February 21st-26th, a delegation from MGIMO went to Baku while the visiting module of the MBA program «International Oil and Gas Business» of the School of Business and International Proficiency was unfolding in the same place.

The delegation was led by the University’s Vice-Rector for General Affairs Artem Malgin and included the Head of International Complex Problems of Natural Resources Use and Ecology Department Ruslan Aliyev, the Head of the School of Business and International Proficiency Angelika Mirzoyeva and the Academic Supervisor of the MBA program specialization «International Oil and Gas Business» Maria Belova.

Among the 22 MBA students, there were representatives of major Russian, Kazakh and Azerbaijani oil and gas, finance and investment corporations. During their visit, the students attended lectures by Azerbaijani professors and company directors. An intensive cultural and educational program was prepared for the students who visited on their first day the Sangachal terminal — an industrial complex consisting of a natural gas processing and oil production plant as well as the Petroleum Waste Management Center.

On their second day, a visit was organized to the Baku Higher Oil School, where the guests met with its Rector Elmar Gasimov, who gave a talk about the history of the establishment and noted he highly valued cooperation with MGIMO. Artem Malgin expressed his gratitude at being invited to visit Baku Higher Oil School, which has in a short time achieved so much. The management of both universities had an interview during which the sides discussed opportunities to expand their partnership and signed a Cooperation Agreement between MGIMO and Baku Higher Oil School.

The guests also had a two-hour meeting with Valeh Alasgarov, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Azerbaijan and Head of the Committee for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, who shared his professional experience with the students. The guests visited the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA), one of the leading universities in the country and met with the Rector of the University, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev. The MGIMO delegation discussed with ADA representatives the paths to expand cooperation between the two universities and questions surrounding the launch of a joint MBA in finance and banking and the creation of a summer school.

MBA students met with the Director of the Port of Baku and went on a trip to Sumgait Industrial Park, SOCAR Karbamid and SOCAR Polymer plants, where they were greeted by the directors and shown around. The guests also met with members of the MGIMO Alumni Association in Azerbaijan.

The MGIMO delegation took part in a videoconference between the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Economy and Industry of Azerbaijan. A myriad of subjects were discussed including the opening of a branch of Russia’s leading economic university in Azerbaijan. MGIMO expressed its readiness to implement in Baku programs to train experts in international finance and banking, international transport operations, financial and commercial law.

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