World-renowned professor of economics and leader in sustainable development, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, visited Azerbaijan in March 2019 as a guest of the 7th Global Baku Forum. He also delivered a speech at ADA Majlis Room, where the University community gathered to witness Rector Pashayev granting him an Honorary Doctorate for his contribution to the field of public policy and economics. The nomination was approved by the University Senate.
Professor Sachs, who is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University (New York), Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and SDG Advocate for UN Secretary-General delivered a lecture at a two hour interactive session with students and Faculty, highlighting his views on economic policies, strategies and development priorities of countries with extractive industries. ADA Faculty member Dr. Kavus Abushov moderated the session.
Professor Sachs deemed the response to the great challenge of our time- sustainable development as “a collective call” that governments need to heed, where they go beyond simply developing the economy to managing it away from the destruction of the environment. Regions like Caucasus, he mentioned, need to immediately solve the existing conflicts and strive together to become truly economically independent of the superpowers. Governments should promote a fair distribution of wealth and prevent division between very rich and very poor.
The students enthusiastically welcomed the presence of “the most influential living economist” on campus. Aydan Abbasguliyeva, a Public Affairs major said: “The lecture enhanced my outlook on my own major. Having a chance to interact with him on global issues was an amazing experience.”
