AIH, UNEC sign Memorandum of Cooperation

Azerbaijan Investment Holding (AIH) and Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC) have signed a memorandum of cooperation in a ceremony, attended by UNEC Rector Dr. Adalat Muradov and AIH CEO Mr. Ruslan Alikhanov and representatives of both institutions.

Rector Muradov expressed his appreciation for the cooperation between AIH and UNEC and his gratitude to the leadership of AIH.

In his speech, highlighting the importance of collaboration between the university and the business world, he pointed out the existing problems in this field. 

Dr. Muradov noted that employers complain about the lack of specialists who meet the demands of the labor market, while the universities do not receive any proposals from employers regarding their requirements. He further emphasized the issue of the business world not recognizing certificates obtained through short-term training as equivalent to academic degrees. 

He expressed hope that AIH’s support to this initiative could initiate public discussions and give an additional boost to the development of the educational services market.

In his turn, CEO Ruslan Alikhanov expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation with UNEC and pointed out that 22% of the employees at AIH are UNEC graduates. 

Alikhanov talked about the relationship between the business world and educational institutions, as well as the competence and skills required of graduates. He expressed his confidence that cooperation with UNEC would be beneficial for both parties.

After the speeches, Rector Dr. Muradov and AIH CEO Mr. Alikhanov signed the Memorandum of Cooperation.

The memorandum envisages the organization of events in the field of management, banking, finance and corporate management, implementation of projects to ensure the continuous development of students' knowledge and skills, cooperation in the areas of mutual interest included in state programs and national action plans for the development of the private sector. 

Moreover, the memorandum also covers opportunities for student internships and recruitment at AIH, commissioned projects, thesis and research work, job postings on the job.unec.edu.az platform, utilization of UNEC's Bloomberg Finance laboratory, joint distance learning, implementation of social responsibility projects, organization of conferences, training, master classes and seminars, as well as cooperation opportunities in other areas.