Huma Quşu Educational Support Fund's Report for the First Half of 2026

The first six months of 2026 marked a period of expansion, major scholarship announcements, successful partnerships, and international achievements by students for the Huma Quşu Educational Support Fund.

In January, the Fund successfully continued one of its priority initiatives—the Veterans' IT Education Support Programme. The programme, which aims to enhance veterans' knowledge and skills in information technology and support their integration into the labour market, continues to accept applications throughout the year.

On 15 January, in partnership with ADA University, the Fund launched Humay's Island of Knowledge Scholarship Programme for young people wishing to pursue a master's degree. In April, the programme's scope was expanded to include IT and engineering disciplines. The competition concluded in June, with Surayya Islamova and Rustam Amirov selected as scholarship recipients. Aytac Samedova received the Courage Grant, while Aisha Bashirli was admitted to the Multi-Level Education Support Programme for Talented Youth.

On 30 January, the results of the "From Dream to Reality – Autumn Call" Scholarship Competition were announced. Five participants were selected as winners and received scholarships totalling AZN 14,000. One of the winners, Zeynab Mammadova, was additionally awarded a Courage Grant worth AZN 1,500.

In February, the Fund expanded its activities aimed at supporting students' personal and professional development by organising an online seminar on Financial Literacy with experts from AccessBank and Yelo Bank.

In March, the Fund implemented two significant commemorative initiatives. It hosted an iftar gathering with students and organisers from the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, followed on 12 March by the memorial evening "Let's Talk About You, Humay...", dedicated to the cherished memory of Humay Guliyeva.

During the reporting period, the Fund also established new partnerships to support youth development. In March, it signed a cooperation memorandum with Div Academy to implement projects in artificial intelligence and innovation. In May, another memorandum was signed with the 100 Girls of Azerbaijan (YAQ) social initiative to collaborate on regional development and educational training programmes.

In April, the Fund expanded its geographical reach by holding a presentation at Karabakh University in Khankendi. During the event, it announced the launch of Humay's Karabakh Grant, a new programme designed to support education in the region.

On 1 May, the Fund announced a new call for applications for Humay's "From Dream to Reality" Scholarship Competition, open to individuals studying or planning to pursue bachelor's, master's, or PhD degrees in Azerbaijan or abroad.

The first half of the year also witnessed remarkable international achievements by the Fund's scholarship recipients. Nurlana Humbatova, a recipient of the Girls in STEM Rise scholarship, was awarded a fully funded Erasmus Mundus BIOPHAM scholarship—one of the world's most competitive academic programmes. Meanwhile, Javidan Nasirli, a recipient of the From Dream to Reality scholarship, was admitted to both the master's and PhD programmes at the prestigious KAUST University.

Ahead of 26 June – Armed Forces Day, the Fund's team held an online meeting with veterans participating in the Veterans' IT Education Support Programme, congratulating them on the occasion and discussing their educational progress and future career plans.

It should also be noted that the application period for Humay's "From Dream to Reality" Scholarship Competition has now concluded. The selection process is currently underway, and the final results are expected to be announced at the end of July.