AIM Projects is a platform powered by the Azerbaijan Network of Academics (ANA) and rooted in the spirit of “Giving Back” to community. Initiated at the Navigating Futures: Building Synergies for Academia and Innovation Forum 2025 in Berkeley, California, AIM Projects was aims to bridge opportunity gaps by fostering cooperation, mentorship, research support, and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Our mission is to empower aspiring scholars, students, and professionals with the guidance, tools, and networks they need to thrive within the global academic and professional community. 

At the same time, AIM Projects creates meaningful pathways for those who have already achieved success within the global academic and professional community to give back by sharing their expertise, resources, and experience. Through mentorship, collaborative projects, and capacity-building programs, these leaders can help support and guide the next generation of scientists, scholars, innovators, and professionals. By doing so, AIM Projects not only strengthens individual trajectories but also contributes to the academic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United States.

Working group

  • Aykhan Yusifov, PhD

    PROJECT LEAD

  • Shahla Shirinli

    Project Coordinator

  • Alirza Orudjov, PhD(c)

    SUPPORT TEAM

  • Nijat Rustamov, PhD

    SUPPORT TEAM

  • Khagani Eynullazada, PhD(c)

    SUPPORT TEAM

Our Approach

At AIM Projects, we believe that impact is created not only by ideas but by the structures and strategies that bring those ideas to life. Our approach is grounded in connecting people, sharing knowledge, and building sustainable pathways for growth in Azerbaijan’s academic and innovation ecosystem.

Collaboration

We encourage and facilitate joint research projects, virtual collaboration platforms, and future exchange programs. These initiatives connect expertise across institutions, encourage interdisciplinary problem-solving, and create opportunities for co-authored publications in high impact journals, and shared grant applications, subsequently collaborative research projects

Mentorship

We connect experienced academics and professionals with students and researchers in Azerbaijan. This mentorship framework includes guidance on research projects, career development sessions, and peer-support networks designed to train and support the long-term professional growth.

Knowledge Transfer

We encourage sharing of methodologies, best practices, and tools through workshops, training programs, and open-access resources. By leveraging both in-person forums and digital platforms, AIM Projects ensures that cutting-edge knowledge is accessible to aspiring students, early-career researchers, and institutions.

Policy Engagement

We contribute to shaping academic and innovation policy through engagements and activities, and to informing evidence-based strategies for academic and innovation ecosystem development.

Together, these four pillars form a cycle of growth: collaboration sparks discovery, knowledge transfer spreads expertise, mentorship nurtures the next generation, and policy engagement ensures that change is both systemic and sustainable. 

Impact Strategy

We are committed to measurable outcomes. Over the next year, we aim to: