At first, the Minister had warmly welcomed the guest and expressed satisfaction with the meeting. Having talked about educational relations between Azerbaijan and the USA, he underlined the importance of cooperation in this field. The Minister emphasized the attention that paid by the US Government and US Embassy to Azerbaijan to the education area, talked about implementation of different programs on higher and secondary educational areas in the country, and the relevant support to these programs. Mr. Mardanov added that six Azerbaijani citizen have been sent to the USA to study within the State program on the study of Azerbaijani youth in foreign countries in 2007-2015. Having thanked the Minister for the warm reception Mr. A. Sterling talked about widening relations in the education sphere, and touched issue on the study of Azerbaijani youth at the US universities. The guest talked about works done within the Fulbright Program, the current situation as well as other steps made in order to develop the cooperation. In its turn, Mr. Mardanov expressed its attitude about mentioned issues and underlined that should be given superiority to the specialities that important to Azerbaijan when chosen the candidates within the Fulbright Program. At the meeting were discussed other issues of mutual concern.

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The awarding ceremony of winners of “No one is forgotten. Nothing is forgotten” project and the international children’s drawing competition of “Saved world remembers too…”, devoted to the 65th anniversary of Great Patriotic War conducted by the initiative of Embassy of the Russian Federation was held at the Russian Information Cultural Centre in Baku.      Pupils from more than 40 schools, lyceums, gymnasiums of Baku and pilot schools chosen on the Intensive Russian language study of the different regions took part in the best poem, song and picture competitions held within the mentioned project from February to June of the current year. 50 pupils from Azerbaijan took part in the international children’s drawing competition “Saved world remembers too …” Drawings of the 27 Azeri pupils were published in the album of competition’s winners published by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.   Representatives of the Russian Embassy, Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan, Director of the Russian Information Cultural Centre in Baku had made a speech at the event. Winners of competition, Russian language teachers of the winner schools were handed over valuable gifts and prizes. The event was continued with the concert organized by the pupils.

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The goal of the instructional seminar - “Strategic Planning and preparation of strategic plans for the district (city) education departments” held according to the execution plan of sub-component “Education management improvement system, development and application of regulatory rules on the teacher’s specialty” within the Second Education Sector Development Project and strategic plan of the Education Ministry for 2010-2012 years is to improve the strategic planning mechanism and management system within the use of the new accountability system. 66 officials from the Baku city Education Department, Sumgait city Education Department, Ganja city Education Department, other educational departments of cities (districts) and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic took part in the seminar.  F. Gadirov, director of Strategic Analysis, Planning and Personnel Management Department, V. Abdulrahimov and N. Aliyev, Senior Consultants of the department, V. Asgarov, director of the planning and financial sector of the Economic Department, E, Rustamov, director of Second Education Sector Development Project Coordination Group, and R. Isayeva, coordinator of Center for Modern Education and Educational Assistance made a speech at the seminar.  There have been given information to participants about the goal of strategic planning, as well as the establishment of Working Group and attraction to this process concerned parties. Moreover, were held discussions in this direction and have been answered to questions of participants. Furthermore, seminar’s participants received relevant documents (Strategic plan of the Education Ministry for the 2010-2012, as well as the presentation - “Strategic Planning and preparation of strategic plans for the district (city) education departments” and the frame of the strategic plan for district (city) educational departments. At the end, participants were instructed to present the first draught of strategic plans for 2011-2012 years to the Strategic analysis, planning and personnel management department of the Ministry until 30 November, 2010.

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Rectors of the relevant universities of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, France and Latvia, representatives from Embassies operating in Azerbaijan took part in the plenary session of the conference organized by the Ministry of Education of the Azerbaijan Republic and Baku Skill improvement and Retraining Institute of Pedagogical Cadres. At first, conference participants visited the Alley of Honour to respectfully commemorate Heydar Aliyev, national leader of Azerbaijani people, and laid the wreath on his grave. After, they also paid tribute to academician Zarifa Aliyeva, the famous scientist- ophthalmologist and laid flowers to her grave. Moreover, participants visited the Alley of Martyrs as well. Later, participants got acquainted with the educational complex No. 132/134 in Baku.  The plenary session was opened by Misir Mardanov, Minister of Education and Chairman of Organizing Committee. He welcomed participants and talked about the importance of the conference. Having wished success to the work of the conference, the Minister gave information on systematic steps taken to develop the education area and reforms implemented in the country during the last years. He emphasized serious changes in the quality that were achieved at every level of the education, as well as important works done in the direction of integration to the world education system.   After, Samad Seyidov, Rector of the Azerbaijan University of Languages, Svetlana Sitnikova, Rector of Minsk Regional Institute of Education Development, Agiya Nakhchivanli, rector of Azerbaijan Institute of Teachers, Oleg Tavgen, Academy for Postgraduate Education, Marina Dmitrieva, Rector of Ivanovo Regional Institute of Education Development, Asef Zamanov, Rector of Baku Skill improvement and Retraining Institute of Pedagogical Cadres and others made the speech at the conference. Relevant certificates were presented to participants at the end of the Plenary Session.

