Rector Giovanni Molari Attends the Inauguration of the New Italian-Azerbaijani University Campus

On 1 October, the Rector of the University of Bologna, Giovanni Molari, the Vice Rector for International Relations, Raffaella Campaner, and Professor Matteo Vittuari, from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Dean of the ADA School of Agricultural and Food Science, attended the inauguration ceremony of the new Italian-Azerbaijani University Campus in Baku, alongside the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

The opening of the new campus marks a new phase in the collaboration between the University of Bologna and ADA University, which has already resulted in three bachelor’s degree programmes and one master’s degree programme in the field of agricultural and food sciences, with over 250 Azerbaijani and international students currently enrolled.

(Photo: Presidenza della Repubblica)

Since August 2023, more than 20 University of Bologna faculty members and professional staff have been involved, alternating between Baku and Bologna, providing key contributions to the development of academic programmes, the establishment of laboratories and experimental fields, and the organisation of professional training activities.

A significant element of the collaboration is represented by the 15 Azerbaijani PhD students who, thanks to scholarships funded by their government, have begun research projects within the University’s departments. Within this framework, numerous collaborations have also been promoted with Italian and Azerbaijani companies and civil society organisations, thus creating a platform for dialogue between research, teaching, business, and the community.

All these initiatives are contributing to increasing mobility among both students and faculty between the University of Bologna and Azerbaijani universities and institutions, in an international collaboration built on shared values such as academic excellence, social responsibility, and inclusivity.

(Photo: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan)