Azerbaijan launches "Digital Horizons" AI and cybersecurity training for civil servants

Azerbaijan's Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) formally launched the "Digital Horizons" National Digital Literacy Training Program for civil servants and state institution employees on 12 October 2026, following up on Deputy Minister Rashad Hasanov's 19 September announcement that the programme was coming, the agency said. The free, online programme builds artificial intelligence and cybersecurity into a digital-skills curriculum based on the EU's DigComp 3.0 framework, with two levels, tiered certificates and a one-month completion window, Trend.az confirmed the same day.

What the programme covers

• The curriculum has two levels, Foundational and Intermediate, built on the European Commission's Digital Competence Framework, EU DigComp 3.0, IDDA said.
• Foundational training covers safe use of digital tools, data literacy and basic cybersecurity; Intermediate covers data analytics, cloud technologies, "the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence" and advanced cybersecurity, according to IDDA.
• Each participant has one month to complete the course and takes an initial assessment that places them at the appropriate level, IDDA said.
• Certificates are tiered by score: gold for 90% or higher, silver for 80% or higher, bronze for 70% or higher; 60-69% earns a certificate of participation, and anyone scoring below 60% can retake the course, per IDDA.
• A new training platform was built for 30,000 state institution employees and hosts the artificial intelligence and cybersecurity material plus exam modules, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Hasanov said in September, according to Report.az.

Why it matters

The programme is among the broadest attempts yet to put artificial intelligence literacy into Azerbaijan's civil service rather than only its tech sector, reaching staff in Baku and the regions rather than a single ministry. Regionally, it adds Azerbaijan to a growing list of Caspian and Central Asian governments treating public-sector AI skills as state policy, alongside Kazakhstan's push for a CIS-wide AI forum in 2027.

What it means for Azerbaijani institutions

The programme operationalises two stated objectives of Azerbaijan's Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025-2028: developing "a qualified workforce with the necessary knowledge and skills to work in the AI industry" and "implementing AI in public administration to improve decision-making efficiency and transparency," according to the strategy's published objectives, as reported by Trend.az. For state bodies, the practical takeaway is that AI and cybersecurity competence is now built into standard civil-service training rather than left to individual agencies to arrange on their own.