The Republic of Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Science and Higher Education have signed an additional strategic partnership with global higher education data and insights company Times Higher Education (THE) to continue collaborations in support of the development of the Eurasian country’s higher education sector.
A strong strategic focus on university impact from the State Agency has seen Azerbaijan increase its representation in the 2025 edition of the THE Impact Rankings by 56 per cent compared with the previous year’s edition. The rankings assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Carefully calibrated indicators provide comprehensive and balanced comparison across research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. This increased participation in the rankings demonstrates the country’s dedication to using Times Higher Education’s unique international data for performance benchmarking in support of the development of higher education institutions’ academic and scientific performance.
The partnership will ensure a leading presence for Azerbaijan at the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025 in Istanbul in June, where the results of the THE Impact Rankings 2025 will be launched and best practice on university impact will be explored. Azerbaijan will host a national pavilion at the congress, showcasing the diverse range of universities across the nation that are committed to supporting the sustainable development agenda and developing strategic partnerships with universities worldwide.
The State Agency will host the Times Higher Education Eurasia Universities Summit 2025 in September in Baku, Azerbaijan, as a flagship element of the new partnership with THE. The prestigious summit will bring together university leaders, policymakers and senior members of governmental and non-governmental organisations to explore and reap the potential of Eurasia as a rapidly emerging global hub for higher education at the nexus of the East and West.
Phil Baty, THE’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, said: “Our collaborations with the State Agency have been inspiring and rewarding, and are producing exciting outcomes. So I am delighted to further strengthen a long-term strategic collaboration that highlights the State Agency’s ambition to use trusted data to benchmark the country’s universities against international peers in order to reap the full potential of higher education.
“Our joint event in Baku will be a real highlight of a deep partnership – a great international leadership gathering to showcase and celebrate and support the emergence of Eurasia as one of the most exciting emerging international education hubs, and Azerbaijan’s position at the centre of that.”
Ulkar Sattarova, Director of the State Agency for Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said: “Through a strategic partnership with Times Higher Education, Azerbaijani universities are strengthening their global presence. We are excited about the upcoming initiatives that will further enhance their international impact.”