The first meeting and opening ceremony of the Board of Directors of the Sustainable Development and Green Economy Research Center, named after Nizami Ganjavi, established at UNEC, took place.
During the meeting of the Management Board, which included representatives from the public sector, private sector, academia, and NGOs, discussions centered around the key areas of work and activities of the Center. Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Vugar Karimov, was elected as the Chairman of the Management Board.
Following the meeting, UNEC Rector Professor Adalat Muradov, members of the Center’s Board of Directors, official representatives, and executives from both public and private institutions participated in the official opening of the Center.
During his address at the opening event, Rector Adalat Muradov noted that the establishment of the Center was based on a recommendation arising from the UNEC International Conference held in Ganja to commemorate the 880th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi. He highlighted that the Center would conduct research contributing to the future socio-economic development of the country. Rector Muradov also emphasized the importance of concepts such as “smart village,” “smart city,” and green energy in the reconstruction of Karabakh. He stated that these approaches are novel for Azerbaijan and that one of the key directions of the Center’s activities is to introduce innovative global practices to the country.
Vugar Karimov, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and Chairman of the Management Board of the Center, emphasized that the development of the “green economy” has been identified as one of the main directions in “Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development.” He stressed that the research conducted at the Center will make significant contributions to this aspect of the country’s development.
Elmar Mammadov, a member of the Management Board of the Center, discussed Azerbaijan’s sustainable development goals and the achievements made in this regard. He pointed out that green energy is a primary focus in the global fight against climate change and highlighted that economic regions in Karabakh and East Zangezur, liberated from occupation, have been designated as green energy zones, with measures being implemented accordingly. Mammadov also noted that Nizami’s works reflect and promote the main elements of the concept of sustainable development.
Following the speeches, Gulnar Mirzayeva, the secretary of the Research Center, delivered a presentation about the center’s activities.
The event concluded with a Q&A session where participants had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussions.