BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21.
Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR is expanding employees' access
to international education and professional development
opportunities, SOCAR Vice President Zaur Gurbanov said today, as he
addressed the opening of the "AZEMBA" program of the IE Center for
Leadership and Innovation at ADA University, Trend's correspondent reports
from the event.
He said that the "Global MBA" program, implemented
with SOCAR's support, includes 16 company employees and eight
participants selected from international markets through a
competitive selection process.
"The program was met with great interest, with
hundreds of applications received from highly qualified
professionals. This high level of interest reflects the growing
desire of Azerbaijani talent to engage in continuous learning, gain
international experience and develop the knowledge and skills
needed to contribute to the future of their organizations and our
country," Gurbanov said.
According to him, participants were selected through a
transparent and competitive process in line with established
quotas.
Gurbanov noted that one of the initiative's key
features is the combination of Azerbaijan's business experience
with the academic capabilities and global perspective of IE
University.
"Today's ceremony brings together two key priorities
at the heart of SOCAR's approach to human capital development:
investing in people and building meaningful international
partnerships," the SOCAR vice president said.
He said SOCAR is undergoing a transformation, with
operations spanning more than 15 countries and a workforce of more
than 70,000 employees.
"We are rapidly and systematically transforming into a
data-driven, diversified and integrated regional energy company.
Our forward-looking strategic vision is aligned with our deep
commitment to innovation, new technologies, artificial intelligence
and the transition to green energy," Gurbanov said.
According to him, human capital development is one of
the key areas of this transformation.
"At SOCAR, we approach this transformation as a
comprehensive ecosystem. We are guided by the principles of a fair
and people-centered transition. This means that no talent should be
left behind amid innovation; instead, every young person and every
employee should become an active participant in this transition,"
he said.
Gurbanov also spoke about SOCAR's projects aimed at
expanding the exchange of knowledge and expertise with
international partners.
"Today, SOCAR is building a knowledge-transfer
ecosystem with leading companies and individuals. We implement
management programs jointly with Germany's GIZ and organize
cultural and educational exchange projects. Through our partnership
with Japan's JCCCP in technical and management fields, we place
particular emphasis on supporting women's leadership and promoting
inclusion," the SOCAR vice president said.
He added that, under a memorandum signed with
Türkiye's TPAO, joint seminars are being held in geology, drilling
and other engineering fields, while vocational education,
scholarship and practical training programs are also being
implemented.
"Through these steps, we are turning our workforce
into one of the region's largest centers of knowledge and talent,"
Gurbanov said.
The SOCAR vice president also highlighted the
contribution of the "Study Abroad Scholarship Program" to the
professional development of the company's employees.
According to him, the program gives employees the
opportunity to pursue higher education at leading international
universities in priority fields aligned with the company's
strategic vision and needs.
"Since its establishment, SOCAR has made significant
investments in international education through this program and
supported 380 participants. Among them are 18 executives who have
completed or are currently pursuing Executive MBA programs at
prestigious institutions such as Chicago Booth, IMD, IE University
and Columbia Business School," he said.
Gurbanov noted that graduates of the program are
already serving in managerial and other positions of responsibility
at SOCAR and across the broader industry.
He said SOCAR's human capital development programs
have also received international recognition.
"This year, the program received an award from the
Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards. This is further evidence
of our commitment to developing world-class talent and investing in
the skills that will shape our future," the SOCAR vice president
said.
Gurbanov noted that SOCAR is also expanding
cooperation with leading international educational
institutions.
"International partnerships with prestigious
institutions such as IMD, Klaus University, Sabancı University and
Duke University bring global experience and best practices to the
fields of leadership, management, energy and technical education,"
he said.
The SOCAR vice president also highlighted the
development of the higher education ecosystem in Azerbaijan as one
of the company's priorities.
"At the same time, SOCAR places particular importance
on strengthening the higher education ecosystem within Azerbaijan.
Our partnerships with educational institutions such as ADA
University, Karabakh University and Sumgait State University are a
clear example of this. These partnerships support education,
research, innovation and knowledge exchange, while creating broad
opportunities for young people to develop their skills and
contribute to the regions where they live," Gurbanov added.
