world's scientists, researchers, and universities must come together, make decisions, and fulfill their commitments. Baty also noted that global universities are moving to new data-driven systems, with 18 Azerbaijani universities joining this process.
The forum, which continued with panel discussions, featured participants such as Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, Vice President of bp for the Caspian Region, Nargiz Hajiyeva, Country Director of the British Council Azerbaijan, Samir Mammadov, Country Representative of the United Nations Global Compact, Nigar Arpadarai, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29, and Fariz Ismailzade, Vice-Rector of ADA University. They, along with other high-ranking guests, university leaders, policymakers, and senior representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations, discussed how climate change shapes people's lives and ways to mitigate its negative effects.
It should be noted that the forum, held in the run-up to the COP29 summit, aims to discuss pressing issues related to climate change, propose effective solutions, and strengthen collaboration between scientists, industry leaders, students, and the public in this field.
