The Academy of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASCCA) proudly stands as the first higher education and public training institution in Azerbaijan to have successfully implemented the European Training Foundation's ISATCOVE self-assessment built individually for ASCCA on 238 criteria across three strategic pillars: Teaching & Learning, Partnerships, and Governance & Funding. This pioneering step positioned ASCCA at the forefront of the country’s drive toward institutional excellence in vocational education and training.

Following this in-depth process, ASCCA developed a forward-looking institutional development plan and was awarded the prestigious “Commitment to Vocational Excellence” certificate by the European Training Foundation (ETF) in 2025. Additionally, 11 ASCCA staff members were individually recognized with Committed to Excellence digital badges, highlighting the Academy’s strong internal leadership, dedication to quality, and alignment with European excellence frameworks.

Established in 2012 and operational since 2014, ASCCA is a public higher education institution accredited by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Academy offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in areas such as customs, international trade, ICT, logistics, economics and law. At the same time, ASCCA functions as the national Customs human resources training institute (adult learning, VET, lifelong learning) serving under the State Customs Committee (SCC) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

ASCCA is also an important international actor. It is:

• The World Customs Organization (WCO) Regional Training Centre (RTC) for the region, under the authority of the WCO Headquarters in Brussels.

• The only Regional Office of the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) in Azerbaijan, representing the globally recognized network based in Australia.

ASCCA actively promotes technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a strategic tool to modernize governance, professionalize services, and build cross-sectoral capacity. The Academy is an active member of key ETF cooperation platforms, including:

• ETF Network for Excellence (ENE)

• ETF Skills Lab Network of Experts

• ETF’s Internationalizing Vocational Excellence (IntVE) project's ISATCOVE

Through these engagements, ASCCA contributes to regional human resources development, labor-market responsive education, and the green and digital transition agendas.

ASCCA has also joined the Skillman Network and is currently participating in the Skillman Teacher Academy, reaffirming its dedication to collaborative innovation in pedagogy, curriculum design, and vocational excellence.

With its unique combination of higher education, VET functions, international outreach, and public sector integration, ASCCA is ideally positioned to serve as a hub for excellence in customs education, cross-sectoral training, and lifelong learning within Azerbaijan and the EU neighborhood.