As part of her visit to Azerbaijan, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif has held a meeting on Current Challenges in Building Sustainable Cities with students studying urban planning, architecture and engineering at ADA, Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction and Baku Engineering University. The meeting was co-organized by the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture and ADA University.

Addressing the meeting, Vice Rector at ADA University Fariz Ismailzade stressed the importance of training a new generation of specialists in building sustainable cities.

During the meeting, Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture Anar Guliyev shared insights into global experience in urbanism and modern approaches to shaping the urban environment. They emphasized the significance of urban planning in today's world. The guests also provided updates on joint projects and cooperation between Azerbaijan and UN-Habitat in recent years. They described Baku's hosting of the World Urban Forum in 2026 as an important achievement for the country.

The meeting also addressed key issues concerning the education and professional development of specialists, exploring the perspective of the profession and future challenges faced by young individuals specializing in architecture, urban planning and engineering.