The foundation of Mingachevir State University was laid in 1991 with the establishment of a branch of Azerbaijan Industrial University (now Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University) in the city of Mingachevir. The main purpose of creating this branch was to train engineering and technical personnel for Mingachevir, an industrial city, and the surrounding regions. This step became an important milestone in the development of higher technical education in the region.

In subsequent years, the branch was transformed into an independent higher education institution and initially operated as Mingachevir Energy Institute and later as Mingachevir Polytechnic Institute. During that period, highly qualified specialists were trained mainly in the fields of energy, mechanics, technology, transportation, and other industry-oriented specialties.

Mingachevir’s status as one of Azerbaijan’s leading industrial and energy centers created broad opportunities for organizing the educational process with a strong practical orientation. Within the framework of cooperation with Azerbaijan Thermal Power Plant (AzTPP) and other industrial enterprises operating in the city, students’ industrial internships were organized, and an effective link between education and production was established. At this stage, Mingachevir Polytechnic Institute played an important role in training engineering personnel in line with the industrial potential of the region.

Mingachevir State University was established by Decree No. 1335 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, dated July 24, 2015. According to this Decree, Mingachevir State University was founded on the basis of Mingachevir Polytechnic Institute as a higher education institution providing training at all levels of higher education. At the same time, the material and technical base of the Mingachevir branch of the abolished Azerbaijan Teachers Institute was transferred to the university’s balance.

As a result of this decision, the existing technical and pedagogical education potential in the city was unified on a single higher education platform, and a multidisciplinary and modern higher education institution was formed. Today, Mingachevir State University successfully continues its activities as a higher education institution that contributes to the socio-economic development of the region and prepares competitive specialists in accordance with labor market demands.