Over the course of six days in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, NOVA University Lisbon strengthened its ties with higher education institutions and established new collaborations with a direct impact on students. Discussions included exchange programmes, internships, and joint degrees, opening doors to academic and professional experiences in multicultural contexts. This journey was not only geographical, but also academic and human — reinforcing NOVA’s role as a global university.
The visit began in Baku on 9 June, with a meeting at ADA University, where Rector João Sàágua and Vice-Rector João Amaro de Matos were welcomed by Vice-Rector Fariz Ismailzade. Discussions focused on potential collaborations at the Master’s level in the fields of health management, data science, cybersecurity, and law and regulation.
On 10 June, a meeting was held with the State Agency for Science and Higher Education of Azerbaijan, represented by Ulker Sattarova and Muzhdat M. Hasanov, and attended by Professor Shahin Bayramov, Rector of Karabakh University. Opportunities for collaboration with local institutions were explored, including the development of joint degrees, student and researcher mobility programmes, capacity-building initiatives, and strategies to enhance the international visibility and competitiveness of Azerbaijani higher education.
Later that day, at Baku Higher Oil School, negotiations began for the signing of a memorandum of understanding, aiming to implement NOVA’s degree in renewable energies in partnership with NOVA School of Science and Technology, with the support of its Dean, José Alferes.
The Azerbaijani mission concluded on 11 June with the signing of a cooperation protocol with Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, in a meeting between Vice-Rector João Amaro de Matos and Rector Rufat Azizov. Priority areas include data science, computer engineering, and energy engineering, with particular emphasis on the potential introduction of the transversal and interdisciplinary module “Sustainability for All”, developed by the team led by Pro-Rector for Sustainability, Júlia Seixas.
In Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on 12 June, NOVA initiated a new collaboration with Nordic International University. Discussions included joint Master’s programmes in sustainable urbanism and spatial planning (in partnership with NOVA FCT and NOVA FCSH), a double-degree project in communication and media (NOVA FCSH), and the integration of Uzbek students into Nova SBE’s Executive Education programmes.
The mission concluded in Samarkand on 14 June with a visit to the Samarkand Bukhara Silk Carpets factory, known for annually hosting students from Karlsruhe University, Germany, for 10-day technical internships. The owner, Abdulahad Badghisi, expressed interest in welcoming NOVA students under similar conditions, paving the way for future collaborations in the fields of arts (NOVA FCSH), restoration (NOVA FCT), and engineering.
VA School of Science and Technology.
The mission in Azerbaijan concluded with the signing of a cooperation protocol with the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University. Priority areas include data science, computer engineering, and energy engineering, with a special focus on the possible introduction of the cross-cutting module ‘Sustainability for All’, developed by the team of the Pro-Rector responsible for Sustainability, Júlia Seixas
In Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, NOVA launched a new collaboration with the Nordic International University. Discussions included joint master’s programmes in sustainable urbanism and spatial planning, a dual degree in communication and media, and the integration of Uzbek students into Nova SBE’s Executive Education programmes.
The mission ended in Samarkand, on 14 June, with a visit to the Samarkand Bukhara Silk Carpets factory, which annually hosts students from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, for technical internships. The owner, Abdulahad Badghisi, expressed interest in welcoming NOVA students under similar arrangements, paving the way for future collaboration in the fields of arts, restoration, and engineering.
