Achievements and Future Strategies in Geosciences Discussed at UFAZ

On February 27, the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ) hosted an event titled “Geoscience in Service of Society: Hazards, Resources, Resilience” as part of the “UFAZ: 10 Years – 10 Ideas for the Future” series. UFAZ Secretary General Dr. Martin Godon, welcomed the guests and emphasized the university's strategic role in this field.

Arzu Aliyeva, the Geophysics Program Coordinator, delivered a comprehensive presentation titled "From Foundations to Impact: UFAZ Earth Science Research Milestones (2016-2026)," where she divided the university's development path into two main periods. The years 2016- 2020 were identified as the foundational phase, while 2020-2025 were noted as a period of rapid development.

It was highlighted that during this period, education at the Master's level commenced, students gained opportunities for six-month internships in France, and graduates were admitted to various doctoral programs. As a result of research activities at UFAZ, it was reported that the majority of scientific articles in the fields of geophysics, geology, and geochemistry were published in high-ranking Q1 and Q2 journals. These achievements were noted to be possible thanks to both the scholarship programs of the Azerbaijani and French governments and the support of industry partners.

In the following section, scientific reports on "Geosciences for Societal Needs: Field Data, Satellites, and Numerical Models" were presented with the participation of Lucas Bofill, UFAZ Local Head Coordinator for Geosciences; Zaur Bayramov, UFAZ alumnus and researcherlecturer at ASOIU; and Rashad Abbasov, UFAZ alumnus and head of the Oil and Gas Geology program at the ASOIU SABAH Center. The speakers emphasized the importance of geosciences for society and provided detailed information on innovations in modern data collection methods and the application of numerical modeling.

Subsequently, a panel discussion titled "Geoscience in Azerbaijan: Navigating Energy Transition, Climate Risk, and Global Uncertainty" was held, moderated by Fidan Aslanzade, the Oil and Gas Engineering Program Coordinator. During the panel, an exchange of views took place regarding the impact of energy transition and climate policy on Azerbaijan's natural resource strategy over the next 20 years, the critical geological and seismic risks the country may face, and the ways to bridge existing data gaps.

At the conclusion of the event, the importance of strategic partnership between the academia, government, and industry in this field was emphasized.