Thank you

We in Azerbaijan enjoy deep-rooted and rich traditions. Philanthropy is one of them. Through philanthropy, we have built the first-ever women’s college, opera, ballet in the eastern world. Through philanthropy, we have managed to send young and talented Azerbaijanis to study abroad, come back and help build a nation of pride. History repeats itself. We are living through a period of renaissance and growth now. It is time we live up to the vision and generosity of our ancestors. It is time we revitalize one of the best traditions of civilization: generosity, social responsibility and philanthropy. That of desire to bring world’s best case practices to Azerbaijan and turn them into a pride of our nation.  

ADA is one of them. Ours is a world-class academic institution based on student centered and Socratic pedagogy. Its mission is to build academic strengths and intellectual potential. More than anything else, ADA thrives to cultivate new minds, new mentality and new generation of Azerbaijanis. These Azerbaijanis have a strong sense of responsible citizenship defined by giving back to society and well being of the world. They are creative and autonomous. They reason critically and think analytically. They are problem solvers. They learn from international faculty and study with international students to enrich their learning experience. 

I want to thank President Ilham Aliyev and my Government for their vision to invest in building a world-class academic institution in Azerbaijan. We are motivated by a need to establish an outstanding education for our own citizens in Azerbaijan, but we know that our growing nation also has a responsibility to bring first-class international education and leadership training for others in the region and the world, and to promote intellectual inquiry on many topics. 

The President and Government have done their part. The capital investment and financial support made by the Government of Azerbaijan is a generous gift. Now, we must do our own part. Schools are built in perpetuity. To achieve that objective, we must build a permanent endowment fund. It will ensure our promise to quality remains uncompromised, that top-quality education remains affordable, that we meet needs and award merits. It will guarantee our stability and enhance our global competitiveness. It will decrease our dependence on government’s purse and help us to gain financial autonomy. It will help to maintain our steady growth across fundamental areas such as faculty, research and library development. By supporting ADA, you will invest in future of Azerbaijan and its outreach to the outside world. For that, I want to thank you.

At ADA, we aspire to lead innovation in education and responsible citizenship. I call upon you to support the seeds planted by the President and Government of Azerbaijan, and help us to implement our mission over many years to come. And I thank you in advance for willing to invest in new minds, new mentality, new generation of Azerbaijanis and their peers across the globe.