- Azerbaijan and Israel strengthen ties in education and tourism, exploring joint programmes, student exchanges, and faculty collaborations.
- Discussions at Azerbaijan University of Tourism and Management highlighted training and internships, leveraging Israel’s expertise in tourism and hospitality to benefit Azerbaijani students.
- The initiative supports broader bilateral engagement, promoting cultural understanding, research partnerships, and sustainable tourism growth between the two countries.
Azerbaijan and Israel have taken steps to deepen cooperation in education and tourism, reflecting steadily strengthening bilateral relations and expanding opportunities for academic and cultural exchange. An official meeting held at the Azerbaijan University of Tourism and Management (ATMU) in Baku brought together an Israeli delegation led by Ronen Krausz, Israel’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, alongside other embassy officials, to discuss future collaboration between the two countries.
The discussions focused on enhancing ties across multiple sectors, with particular emphasis on education, tourism, hospitality and innovation, and explored ways to build joint programmes and partnerships between institutions in both nations. At the heart of the meeting was a shared recognition of the value of student and faculty exchanges, joint academic projects, and greater cooperation in training tourism professionals.
ATMU’s rector noted that the institution, which specialises in tourism and hospitality management, has already benefited from internship and professional exchange programmes with Israel, and there is strong interest in expanding these opportunities to help Azerbaijani students gain international experience and skills. Ambassador Krausz emphasised that educational cooperation plays a key role in strengthening bilateral ties and provides students not only with theoretical knowledge but also practical competencies that contribute to their future career development.
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The talks also highlighted the potential for cooperation in the tourism sector, an area of growing importance for both countries. Israel’s advanced experience in tourism and hospitality was underlined as a valuable resource that could support Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to boost its tourism industry. Recent data shows a significant increase in Israeli visitors to Azerbaijan, suggesting that tourism links are already deepening; visitor numbers from Israel to Azerbaijan have risen sharply, contributing to the broader trend of post‑pandemic tourism growth between the two countries.
More broadly, the meeting fits into a wider context of expanding Azerbaijan‑Israel engagement, which spans diplomatic, economic, educational and cultural spheres. High‑level exchanges in recent years have acknowledged the long‑standing friendship between the two nations and have put renewed emphasis on cooperation in science, technology, and education, with frameworks in place supporting joint academic ventures and exchanges.
Officials from both sides concluded the meeting by affirming their interest in exploring concrete initiatives that would formalise partnerships between universities, extend exchange programmes, and develop joint research activities. These efforts aim not only to strengthen educational links but also to foster cultural understanding, economic collaboration, and sustainable tourism growth, further solidifying the relationship between Azerbaijan and Israel on multiple fronts.
