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Rector Elmar Gasimov: “Baku Higher Oil School achieved significant successes in 2025.”
The year 2025 was marked by a number of significant innovations and record-breaking achievements for Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS). This was noted by Rector of Baku Higher Oil School Elmar Gasimov. The Rector highlighted a number of successes achieved by BHOS during the outgoing year:
A new record was set for the number of Presidential Scholars
Baku Higher Oil School once again set a record in the history of Azerbaijani education in terms of the number of Presidential Scholars. Baku Higher Oil School, which has held the leading position in the number of Presidential Scholars for several years in a row, broke its own record this year and became the national record holder with 36 Presidential Scholars.
Opening of two new specialties
This year, admissions to two new specialties - Finance and Data Analytics - began at Baku Higher Oil School. Both majors were the choice of the highest-scoring applicants. Of the 25 Group II students who were awarded the Presidential Scholarship, 12 were students of the newly opened Finance specialty. At the initiative of Baku Higher Oil School, admission to the Data Analytics specialty started for the first time in Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that admission to this specialty was held for the first time, highest-scoring applicants chose it.
Leader in Graduate Employment Rate
According to the 2025 statistics released by the State Employment Agency, Baku Higher Oil School is among the TOP 5 universities in the country that are leading in the Graduate Employment Rate.
Leadership in startups and innovations
Baku Higher Oil School is also known as the university of startups and innovations. In 2025 alone, more than 30 startup projects were presented and more than 20 hackathons were won. Baku Higher Oil School once again demonstrated its best performance at Teknofest 2025 this year, becoming the strongest higher education institution. The teams of Baku Higher Oil School won a total of 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze medals and 4 special awards (1 individual) at the Teknofest Aerospace and Technology Festival held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey (Istanbul).
Achievements in ‘IDDA Awards 2025’
The Innovation and Research Center of Baku Higher Oil School and its Head Emiliya Ahmadova achieved the following significant successes in the “IDDA Awards 2025” competition organized by the Innovation and Digital Development Agency:
Ecosystem Locomotive — Emiliya Ahmadova, 1st place
Woman in Tech of the Year — Emiliya Ahmadova, 1st place
Startup Ecosystem Player of the Year — BHOS Innovation and Research Center, 3rd place
Skills Booster of the Year — BHOS Innovation and Research Center, 2nd place
Students’ successes: victories in international competitions
BHOS students also achieved significant results in international programs and competitions. They participated and won victories in prestigious international programs such as Aspire Leaders, GIST, Seeds for the Future, Startupbootcamp, and JACAFA.
Expansion of international relations and increase in foreign students
Baku Higher Oil School expanded its ties with many international universities, significantly increasing the number of higher education institutions with which it cooperates and the number of its international students. This year, there was a 67% increase in the number of foreign students. Currently, 107 students from 25 countries are studying at BHOS.
Export of higher education programs
Baku Higher Oil School also became the first university in the history of Azerbaijan to begin exporting higher education programs. Thus, based on the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between SOCAR and Uzbekneftegaz on July 18, 2023, and in accordance with the agreements concluded between BHOS and Uzbek universities, dual diploma programs were successfully implemented this year between Baku Higher Oil School and the Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology, and Bukhara State Technical University. This year, 16 Uzbek students from these higher education institutions began their second year in the master's program in Chemical Engineering. They will receive diplomas from both the university where they studied and Baku Higher Oil School. Currently, the largest number of Uzbek students are studying at Baku Higher Oil School. A total of 25 students from this country are studying at BHOS.
Supporting human capital development in Congo
One of the international achievements of the Baku Higher Oil School is its role in the process of human capital formation in Congo. Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between SOCAR and the National Petroleum Company of Congo (SNPC) on April 4, 2024, Congolese students are studying at Baku Higher Oil School with SNPC scholarships. This academic year, five female students from Congo began their undergraduate studies at Baku Higher Oil School. The Congolese students will work at SNPC after graduation. Currently, 17 students from Congo are studying at Baku Higher Oil School. Nine of them enrolled in BHOS this year.
Successful completion of the Institutional Accreditation Program
At the beginning of the year, the Education Quality Assurance Agency of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and independent experts conducted institutional accreditation of Baku Higher Oil School.
Involvement of all academic programs in international accreditation
In 2025, for the first time, all academic programs of Baku Higher Oil School were involved in international program accreditation process. This process was conducted by ASIIN, a German accreditation agency that has gained worldwide recognition, especially in the engineering field.
First successes in prestigious international rankings – THE Impact Rankings 2025
Baku Higher Oil School began to appear in international rankings. BHOS took a high place in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025, despite the fact that it participated in this prestigious ranking for the first time. BHOS ranked second in the country and shared 801-1000 positions among universities in the world.
Opening of the Lyceum of Digital Knowledge
The Lyceum of Digital Knowledge is now operating under Baku Higher Oil School.
This year, the grand opening ceremony of the Lyceum was held. From the first year, this technical-knowledge-oriented secondary school became the choice of high-scoring students. Thus, the student who scored the highest in the country (62.75) in the centralized entrance exam to lyceums and gymnasiums chose the Lyceum of Digital Knowledge.
First defense of Doctoral dissertation
The outgoing year will also be remembered with the first defense of a Doctoral dissertation at Baku Higher Oil School. Thus, Aida Aslanova, a graduate of both the bachelor's and master's programs of Baku Higher Oil School and a senior lecturer at the Petroleum Engineering Department, successfully defended her Doctoral dissertation.
Admission of BHOS graduates to the world’s TOP Universities with scholarships
Graduates of Baku Higher Oil School who were awarded scholarships under the State Program for the Education of Young People at Prestigious Higher Education Institutions of Foreign Countries continued their education at leading universities around the world, including Stanford University, Imperial College London, Columbia University, the University of Sydney, King's College London, the University of Edinburgh and other prestigious universities.
Winning a 92,000 thousand grant from Small and Medium Business Development Agency
Five projects presented by the students and staff of Baku Higher Oil School won the 7th Grant Competition for 2025, organized by the Small and Medium Business Development Agency under the Ministry of Economy. Approximately 92,000 manats in grants were allocated for the implementation of these five projects.
