Shahmar Hajiyahyayev: WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 strengthens Azerbaijan's international position

The international competition WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 on cybersecurity, which will be held in Shanghai, China on September 22-27, 2026, further strengthens Azerbaijan's position in the international arena.

Shahmar Hajiyahyayev, Head of the Information Security Department at the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDa), told Report in an interview.

Hajiyahyayev noted that it increases interest in the cybersecurity field in the country and, most importantly, makes a serious contribution to human capital development: "In recent years, the rapid development of the cybersecurity field in Azerbaijan has been clearly observed. This development is the result of consistent and purposeful steps taken at the state level. In particular, the Cybersecurity Strategy for 2023-2027 approved by the President's decree confirms that this direction has become one of the national priorities for the country. Increasing personnel potential, developing human resources, adopting international experience, and creating local technological solutions are among the main targets within the framework of the strategy. As a result of this policy, a cyber ecosystem has already begun to form in Azerbaijan. However, the most important condition for the sustainable and effective functioning of this environment is the training of highly qualified personnel, in other words, 'cyber soldiers'. In the modern era, the security of countries is measured both by borders and by the level of digital defense."

The IDDA official added that in order to prepare specialists who will represent Azerbaijan at the international event, the Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center has started the preparation process within the framework of joint cooperation between the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) and the State Agency for Vocational Education. Currently, 170 people have applied to participate in the competition, and there are only a few days left until the end of the selection phase. This number is expected to reach 200.

"During the selection, participants' practical knowledge and cybersecurity skills, as well as possession of existing certificates, are taken into account. Preference is also given to individuals who have previously participated in such international competitions," he noted.

Hajiyahyayev noted that WorldSkills is not limited to just one field - it covers dozens of different professional directions including industry and education: "In recent years, cybersecurity has also been included in this list, becoming one of the most relevant and strategic areas of the competition. Against the background of the expansion of the digital world, the importance of this direction has rapidly increased and has already become an integral part of WorldSkills.

In previous years, 70-80 countries participated in competitions in various professional fields. For cybersecurity, 20-25 countries sent their teams. Some technologically advanced countries - for example, China, South Korea, Japan, and others - are represented at the competition with several teams (sometimes 10-12).

Currently, Azerbaijan participates with one team in this field."