Today, SOCAR and its partners in the South Caucasus Pipeline Company (SCPC) jointly with Khazar University have launched a “Development Economics Academy” project.
As part of this project 20 participants will join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) “Data, Economics and Development Policy” MicroMaster Program.
Professors from Khazar University and other local higher education institutions will help selected 20 students to succeed in the MIT MicroMaster Program through weekly facilitation classes in 5 subjects such as: Microeconomics; Data Analysis for Social Scientists; Foundations of Development Policy: Advanced Development Economics; Political Economy and Economic Development; Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations.
Hamlet Isakhanli, Founder of Khazar University and Chairman of its Board of Directors and Trustees, noted that, he expects a great interest in this program, thus Khazar University and SOCAR working together, will ensure the selection of best students via several stages of tests and interviews. He also expressed his hope that the graduates of this program will make significant contribution to the development of Azerbaijan.
Fuad M. Ahmadov, Executive Director of SOCAR Midstream Operations LLC (SOCAR Midstream), underlined that the main purpose of this project is to develop young professionals who will be able to interpret ever growing data, comprehensively analyze it from the economics perspective and provide recommendations for timely inputs and interventions to the ongoing and upcoming state programs to successfully implement national development strategies.
Based on the success of the first stage of this project it is expected to support students annually for this and similar programs on a rolling basis.