On September 11, the gala night of the forum on the topic of "Prioritising climate action on the global higher education agenda" organized by Times Higher Education (THE), Sumgayit State University and Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, took place at SSU.
Representatives of the State Agency for Science and Higher Education, Times Higher Education and both higher education institutions took part in the event.
The Rector of SSU, Rufat Azizov, opened the event by welcoming the guests and participants and providing information about Sumgayit as an industrial city, along with the development of Sumgayit State University. He highlighted the significance of hosting a prestigious event like COP29 in Azerbaijan and emphasized the importance of forums like this as part of the preparations for the conference. The rector also noted that the forum would focus on discussing university agendas and their upcoming responsibilities related to “green skills”.
Ulkar Sattarova, Director of the State Agency for Science and Higher Education; Nick Pirog, Chief Operating Officer of the Times Higher Education; and Vazeh Asgarov, Rector of Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, spoke at the event, emphasizing the urgency of the forum"s topic. They noted that the forum would provide universities with an opportunity to expand their influence in the global arena for achieving sustainable development goals.
In the entertainment segment of the event, music and dance performances were delivered by talented students of the university, as well as the teachers from Sumgayit Music College.
The guests then toured the Heydar Aliyev Center at SSU, where they received detailed information about the national leader"s life and achievements. They later visited the university"s “Educational Museum” and the “Educational Polygon” on electro energetics. The guests also had the opportunity to view innovative start-up projects developed by the university"s faculty and students.