Kanan Karimzada: African students receive support from Azerbaijani programs

Students from African countries receive support from the government of Azerbaijan through various educational programs, including the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant, stated Deputy Minister of Science and Education Kanan Karimzada at the conference dedicated to Africa Day 2026: "A Growing Continent, New Partnerships" on Monday in Baku, Report informs.

According to him, years later, foreign students who studied in Azerbaijan will remember the friendships, the experiences gained, and the sense of hospitality they felt here: "And this is perhaps the most valuable investment any country can make. As a citizen of Azerbaijan, I am also proud that many African students come to study in Azerbaijan through scholarship programs."

Karimzada noted that today Africa is one of the youngest, most dynamic, and most promising regions in the world.

"The future of global development, innovation, and even world demographics will largely be determined by Africa's perspectives and development. That is why cooperation in the fields of education, science, technology, vocational training, and innovation is becoming increasingly important," he said.

According to him, Azerbaijan believes that together with African countries, it can achieve significant results in these areas.

The deputy minister added that Azerbaijan well understands the importance of investing in human capital: "Over the past decades, our country has undergone large-scale transformations and development, and education has always remained one of the key pillars of our progress."

Karimzada emphasized the importance of holding the conference, which brought together diplomats, representatives of the academic community, students, experts, and policymakers. According to him, the event served as a platform not only for discussing existing challenges but also for generating new ideas and partnerships for the future.

He noted that education remains one of the few areas that truly unite people: "It creates dialogue instead of distance, understanding instead of stereotypes, and partnership instead of isolation."