BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 15. Azerbaijan is shaping
a new model of urban development, Elchin Babayev, rector of Baku
State University said at an international conference on “Shaping
Human Capital for Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development” in
Baku, Trend
reports.
"We are witnessing a transformation in which cities are not only
being rebuilt but also reimagined. From the reconstruction of
territories liberated from occupation to the implementation of
‘smart city’ and ‘smart village’ concepts, Azerbaijan is shaping a
new model of urban development. This progress gives us not only
confidence but also responsibility," he said.
Babayev noted that today we must ask ourselves the key question:
are current education and training systems preparing people capable
of sustaining this transformation over the next 20, 30, and even 50
years?
"Cities fail not because of a lack of plans, but because of a
lack of capacity—when urban planners do not understand climate
risks, when economies ignore spatial inequality, and when engineers
create systems that citizens cannot use. They fail when data exists
but no one knows how to interpret it," the rector emphasized.
According to him, it is important today to move from discussions
to practical action.
“We must develop interdisciplinary programs in the field of
urban studies,” Babayev said.
