Baku, Tel Aviv to establish Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan’s Electronic Security Service under the Digital Development and Transport Ministry and well-known Israeli Technion University signed an agreement on the establishment of the Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center, Azernews reports.

The center, to be established under the agreement, will train more than 1,000 professional specialists over the next three years. Training under the program will be conducted in Baku by the teaching staff of Technion University. Education at the center will be conducted in English and will be available to Azerbaijani citizens over 18 years of age. In addition, graduates will be given certificates from Technion University.

One of the main advantages of the Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center is the training of local trainers along with cyber security specialists.

“Today, together with Technion University, we have laid the foundation for cooperation in the field of cyber security, which is one of the most important areas for our country,” Rashad Nabiyev said.

The minister added that students, who will study under the program, based on the methodology of the university, will be trained as competitive specialists in the labor market.

“We are very pleased to cooperate with Technion University, one of the world’s leading educational institutions and knowledge centers, to bring international knowledge and experience in the field of cybersecurity to our country,” he said.

In turn, Technion University President Professor Uri Sivan expressed satisfaction with the cooperation and hoped it would expand in the future.

“The new center we have established is an important project to support the information security of Azerbaijan, and specialists to be trained there will contribute to the development of this area not only in Azerbaijan but also in the region,” Uri Sivan said.

This agreement was signed during the visit of the delegation led by Azerbaijan’s Digital Development and Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev to Israel.

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel is based not only on economic partnership but also on traditional historical and cultural roots, as well as mutual respect and trust. Israel was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's state independence and establish diplomatic relations.

Furthermore, during the 44-day Second Karabakh War, Israel was among the first countries to express support for Azerbaijan's just position and territorial integrity. Azerbaijan expressed its willingness to involve Israel in the restoration of the country's newly liberated territories in January 2021.

In 2021, the two countries' trade turnover totaled $928.4 million.