From May 22 to 30, 2026, the “Regional Fieldwork & Excursion Programme” was organized in Azerbaijan within the framework of the international “SDG-ESS Caucasus” project, coordinated by Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany) and funded by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). The main objective of the programme was to enrich theoretical knowledge with practical observations on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ecosystem services, climate change impacts, tourism potential, and regional resilience in the South Caucasus, as well as to strengthen cooperation between Azerbaijani and German higher education and research institutions.

A total of 28 scientists, researchers, doctoral candidates, and students from Azerbaijan and Germany participated in the programme. Within the framework of the field visit, participants traveled to various natural, socio-economic, and tourism sites located in Baku, Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Gabala, Sheki, Gakh, Ganja, Goygol, Lankaran, and Astara. During these visits, the geographical characteristics of the regions, landscape diversity, biodiversity, agricultural activities, tourism infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change were studied on-site.

As one of the key partners of the project, the Institute of Geography actively contributed to both the scientific and organizational aspects of the programme. The Institute’s staff closely participated in the implementation of the project activities. The Institute was responsible for planning the field route, coordinating participants, organizing scientific discussions, and conducting field observations.

The discussions and collaborative activities carried out during the programme resulted in preliminary agreements on future scientific cooperation, joint research initiatives, the expansion of academic mobility programmes, and the development of new international projects.

The programme was of significant importance in strengthening scientific relations between Azerbaijan and Germany, providing young researchers with valuable international experience, and expanding the international cooperation activities of the Institute of Geography.