Azerbaijan Achieves Record Number of Int’l Students in 2023, Plans to Welcome More by 2026

An increasing number of international students chose educational institutions in Azerbaijan in 2023, Deputy Minister of Science and Education Hasan Hasanli has said.

Hasanli revealed there were 10,000 international students studying in Azerbaijan in 2023, and the country aims to host more in the next three years, Erudera.com reports.

He made these comments during the "Opportunities of International Education in Azerbaijan" event, emphasizing the country has set an ambitious goal of having 75,000 international students in the country by 2026.

While making the announcement, Hasanli also highlighted the need for systematic efforts to achieve this target and ensure a more positive outcome.

He expressed confidence that such steps would significantly impact the future of education in Azerbaijan. Notably, enrollment in Azerbaijani higher educational institutions has already surpassed 60,000 people.

According to local media reports, the record number of 10,000 international students studying in Azerbaijani in 2023 has increased significantly from 5,765 students reported in the previous year.

This means there was a 73 percent increase in international student enrolment from 2022 to 2023. Moreover, the number increased from the 2015/2016 academic year when 4,326 international students studied in Azerbaijan.

Hasanli pointed out the number of international students may continue to increase thanks to the scholarships provided by private universities.

There are 33 higher education institutions in Azerbaijan, several of which offer programs for international students. Some top universities in Azerbaijan include Baku State University, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Azerbaijan Medical University, and Baku Eurasian University.

According to data, Azerbaijan Medical University attracts the most international students among higher education institutions.

The Deputy Minister described the recent developments in international student admissions as a historic achievement in Azerbaijani education, Azernews reports.

Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Head of the International Development Assistance Department, Elmaddin Mehdiyev, participated in the forum to discuss the country's efforts to promote education in Azerbaijan.

Mehdiyev unveiled plans to admit 100 students from countries which are members of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement to Azerbaijani universities within the next five years.

Other countries have set similar goals, including Iran, planning to have 320,000 international students by 2026, and India, planning to have half a million students by 2047.

South Korea has also been mentioned for a similar initiative. Authorities in the country said they plan to increase the number of international students to 300,000 by 2027.

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