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President Ilham Aliyev cut the ribbon symbolizing the official opening and toured the facility. Photo stands, reflecting the attention and care of national leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev to development of education in the country and a special corner of state symbols were created at the foyer. Minister of Education, Misir Mardanov informed that the school building, construction of which started in January of 2009, had been constructed at a high level and conforming to modern demands. The four-storey, 1000-seat building features 26 classrooms with new equipments and teaching tools, three laboratories, subject-specific study rooms, a library rich in books, two computer labs, an auditorium, leisure rooms for students, a canteen for 100 people, faculty rooms, administrative and other rooms. For the first time ever among schools in the country, discussion rooms have been built for students in the school building. Special attention was paid to physical training of schoolchildren at the educational facility. In the sport hall, provided with modern sport equipments, all the conditions have been created for playing handball, mini soccer, basketball, and other sports. There is a swimming pool with the 250-seat auditorium. Elementary military readiness room will also function at school.The building also features air-ventilation, video-surveillance and fire alarm systems. President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse checked out the conditions created in the classrooms, subject-specific study rooms, library, canteen and sports hall. The President expressed his satisfaction with the works carried out in the building. 

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Education Minister, Misir Mardanov, warmly welcomed the guests and expressed its satisfaction with the meeting. He also expressed his belief in the development of relations in the education area along with other spheres of bilateral relations existing between Azerbaijan and Lebanon.   Having thanked the Minister for the warm reception, Ali Abdullah Hussein, Youth and Sports Minister of Lebanon, stressed that his country is interested in the development of educational ties with Azerbaijan. The guest gave information about the education system of Lebanon, and its universities, as well as underlined the issue on student exchange and importance of cooperation in this field.  Having reminded students from Lebanon studied at universities of Azerbaijan in the Soviet period, Mr. Mardanov, underlined wider opportunities, which exist in the country today, for their study. Therefore, he stressed the importance of achieving the agreement between governments of two countries, as well as made suggestions on bilateral relations of universities, as well as the organization of familiarization trips.   Talking about the education system of Azerbaijan, Mr. Mardanov noted that pursuant to constant care of President, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, over 2000 schools were built and reconstructed in the country during the last years. He underlined that the dynamic development indicator of Azerbaijan, the leading country of the South Caucasus on the socio-economic development, was reflected in the relevant reports of United Nations and other international organizations. He highlighted the fact that Azerbaijan was ranked 67th among 167 countries in the Human Development Report of UN. Moreover, according to the report the literacy level of population constituted 99.5 per cent, which also clearly displays reforms implemented in the country. Mr. Mardanov noted that all achievements were obtained under conditions of occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani territory by Armenia and destruction of 800 educational institutions in these areas.  Further, the sides exchanged viewpoints on some other issues of bilateral interest.

