IE University aims to drive entrepreneurship and innovation in Azerbaijan

Spain's IE University aims to drive transformation through education in Azerbaijan and the wider region by supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, new companies and future business leaders, Executive President Santiago Íñiguez de Onzoño said.

Report informs that he spoke at the opening of IE University's Leadership and Innovation Centre at ADA University. The centre was established with support from Azerbaijan's ministries of Economy and Science and Education, with SOCAR as a strategic partner.

He said the main expectation for the centre is to deliver concrete results in the coming years and make a tangible contribution to entrepreneurship.

"We want to make a real impact over the next five to ten years. We want to see more entrepreneurs establishing companies in Baku, as well as in Asia, Central Asia and other parts of the world.

"Our shared vision of guiding different initiatives through education is one of the key factors bringing us together," he said.

Íñiguez de Onzoño stressed that IE University's development strategy is also built on moving beyond conventional approaches and promoting an entrepreneurial spirit.

"When we established IE University, we understood that competing with the best universities was a bold undertaking. The only way to compete with leading universities such as Oxford is to act with an entrepreneurial spirit. We aimed to become one of the best universities within ten years.

"To achieve that, you need to think differently, move beyond conventional approaches and be prepared to change established rules. This is precisely the approach we teach our entrepreneurs. When they enter established industries and compete with leading organisations, they must be able to think differently," he said.

He said the Leadership and Innovation Centre in Azerbaijan would follow the same strategy, bringing the university's experience in entrepreneurship, innovation and the transformative role of the humanities in education to the country.

"The initiative we plan to implement here is based on a similar strategy. We want to bring to Azerbaijan all the values that define our culture, including entrepreneurship, innovation and our belief that the humanities can bring about genuine transformation in education.

"By combining these with the opportunities technology offers, we aim to transform not only Baku and Azerbaijan, but also other parts of the wider region," Íñiguez de Onzoño added.