On November 24, the International Student Forum on “Youth, Peace, and Security” dedicated to the “Year of Shusha” was organized by “One Volunteer” Students Cooperation Public Union with the support of the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation and the Education Development Fund.
At the forum, the memory of our martyrs was commemorated with a minute of silence.
The guest speakers of the event were Elnur Nasibov, Chairman of the Board of the Education Development Fund, Vladanka Andreeva the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, Farid Jafarov, the executive director of the Youth Foundation, and Gulshan Pashayeva, the Board member of The Center of Analysis of International Relations. At the opening ceremony, the guest speakers of the event greeted the local and foreign guests and informed the foreign students about the damage caused to the material and cultural heritage of Shusha city during the occupation, as well as the fundamental research to be conducted in the direction of researching future development prospects in the post-occupation phase.
During the event, 2 panel discussions were organized. Interesting discussions were held among the forum participants in the panels dedicated to “Post-Conflict Recovery: Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and Peace-building,” “Post-Conflict Statistics: Safe and Dignified Return and Reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons”.
It should be noted that 50 students studying International relations, International law and Diplomacy took part in the forum. 40 of them are foreign students representing 30 different countries.
Nargiz Hajiyeva, director of the British Council for Azerbaijan, and Nargiz Akbarova, manager of examinations, were guests of the Education Development Fund.
During the meeting, there was an exchange of views on the implementation status of the work arising from the cooperation agreement between the Education Quality Assurance Agency and 6 higher education institutions “On encouraging the members of scientific and pedagogical staff of universities and students to take the IELTS exam”, as well as on potential projects that the Fund and the British Council can cooperate with.
The international forum was held in a hybrid format organized by the T-Network educators’ experience and communication platform, the Education Institute of Azerbaijan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Education Development Fund.
The main purpose of the forum, which was attended by Emin Amrullayev, the Minister of Science and Education, OECD representatives, representatives of about 20 countries, rectors, professors, science and education workers, teachers, school directors, and other guests, was to discuss new challenges in education, to review the educational requirements of the new age.
The Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev, who delivered the opening speech, was the first to note the importance of the forum for the educational community.
Speaking about international assessment studies, the Minister said that participation in these studies makes us a member of the global education system, and also creates an opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from different countries. The Minister emphasized that the mentioned forum is of this kind.
Emin Amrullayev noted that over the past few years, the PISA international assessment study has been identified as one of the main goals of education development in the country. According to the Minister, PISA gives us not only figures but also quite serious science and evidence.
In his speech, the Minister of Science and Education also noted that the inclusion of education as a separate section in the document “Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development” and the definition of goals sets concrete goals for educators.
Emin Amrullayev concluded his speech by wishing the forum every success.
Then Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, who joined the forum in an online format, said that education is a social service and using the digital revolution for education should be the main goal. Stefania Giannini added that experienced, qualified teachers in the auditorium should play a key role as administrators of the education system.
Stefania Giannini highly praised the inclusion by the Azerbaijani government of a section on education in the document “Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development” and the work being done in this area.
The forum’s keynote speaker, Andreas Schleicher, Special Adviser to the OECD Secretary-General on Education Policy and Director of Education and Skills, then gave a presentation on “How to prepare learners for the future?”.
Speaking about the education of the future, Andreas Schleicher noted that schools have already embraced digital transformation, which is changing the nature as well as the tools of learning. Referring to the use of digital technologies in the learning process, Andreas Schleicher said that this makes learning more engaging and effective. The teacher’s role in this process remains high.
Luis Pereira dos Santos, Chairman of the Board of the Portuguese Institute of Educational Assessment, PISA Board Representative in Portugal, Maye Kitsing, Adviser to the General Education Department at the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, Country Coordinator for PISa, Mario Piacentini, Senior PISE Analyst, Tracy Burns, Director of Research at the US National Center for Education and the Economy, Stéphane Vincent Lankren, OECD Senior Analyst and Deputy Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, and Mark Fuster, Analyst at the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation made presentations at the forum.
The presentations were about the topics such as “What should the school of the future be like?”, “Global trends shaping education,” “Is digitalization in education the final solution?” and other topics.
The forum discussed questions such as “How should learning be organized in a digital world?”, “What new school models are needed?”, “What will be the future of the learning process and content in education?”; and “How do we prepare a man for the future?”
Ali Rza Altunel, Education Advisor of the Embassy of Türkiye in Azerbaijan, was a guest of the Education Development Fund.
A. Altunel gave information about the current state of the education system, the done work and earned achievements in this direction in the brother country.
At the meeting, preliminary discussions were held between the educational institutions of two states on the cooperation perspectives, the work that can be done with the support of the Education Development Fund in this field.
On October 28, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Education Development Fund, the Education Quality Assurance Agency and six higher education institutions “Encouraging academic staff of universities and students to take the IELTS exam”.
Speaking at the event, Mukhtar Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Science and Education expressed the importance of improving the English language in higher education institutions. The Deputy Minister noted that it will serve to write high-quality scientific articles, ensure active participation in important interstate academic projects, use the experience of leading countries by the academic staff, and ultimately achieve significant progress on the “Competitive human capital and space for modern innovations” component of the “2022─2026 Socio-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan”.
Speaking later, Elnur Nasibov, Chairman of the Board of Education Development Fund, informed the event participants about the general activity, strategic goals, as well as other initiatives of the Fund that are currently being completed. Elnur Nasibov mentioned that this project is an important component for the partnership of the Fund with higher education institutions, supporting universities in preparing scientific journals, publications, and textbooks and the implementation of academic mobility programs.
Chairperson of the Executive Board of Education Quality Assurance Agency, Ulker Sattarova noted in her speech that knowledge of foreign languages, especially English, is important in the development of science and education at the present, and said that the main goal of the mentioned project is to create favorable conditions for teachers and students of higher education institutions to master the language.
Nargiz Hajiyeva, Country Director of the British Council for Azerbaijan, gave a speech and informed the guests about the programs and successes achieved by the Council during its 30-year activity in Azerbaijan.
Later, Elchin Babayev, Rector of Baku State University, Mustafa Babanli, Rector of Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Jafar Jafarov, Rector of Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Vilayat Valiyev, Rector of Azerbaijan Technical University and Gulchohra Mammadova, Rector of Azerbaijan Architecture and Construction University that are the beneficiary organizations of the project gave speeches. It should be noted that within the framework of the mentioned project, up to 300 academic staff members and students’ exam fees who participate in the IELTS exam and get high scores are planned to be covered by the Education Development Fund.
On October 11, with the cooperation of the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Affairs and the Education Development Fund under the Ministry of Science and Education, the event of “Support Young Girls’ Education-2022″ campaign dedicated to International Girls’ Day on October 11 – International Girls’ Day was held at the Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.
The meeting was attended by Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Science and Education, Bahar Muradova, Chairwoman of the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, MP Jeyhun Mammadov, Elnur Nasibov, Chairman of the Board of Education Development Fund, public and media representatives.
Within the framework of the “Support Young Girls’ Education” campaign, 25 girls from low-income families, as well as from vulnerable groups, who scored high points in the admission exams to higher schools from the regions, will be supported for their education.
The purpose of the campaign is to continue the historical traditions of philanthropy in Azerbaijan and to support the development of our state so that young people, especially girls, benefit from modern educational opportunities.
Before the start of the event, the National Anthem of Azerbaijan was played. The memory of our martyrs who gave their lives for the protection and restoration of the territorial integrity of our republic and the liberation of our lands from occupation was commemorated with a minute’s silence.
Bahar Muradova, chairwoman of the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, who opened the event, said that today the second event of the “Support Young Girls’ Education” project is being held in Azerbaijan. She said that within the framework of this project, the education of students, their successes, and achievements were monitored by the Committee and their needs were met.
The chairman of the Committee drew attention to the fact that our state pays special attention to the development of education and meets modern requirements in our country, and opportunities are created for everyone to benefit from it equally and grow up as worthy citizens of our country. “We will implement measures aimed at the participation of these girls in social processes, the formation of leadership qualities, their education in various directions, and their voluntary participation in these processes,” said B. Muradova.
Speaking at the event, Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Science and Education said that girls’ education has an impact on saving other people’s lives. The minister noted that the education of women means early marriages and the deaths of young children decrease. At the same time, the inclusion of girls in primary education around the world leads to several hundred million women’s access to the labor market and further increase in the gross domestic product.
“Almost all girls in Azerbaijan are provided with primary education. Recently, the number of girls applying for higher education has started to exceed the number of boys. If we look at the reports of the World Bank, one of the shortest ways for the economic growth of Azerbaijan is women’s participation in the economy. The education of girls is one of the main priorities for the Ministry of Science and Education,” said the minister.
Other speakers expressed the importance of holding such events. It was noted that attention should be paid to the education of girls and increasing their role in society.
Later, the protocol of intent was signed between the Ministry of Science and Education and the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs regarding the joint implementation of the “Support Young Girls’ Education” project.
Thereafter, certificates were presented to 25 girls from low-income families and vulnerable groups who scored high marks in the admission exams to higher schools.
It should be noted that in 2021, the State Committee together with the Ministry of Science and Education implemented the “Support Young Girls’ Education-2021” campaign dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the “Girls’ School” founded by Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev and October 11 – International Girls’ Day. Within the framework of the campaign, 14 female students from low-income families who scored high points in the admission exam to higher education institutions were financially supported.
On the eve of the International Teachers’ Day, the Education Development Fund welcomed in scientists who made great contributions to our education.
Elnur Nasibov, Chairman of the Board of the EDF, gave information about the Fund’s goals, activities and future goals. The guests welcomed the initiative of establishing the Education Development Fund very positively and presented important recommendations for the future activities of the Fund.
It was agreed that such productive meetings should be regularly organized to discuss and evaluate the programs and projects to be implemented.
We mentioned that we are pleased to see our experienced educators who have left a mark on our science and education in the Education Development Fund.
The founder and director of the Center for Career and Job Preparation Sahin Sardarli was a guest of the Education Development Fund.
It was reported that during this year, the center provided 200 students with practical training in more than 150 fields (Accounting, HR, pedagogy, IT, etc.) and contributed to the employment of more than 80 students.
To expand such positive experiences, the prospects of future cooperation between the Center for Career and Job Preparation and the Education Development Fund were discussed.
On September 30, 2022, a meeting dedicated to the discussion of “strategic directions of secondary education” was held by the Education Development Fund under the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The event was attended by Nijat Mammadli, Advisor to the Minister of Science and Education, Sabina Anvarli, an employee of the Department of Science, Higher and Secondary Education, and heads of 35 secondary education institutions.
Elnur Nasibov, Chairman of the Board of the Education Development Fund, welcomed the guests, brought the issues of the agenda to the attention of the participants, and declared the event open.
Nijat Mammadli, Advisor to the Minister of Science and Education thanked the Education Development Fund for organizing the meeting: “There is a serious need for discussions about the place of secondary education in the education system. Our goal is to determine in a short time whether the main direction of secondary education institutions is personnel training for the labor market or to ensure their transition to fundamental, higher education. The fact and the many issues we face show that sub-bachelor students who want to pursue a higher education face problems. These problems are because college graduates mostly enter the labor market as a next step, and then turn to distance education to obtain higher education. Another issue is the activities carried out in the direction of the operation of many secondary education institutions under the supervision of higher education institutions. Some secondary education institutions have been subordinated to universities. However, this subordination is relative, higher education institutions can rarely interfere with secondary education institutions. The main goal of transitioning secondary education institutions to higher education institutions is to facilitate the transition to university education. Unfortunately, many enrollees chose secondary education because they could not get enough points for higher education. We would certainly like enrollees to choose secondary education consciously, as they acquire any knowledge and skills for the labor market”.
Later, Elnur Nasibov, Chairman of the Board of the Education Development Fund presented a detailed presentation on the establishment, main purpose, and activities of the Fund: “The activities of the fund are the directions established in the charter: strengthening the integration of education and economy, implementation of public and socially important projects, adaptation of the material and technical base of educational institutions to modern requirements, and preparation of mechanisms that confirm the development of education”. Elnur Nasibov also stated that the Education Development Fund covers not only higher and secondary education but all levels of education except vocational education.
It was noted that as a result of discussions with the members of the advisory council of the Education Development Fund, 5 strategic directions of higher education were determined: implementation of academic mobility programs, institutional development of higher education institutions, support to universities in the preparation of scientific journals, publications and textbooks, participation in the development of the university-industry cooperation and support the development of students of higher education institutions. The participants were given detailed information and examples of all 5 strategic activities. “We have determined these strategic directions together with the heads of higher education institutions. After discussions with you, it will be clearer to us on which activities we can cooperate with secondary education institutions”, emphasized E. Nasibov. The event continued in an interactive form with questions, proposals, and discussions of the heads of secondary education institutions.
In the end, the Chairman invited the guests to the office of the Education Development Fund to continue the discussions and mentioned that he is always open to cooperation.
Sevinj Mammadova, Executive Director of Junior Achievement Azerbaijan(JAA) organization, was a guest of the Education Development Fund.
JAA has implemented various projects in the field of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness with the participation of thousands of young people in 26 regions of the country.
Opportunities for partnership between Junior Achievement Azerbaijanand Education Development Fund were discussed to expand this positive experience.
