BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) views the IE Leadership and Innovation Center as a long-term strategic investment, SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf said at the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding on the center's establishment with the Spanish IE University in Baku, Trend reports.
According to him, for over 180 years, the oil industry has made a significant contribution to the country's development, but today, the strategic priority must be the formation of a new generation of leaders and the development of human potential.
"The time has come for Azerbaijan to focus not only on traditional natural resources but also on the development of knowledge and human capital, which will be key to Azerbaijan's future growth," he said.
Najaf emphasized that the joint initiative, involving IE International University, the private sector, and SOCAR, aims to create a world-class center of leadership and innovation in Azerbaijan.
"The leaders of the future are not just managers, but visionaries who create trends and transform industries," he noted.
The company president also thanked government agencies and private partners for their support of the project, emphasizing that such initiatives are only possible through close cooperation between the state, business, and academia.
He added that SOCAR views the project as a long-term strategic investment, the results of which will be tangible for decades to come.
According to him, the new center should become a platform where Azerbaijani youth can receive a world-class education without leaving the country.
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