BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 20. Azerbaijan is undergoing a transition towards a non-oil economy with the agricultural and food sectors potentially playing a major role, said Matteo Vittuari, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences at ADA University, Trend reports.
Addressing the launching ceremony of the new Italian-Azerbaijani University program at ADA University, Vittuari highlighted the main sectors, saying: “Azerbaijan is transitioning to a non-oil economy, and agriculture and the food industry can play a crucial role in this process. To support this transition, the government of Azerbaijan has decided to invest in the development of skills in the agricultural sector.”
He further explained that the School of Agricultural and Food Science lays its foundations in the Italy-Azerbaijan University project and takes advantage of a strategic relation with the departments of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of the University of Bologna in Italy. New educational programs were introduced in 2023, and in October 2024, two undergraduate programs in agricultural technologies and new technologies, as well as a master's program in agricultural and food systems management, were launched.
“The Master's program in agricultural and food systems management will be the first dual degree program between ADA University and the University of Bologna in 2025. In addition, in 2025, we will continue our initiatives by launching an undergraduate program in animal husbandry, designed to train specialists in livestock, with a focus on creating new positions and competencies for professionals in this field,” he said.
Vittuari emphasized that we want to empower our students through a blend of theoretical and practical knowledge that will take advantage of the work in labs, internships, and field settings.
''The School of Agricultural and Food Science will benefit from a new building that should be inaugurated in the second part of 2025 and will host high-tech laboratories. Regions receive special attention from the School. We acknowledge that moving from the regions to Baku might represent a challenge so we are working with companies and local authorities to identify new scholarship opportunities, he added.
“Moreover, ADA University is providing new opportunities for students, including new teaching methods, laboratories, and experimental fields, to stimulate their development and involvement in research and practical work,” he added.
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