Mikayil Jabbarov, ‘98, was born in September 1976, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Before completing LLM in Transnational Business Practice at McGeorge School of Law, Jabbarov had graduated from Baku State University, majoring in International Law. Following that he successfully passed the New York State Bar Exam in 1999 becoming one of the first Azerbaijani nationals to be licensed to practice law in the State of New York. He also holds a master’s degree in economics from the Azerbaijan State Economic University.
Jabbarov began his professional career in banking before pursuing a legal career in the Baku office of an international law firm. In 2002 Jabbarov started working in the public sector and held various positions within the Government ever since.
After spending seven years in the Ministry of Economic Development (ultimately, holding the position of Deputy Minister), from 2009 to 2013 Jabbarov served as the Director of the Administration of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve. Under his leadership, the Administration developed and implemented a comprehensive master plan for the conservation of Icherisheher, the historical center of Baku. Also, significant restoration efforts were undertaken, including the reconstruction of the Baku Fortress and the restoration of the Maiden Tower, a UNESCO-listed Cultural Heritage site. Jabbarov oversaw the development of the Administration’s foreign relations. For instance, the Centre for Traditional Arts Icherisheher was established in cooperation with the Prince of Wales School of Traditional Arts (UK). He put forward several initiatives to turn Icherisheher into a center for domestic and foreign tourism.
From 2013 to 2017, Jabbarov held the position of the Minister of Education. During his tenure at the Ministry, Jabbarov prioritized digitalization of the education sector and contributed to the development of the “State Strategy for the Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan”. As part of this strategy, the establishment of SABAH groups, comprising the best students from various higher education institutions was initiated with the goal of enhancing the quality of higher education. The strategy also included a diagnostic evaluation of nearly 100,000 teachers in pre-school and school education.
In December 2017, Jabbarov was appointed as the Minister of Taxes. Jabbarov’s primary objectives in this role were to ensure digitalization and transparency of the Ministry’s activities, improvement of the accessibility of its services to taxpayers, and oversight of the tax revenues collection process. He also initiated tax reforms and changes to the Tax Code, which contributed to bolstering entrepreneurship, improving tax administration, and increasing the efficiency of tax incentives.
In October 2019, Jabbarov assumed the role of the Minister of Economy. He attaches great importance to the development and diversification of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan and attraction of foreign investments and encouragement of the introduction of modern technologies in the Ministry’s activities. In May 2020, an innovative VAT refund mechanism for both non-cash and cash payments was introduced, earning recognition as the “Innovative Project of the Year.” Under his leadership, the Ministry stimulates entrepreneurship by expanding and simplifying concessional lending, carries out reforms for the development of SMBs, offers many other support mechanisms for businesses and fosters a favorable business and investment climate for foreign entrepreneurs.
Throughout 2024, the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law will celebrate members of its vast alumni network in honor of the school’s 100-year anniversary. This post is part of a series highlighting 100 exceptional McGeorge School of Law alumni.
Stay tuned for more blog posts as we celebrate the law school’s centennial anniversary.