On June 24, 2025, Advisor to the Rector of Baku State University (BSU) on Digitalization and Information Technologies, Shabnam Safarova, represented BSU at the international panel titled “Reimagining Higher Education in the Islamic World: Innovation, Sustainability, and Global Impact.” The panel was held within the framework of the 6th Vice Chancellors’ Forum of Universities in the Islamic World (VC Forum 2025) in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco. The event was organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, and in partnership with BSU.

During the panel discussions, participants addressed topics such as maintaining national values in the process of aligning higher education with international standards, designing curriculum models that preserve traditional values, ensuring quality assurance, and establishing mutual recognition mechanisms between universities.

In her speech, Shabnam Safarova provided an overview of BSU’s recent development strategies. She highlighted the university’s achievements in international collaboration, digital and green transformation, and scientific research. She noted that BSU’s ranking at 688th in the QS World University Rankings and its placement among the Top 600 universities globally according to Times Higher Education (THE) demonstrate the university’s successful integration into the global academic and scientific landscape.

Safarova emphasized that while navigating globalization, countries in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) remain committed to preserving traditional approaches. Within this context, initiatives such as mutual diploma recognition, the creation of joint quality assurance frameworks, the development of collaborative digital platforms, and the expansion of student and faculty mobility programs are of critical importance.

In conclusion, she stressed that higher education is not only a medium for knowledge transmission but also a powerful tool for shaping the moral and intellectual framework of future generations. Therefore, universities in the Islamic world must not only participate in globalization but also serve as carriers and creators of universal values.

SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals