Baku: On February 18, AzerGold Closed Joint Stock Company hosted the award ceremony for the 2025-2026 academic year Scholarship Program for higher and vocational education students. The event was attended by Ilgar Jalilov, Member of the Executive Board - Deputy Chairman of 'AzerGold' CJSC, Firudin Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Education, Ilgar Bayramli, Director of the State Agency for Vocational Education, as well as rectors of higher education institutions and students. Ilgar Jalilov inaugurated the ceremony with opening remarks, congratulating the winners and wishing them success in their future professional life.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Ilgar Jalilov highlighted that the mining sector has been identified by President Ilham Aliyev as one of the three priority areas with investment potential in the country. He emphasized that strengthening human capital, training qualified specialists, and integrating youth into the production process are of strategic importance, and the Scholarship Program serves these goals.
To date, the program has selected 47 higher education and 52 vocational education students as scholarship recipients, with 13 already employed by the company. Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Education Firudin Gurbanov evaluated the scholarship programs as a contribution to the educational life of students and the enhancement of their knowledge and skills. He stated that such initiatives have an impact on the professional development of students, allowing them to adapt to a real work environment, acquire practical skills, and start their careers prepared.
Ilgar Bayramli, Director of the State Agency on Vocational Education, pointed out that joint activities aimed at training qualified personnel in vocational education, conducted within the framework of the memorandum of cooperation between the Agency and "AzerGold" since 2021, are yielding results. He emphasized that the effectiveness of the cooperation is ensured through a production-focused training model, synchronization of educational content with labour market expectations, and industry partnership mechanisms. Emin Zeynalli, a young geologist and winner of last year's Scholarship Program who is currently working at the state company, shared his impressions with the participants, discussing the role the program played in his professional development.
At the end of the event, certificates and commemorative gifts were presented to the winners of the Scholarship Program. For the 2025-2026 academic year, 9 students studying "Geology," "Mining Engineering," "Ecology," and "Metallurgy" from higher education institutions, and 15 students from vocational education institutions, were named winners of the "AzerGold" scholarship. Each winner will receive a monthly stipend and will have the opportunity to intern at the company's production sites, strengthening their practical skills by applying theoretical knowledge in a real work environment. All necessary organizational and methodological conditions will be provided for their future career development.