At Azerbaijan Technical University (AzTU), a new hybrid academic governance model has been introduced by the decision of the University’s Academic Council. This model represents the consolidated outcome of long-term institutional reforms based on the experiences of leading international universities (mainly RWTH Aachen, ICL, MIT, ODTÜ, and İTÜ).
Within this model:
(1) ownership and management of undergraduate programs are assigned to faculties;
(2) academic ownership and administration of master’s and doctoral programs are carried out by the Institute of Higher Education (IHE);
(3) research activities are coordinated through Research Institutes (RI) established based on specialization clusters;
(4) the primary implementation units for teaching and research are departments organized under the “Academic Department” model.
The new structure is based on the Faculty – IHE – Department – RI framework and aims to enhance the efficiency of teaching and research activities at the university. It particularly supports the development of research-oriented education, expansion of multidisciplinary scientific collaboration, strengthening of university–industry partnerships, and increasing participation in international research projects.
For the first time, a Principal Investigator (PI)-based research group system has been introduced within the new academic model. This system enables the advancement of scientific activities of professors and researchers, increases grant opportunities, and supports the training of young researchers.
This reform is considered a key milestone in AzTU’s strategy to transform into a research-oriented university.
