Oklahoma State University’s Dr. Randy Kluver, associate provost and dean of the School of Global Studies and Partnerships, recently visited Azerbaijan State Agricultural University.
Kluver traveled with a delegation that included Gov. Kevin Stitt, Secretary of Agriculture and OSU/A&M Regent Blayne Arthur, Secretary of Commerce Scott Mueller and other Oklahoma leaders.
The delegation celebrated expanding the educational and research partnerships between Oklahoma and Azerbaijan. On July 30, Azerbaijan State and OSU signed a memorandum of agreement to establish a graduate degree partnership between the two institutions.
The ceremony took place in Ganja, a city in western Azerbaijan with 335,600 residents, making it the third-largest in the Middle Eastern country nestled alongside the Caspian Sea.
Under the partnership, Azerbaijani students will be able to obtain a master’s degree in international agriculture by attending one year of classes in Azerbaijan and a year on the OSU campus in Stillwater.
This partnership will expand OSU’s contributions to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Earlier this year, Times Higher Education ranked OSU as a top 10 American institution and No. 85 globally out of 1,115 universities based on its research, outreach, and stewardship.
“Oklahomans should be proud that Oklahoma State University is helping feed the world and protect the global environment through research and education focused on clean water and clean energy,” Stitt said. “This partnership will continue to expand OSU’s focus on sustainable development around the world.”
Kluver said the partnership between the two schools will continue to showcase OSU’s dedication to its land-grant mission.
“Addressing global challenges in collaboration with our international partners is fundamental to OSU’s mission, and we are excited to welcome Azerbaijani students to join our community of faculty and students exploring common solutions to pressing global issues,” Kluver said. “The university is excited to play a key role in the state of Oklahoma’s expanded partnership with Azerbaijan.”
In addition to the two universities, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce also played key roles in securing the partnership.
“This partnership creates a unique and incredible opportunity to advance people-to-people exchanges and promote academic opportunities for students at OSU to gain critical experience in an international arena that is overcoming decades of Soviet stagnation while enhancing the opportunities for Azeri students to higher level education and promote the most effective form of diplomacy at the citizen level,” said Dr. Jaidev Singh, USAID Azerbaijan mission director. “The relationships formed by Gov. Stitt and the entire Oklahoma delegation on this trip will benefit the people of Azerbaijan for years to come.”
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