The official launch event of the “Nation Program,” implemented under the 4SIM Academy, provided an overview of the project and honored its most active participants with certificates.

The program is a joint initiative of the Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4SIM) under the Ministry of Economy, the Education Development Fund (EDF) under the Ministry of Science and Education, and the global online learning platform Coursera.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Economy Samad Bashirli emphasized the importance of investing in human capital to shape a labor market that meets the demands of the modern world. He highlighted the “Nation Program” as a strategic tool for upskilling human resources and fostering innovation potential. Since its launch on April 1, more than 14,000 certificates have been awarded, demonstrating strong public interest in learning.

Fariz Jafarov, Executive Director of 4SIM, noted that the program aims to develop skills and knowledge in technologies related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to support the training of qualified professionals in these fields. Over the span of one year, tens of thousands of Azerbaijani users will be able to access more than 8,000 courses on Coursera free of charge. Additionally, 2,500 of these courses have been translated into Azerbaijani using AI-generated subtitles, and the 10 most in-demand courses have been dubbed using deepfake technology to ensure accessibility.

Elnur Nasibov, Chairman of the Board of the Education Development Fund, stressed that through this program, citizens can access training from over 350 leading global universities and tech companies. He pointed out that students and educators are among the program’s primary beneficiaries. Nasibov underlined the role of digital education and knowledge-based development as national priorities. He added that the program offers equal access to quality education, giving learners of all fields the chance to build future-ready skills, while also aiming to enhance both individual development and the collective intellectual potential of society.

Participants are onboarded to the “Nation Program” in phases. In the first phase, 7,500 users accessed nearly 45,000 courses over six weeks, completing more than 14,000 of them. On May 14, another 7,500 learners joined, and more than 3,000 courses have already been completed by this group, earning international certificates. The majority of participants fall within the 21–30 age range. Notably, the youngest registered user is 12 years old, while the oldest is 72.

Representatives from corporate partners—including Baxtiyar Aslanbayli, Vice President for Communications and Advocacy for the Middle East and Caspian at bp; Ad Boon, Deputy CEO of Pasha Holding; and Mushfig Aliyev, Chief Commercial Officer at Azerconnect Group—expressed their satisfaction in supporting a project that enables lifelong learning for all, regardless of age, profession, or region.

Coursera’s Head of Partnerships Larisa Whitcroft and Head of Customer Success Vera Ignatieva delivered a presentation on “Future Jobs and Skills,” outlining global trends and platform capabilities.

Top-performing participants shared their learning journeys, and active contributors were awarded certificates jointly issued by 4SIM, EDF, and Coursera.

The program remains open to all citizens, regardless of age or background. Interested individuals can register via https://form.4sim.gov.az/.

Background:
In the pilot phase of the 4SIM Academy last year, 10,000 individuals accessed Coursera courses free of charge. Participants collectively completed over 32,000 hours of learning and received 4,200 international certificates. The project received global recognition in 2024, winning Coursera’s “Outstanding Achievement Award” in the Artificial Intelligence Innovation category.