On February 12, 2025, the next meeting of the Steering Committee, which oversees the management of the international dual degree program in Biotechnology between Baku State University (BSU) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), took place.

The meeting was attended by, BSU Rector Elchin Babayev, Chairman of the Board of the Agency for Quality Assurance in Education Tural Ahmadov, Head of the "2019-2023 State Program" Management Group Turan Topalova, BSU Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation Huseyn Mammadov, Director of the Center for Research, Development, and Innovation Excellence Ali Nagiyev, Advisor to the Director of the High-Tech Park Abutab Abbasov, BSU Rector's Advisor on Digitalization and Information Technologies Shabnam Safarova, Dean of HUJI’s Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment Saul Burdman, Vice-Deans Yel Helman, Israel Rozenboim, Head of the Biotechnology Master’s Program Oren Ostersetzer, BSU staff, and researchers.

During the Steering Committee meeting, BSU Rector Elchin Babayev and Saul Burdman, Dean of HUJI’s Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, co-chaired the meeting and declared it open.

Throughout the meeting, a wide range of topics were discussed, including the program's activities and prospects, financial and resource planning, program management, accountability, involving students in research projects, and quality assurance.

The HUJI members of the Steering Committee compared and analyzed the academic achievements of dual degree program students and noted that it is a very good indicator that graduates are inclined to pursue doctoral education and research in currently highly relevant fields such as biotechnology, plant, and food engineering.

At the end, BSU researchers Aygun Israyilova and Nurlan Amrahov presented the current status of the joint research projects being carried out by BSU and HUJI jointly on the topics "Discovery and study of new phytohormone derivatives and elicitors that enhance plant immune responses as a strategy against fungal pathogens" and "Development of new compounds against microbes."

It is worth mentioning that the dual degree program in Biotechnology between Baku State University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem started in September 2023, and the first 10 students of the Program are preparing to graduate this year. This master’s program is financed within the framework of the “State Program for Increasing the International Competitiveness of Higher Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2019-2023.”