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Representatives from Hungary, Norway, Great Britain and other countries took part in the seminars on the themes of “E-learning in higher education” (at Azerbaijan University of Languages), “National ICT and Education Development Strategy” (educational complex No. 132-134), and “One to one teaching for teachers and pupils” (Elitar Gymnasium) on the first day of the conference. Seminar participants took part in the video-conference as well. Speaking at the opening of conference, Education Minister, Misir Mardanov, highlighted that, pursuant to constant attention and care of the President Ilham Aliyev, a wide range of measures is implemented for the use of ICT in the education sphere of Azerbaijan. The Minister noted works done at 3693 schools of the country within the “Programme for the provision of comprehensive schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the ICT (2005-2007)”. Moreover, over 30 000 computer were given to schools, as well as computer rooms were established in more than 1722 schools during this period. He also emphasized the organization of training courses on the use of ICT for more than 7500 teachers of Baku, Sumgait and Ganja.      Talking about measures implemented within the State Program on informatization of the education system in the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2008-2012, the Minister, noted works done for the development of ICT infrastructure, solution of e-management issue, improvement abilities of teachers in ICT, as well as normative legal basis. Mr. Mardanov underlined the importance of provision the Education System Informatization Department of the Ministry and all schools with the internet, and creation of Information Resource Centre, which will implement a content filtering system.     Having noted the 10 percent of the total number of Internet users fall on the education system, the Minister informed that within the State programme “e-school” pilot project was implemented at 30 schools, 55 680 teachers gained ICT abilities, and this number will be increased up to 114 000 teachers by the end of the program. According to the Minister, approximately nine thousand teachers are benefited from the People’s computer project implemented jointly by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies, Education Ministry, Microsoft and HP co-operations. The goal of which is to provide everyone with computers at preferential terms. He also noted that currently, the issue of provision each pupil with computer becomes more actual due to the teaching of information science at the primary classes.   Elmir Valizadeh, Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technologies, in his presentation named “Special role of ICT in the socio-economic and human resource development" underlined that the use of ICT in the education is one of the priority areas of information technologies. He valued the use of ICT in the education as important steps directed to the future and noted that about 8 percent of specialties at universities of the country are directly connected with ICT. Talking about the direct activity of Communication and Information Technologies Ministry in the ICT use sphere, Deputy Minister underlined 145 students are studying in the leading universities of the world at the expense of the Ministry.    Marius Lukosiunas, UNESCO’s Advisor for Communication and Information, gave broad information on UNESCO programme on teachers' literacy.. According to him, over 1 million people are training in more than 700 ICT centres around the world.   Further, Balint Magyar, former Education Minister of Hungary, Joyce Fernandez, a spokesman for “Microsoft” Co., and Charles Anderson, professor of University of Edinburgh, made presentations at the conference. They talked about the positive role of ICT in terms of development of all spheres, formation of human capital and receiving uninterrupted education.    

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Speaking at the meeting, Education Minister, Misir Mardanov, noted the importance of mentioned document, and stressed the regulatory rules for all areas of additional education are reflected on this document. He gave information on the content of each area of additional education, persons involved in education, monitoring and assessment, issuance of educational documents, funding sources, as well as other issues and rules. The Minister familiarized participants with general provisions of additional education as well. Moreover, talking about its activity directions, he touched upon the current situation existing in the areas of professional skill and cadres’ qualification improvement, repetitive higher and secondary special education, etc. Furthermore, he underlined the degree improvement and adult education is an innovation in the education system of Azerbaijan. It was noted that, the degree improvement education is a type of education, which provides preparation of cadres completed the secondary education and received sub-bachelor degree for bachelor level, and adult education is a type of education, which ensures adaptation of citizens to social and economic changes. Mr. Mardanov touched upon issues on documents prepared for usage of new rules, as well as duties. Further, participants made suggestions on each issue reflected on the document and were underlined that everyone has a wide range of opportunities to receive education as it wishes.

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Initially, Education Minister, Misir Mardanov and Head of Executive Power of Bilasuvar, Adil Mammadov laid flowers at the monuments of the Martyrs, and national leader Heydar Aliyev located in the Heydar Aliyev Park at the district’s centre. The Minister was speaking at the official opening of the new secondary school. He highlighted the building of new school is a significant event in the village’s life. Moreover, the Minister noted serious reforms implemented under the leadership of the President Ilham Aliyev, and underlined that many successes were achieved as a consequence of strategy let down by the national leader and creator of the independent Azerbaijani state, Heydar Aliyev. Emphasizing all problems existing in the education sphere will soon be solved, Mr. Mardanov expressed his confidence that the new school will successfully serve to villagers, teachers, and pupils.  The Minister noted the importance of protection of school and paid attention to the conditions created at the school which will make possible to implement the high quality education. He underlined the quality in the education sphere is always on the first place and said that the community demands more efficient work from the education workers.   Having expressed the belief in the new school will become the temple of the science and cultural centre of the village, Mr. Misir Mardanov congratulated villagers and wished good luck to pedagogical staff and pupils. Head of Executive Power of Bilasuvar, Adil Mammadov and chairman of School Parents' Committee, Musakhan Agayev had delivered a speech as well. Pupils performed poems devoted to the national leader, Motherland and school, as well as demonstrated literary and artistic compositions at the end of the event. 

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On 23 – 24 November, the Management Council of European Training Foundation held a meeting in Turin, Italy. Delegates from the European Union countries, including three countries – Azerbaijan, Turkey and Jordan elected to the Supervisory Council of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) took part in the meeting. Namig Mammadov, Director of Vocational Education Department of the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan has been selected a member of the Board of ENP at the meeting. According to the procedure of ETF, members accepted as a Supervisor country will be playing the role of advisor that will notify the position of its country on initiatives of ETF connected with the human resource development, as well as prepare work schedules.  

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