Baku: AZERTAC presents an interview with Nubar Jabrayil, a student of the International Relations faculty at ADA University who has been admitted to Imperial College London, ranked as the world's second-best university according to the QS World University Rankings.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Jabrayil began the application process early to ensure a timely decision. She submitted her application within a week and was surprised by the prompt interview invitation. Jabrayil found the experience of writing essays and compiling documents manageable due to her previous applications to foreign universities. However, choosing a research area proved challenging due to the wide array of environmental fields. An additional difficulty was managing the application process while being abroad, without the physical presence of her parents, who are her primary source of motivation.
Jabrayil chose the Environmental Economics and Policy track within the Environmental Technology programme because it aligns with her undergraduate background and research interests. The programme caters to individuals with experience in various fields, including economics, engineering, resource management, and social sciences.
Regarding Azerbaijan's ecological challenges, Jabrayil identifies water scarcity and Caspian Sea pollution as critical issues. These problems impact the environment, people's daily lives, economic activity, and long-term sustainability. Water resource depletion poses risks to agriculture, food security, and regional development, while Caspian Sea pollution affects biodiversity, marine ecosystems, and coastal habitats. Jabrayil believes that a deeper understanding of these causes and consequences through field-based research is essential for effective solutions.
Jabrayil advocates for economic approaches to address these challenges, such as designing policies for resource efficiency, considering pollution's economic costs, and aiming for sustainability. She suggests that effective tariff and regulatory mechanisms in water governance could be a suitable economic strategy. Additionally, Jabrayil is interested in fieldwork and using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to understand environmental problems better, aiding in policymaking. She is keen on exploring mechanisms to expedite desalination, innovative approaches suitable for Azerbaijan, and economic incentives to support such initiatives.