Azerbaijan’s Cybersecurity Team Wins a Medal at “WorldSkills Shanghai 2026” for the First Time
From September 22 to 27, Azerbaijan competed in the Cybersecurity skill at the “WorldSkills Shanghai 2026” international competition held in Shanghai, China. Representing Azerbaijan in this field, Ali Maharramli and Yusif Kazimli, employees of the Information Security Department of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency, scored 702 points and were awarded the “Medal of Excellence.” Yusif Kazimli also successfully completed the 5th training cohort of the Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center, ranking first. Recognizing high professional expertise and practical skills, this medal marks Azerbaijan’s first-ever award in cybersecurity in the history of “WorldSkills.”
The selection and preparation of Azerbaijan’s national team for the Cybersecurity skill were organized at the Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center (ACC), operating under the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA). The selection and preparation process was carried out through cooperation between IDDA, the State Agency for Vocational Education, and “WorldSkills Azerbaijan.”
With this result, our team outperformed teams from a number of countries, including India, Korea, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, and Brazil. In addition, the Azerbaijani team achieved a higher score than other participating teams in the “Implementation of Solutions to Defend Against Cyber Threats” sub-category of the Cybersecurity skill.
It should be noted that candidates were selected through stages conducted in the “Capture The Flag” (CTF) format. The first selection stage, CTF-1, was held at the Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center on December 20, 2025, with 80 candidates participating. Based on the results of CTF-2, held in January 2026, 10 selected candidates participated in an intensive training program at the Center from February to August. In line with the requirements of the “WorldSkills” competition, the training program focused on strengthening theoretical knowledge in cybersecurity and developing practical skills.
The result achieved in Cybersecurity at “WorldSkills Shanghai 2026” demonstrates the level of preparedness of Azerbaijani participants on the international platform for professional skills. At the same time, the systematic organization of the selection and preparation process at the Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Center demonstrates the outcomes of ongoing efforts to prepare young professionals for international competitions.
