BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21. The AZEMBA
program has been designed taking into account Azerbaijan's needs
related to transformation, leadership and human capital
development, IE Business School Vice Dean at IE University Lucía
Egea said at the opening of the AZEMBA program of the IE Center for
Leadership and Innovation at ADA University, Trend's correspondent reports
from the event.


She said that AZEMBA is not simply another MBA program, but the
result of discussions between IE, PASHA Holding and SOCAR on
leadership, transformation and the skills organizations will need
in the future. “This is not just another MBA program – we call it
AZEMBA. This program is the result of deep and purposeful
discussions between IE, PASHA Holding and SOCAR on leadership,
transformation and the skills organizations will need in the coming
years,” Egea said.


According to her, the objectives of the program can be explained
around three key questions: “Why?”, “How?” and “For whom?”
Addressing the “Why?” question, the vice dean said Azerbaijan is
currently going through an important stage of development. She
noted that the country attaches strategic importance to
digitalization, innovation and human capital. At the same time,
Azerbaijan's location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia creates
both broad opportunities and certain complexities for the country.
“Leadership is particularly important at times of transformation.
Because transformation is not just about technology, it is about
organizations. Today, leaders are facing questions that we have
never encountered before,” she stressed.


Egea said the impact of artificial intelligence on
organizations, strategic decision-making amid changing assumptions,
managing geopolitical uncertainty and transforming companies are
among the key issues facing modern leaders.


She added that building sustainable business models and ensuring
sustained growth are also important challenges. “Perhaps the most
important question for those of you starting this journey today is:
How do we prepare ourselves not simply to react to change, but to
manage and shape it?” the vice dean asked.


Egea noted that the strategic vision of the AZEMBA program is
based on IE's core values, including entrepreneurship, diversity,
innovation and a humanistic approach.


According to her, the program is aimed not only at the
individual development of participants but also at having an impact
on the broader business ecosystem. “We do not see education as
something separate from the challenges of everyday business. When
we talk about the impact of this MBA program, we are not thinking
only about the 40 participants sitting here who will soon begin
their classes. We want this program to contribute to developing
stronger leaders and organizations that foster a broader business
ecosystem in Azerbaijan,” she said.


The vice dean emphasized the importance of the academic approach
and research-based teaching in the AZEMBA program. “An MBA program
should be enriching, but that is not enough. The goal is also to
connect complexities in different ways. This is when we learn to
operate comfortably in a world full of uncertainty,” Egea said.







She said program participants will learn to approach business
challenges from different perspectives, including finance,
operations and digitalization, while also developing the ability to
integrate these areas with one another. “That is why this program
has been fully tailored to your needs and specifically designed for
you,” she added.


Addressing the “How?” question, Egea said the program was
developed in cooperation with the management of PASHA Holding and
SOCAR. According to her, IE Business School's Global MBA program
was taken as the main academic basis for the process. “We took our
Global MBA program, which is ranked first in the world, as the
starting point. We then spent a great deal of time understanding
the priorities and capabilities of both major corporations and the
holding. We held numerous discussions with management and
government institutions,” she said.


The vice dean noted that the discussions focused on which
components of the Global MBA program should be retained, which
should be adapted to the Azerbaijani context and what new elements
should be added to the program. “That is why this program retains
the academic foundation of our Global MBA program while also
incorporating important components specifically designed for you,”
Egea stressed.


She said four modules of the AZEMBA program will be held in
Baku, with an additional module in Madrid.


According to the vice dean, adapting the program's content to
local needs and connecting international academic experience with
Azerbaijan's business environment are among the key features of
AZEMBA.


The AZEMBA program of the IE Center for Leadership and
Innovation was launched with the support of the Ministries of
Economy and Science and Education and in partnership with PASHA
Holding, SOCAR and Spain's IE University. Under the program,
participants will receive education based on international
experience in areas including digital transformation, artificial
intelligence, sustainable development, innovation, leadership and
modern management.