The international conference is attended by 1400 education experts, Ministers of Education and representatives of educational management organizations from more than 70 countries. The international conference on Going Global in Higher Education - 2013 will take place over 3 days.

08/07/2015 16:52

At the meeting, the sides discussed issues related to the expansion of British Council‘s activity in Azerbaijan, use of ICT in education, distance learning, English language teaching, retraining of English language teachers, and etc. British Council operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. The organization closely cooperates with Azerbaijan and supports the development of international relations between different levels of education of the country, as well as English language teaching. 

08/07/2015 16:52

The meeting attendees were welcomed by Education Minister Misir Mardanov. The Minister gave information on the competition that has been held for six years, and consists of 3 levels. Noting documents of 477 out of 481 teachers were analyzed, the Minister talked about their classification by regions stressing the majority of them represents schools of Baku.  According to Education Minister Misir Mardanov, some changes were made to the composition of the Commission this year compared to last year, including the appointment of 33 new experts. He noted that in accordance with the listening lesson plans the second level of competition will start on March 11. Stressing the assessment criteria remain unchanged, the Minister added that each criterion will be awarded maximum of 10 points. He also gave his recommendations to members of Commissions. Noting the competition held according to the Presidential Order, and which offers big money prize to the winners, gained popularity with the public, the Minister underlined the importance of preserving its popularity. He also recommended to members of the Commission to consider the mentioned sides of the commissions’ activity.  Afterwards, the meeting attendees exchanged views regarding the attendance of lessons, and was expressed the belief in decent assessment of each participant. 

08/07/2015 16:52

Education Minister Misir Mardanov congratulated teachers that will participate in the next levels of the competition and wished them every success. He noted that the relevant competition, which is held according to the Executive Order of President Ilham Aliyev on Establishing Best Secondary School and Best Teacher Awards of September 4, 2007, has been conducted for six years and its main goal is to identify the best teachers. Stressing the majority of participants are primary school (44), English language (32) and Azeri language and literature (23) teachers, Education Minister Misir Mardanov also gave information on the number of teachers of other subjects that will participate in the competition. He listed name of schools, where the trial lessons will be organized, noting the relevant conditions will be provided at mentioned schools, and gave his recommendations regarding the effective organization of the expert commissions’ activity. The Minister also gave information on the assessment criteria of lessons and rules for determining lessons topic. According to him, each teacher will be able to attend the lesson of other teachers. Noting one Expert Commission was established for each subject regardless the number of participants the Minister highlighted the usefulness of that method to provide the transparent selection of teachers.     According to the Minister, all trial lessons will be recorded on video, and teachers dissatisfied with the assessment result will be able to submit an application to the Ministry within 3 days. After the completion of second level, each teacher will give a 10-minute presentation in front of Organizing Committee and the final score of participants will be defined based on the results of each level.  At the end, questions taken from participants were answered and exchanged views on the relevant issues.

08/07/2015 16:52

Speaking at the opening of the event, Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov gave detailed information on the establishment and application of automated information system for Financial and Accounting Statements of Budget-funded Organizations within the Corporate and Public Sector Accountability Project jointly implemented by the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. According to him, important accounting system improvement measures were taken in the country alongside with the economic growth achieved due to the success of the policy carried out under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Moreover, the conversion to International Financial Reporting Standards was achieved within short period of time through establishing necessary legal framework, developing and presenting in accordance with the international standards financial reports for accounting subject area. S. Sharifov analyzed the whole process, including the acceptance of three-year financial statements, and noted the importance of implementing new urgent measures in this field. “There is a need to automate processes for developing, accepting and analyzing financial reports formed based on international and national standards for accounting area, as well as develop single database statements,”- he added.   According to Minister Sharifov, automated information system for Financial and Accounting Statements of Budget-funded Organizations was applied at the Ministry of Finance and 4 pilot universities, including Baku State University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Academy of Public Administration under the President of Azerbaijan Republic  and Khazar University. Moreover, it is planning to expand the application of the system in the near future. According to the Minister, the first stage of the system will cover 35 higher education institutions and 4 ministries. Speaking at the event, Education Minister Misir Mardanov noted that the application of automated information system for Financial and Accounting Statements of Budget-funded Organizations should be estimated as one of the steps taken in the country within the execution of orders and instructions of President Ilham Aliyev regarding the establishment of Electronic Government and expansion of electronic services. Mr. Mardanov also talked about the importance of the new system, the progress made in the field of higher education funding, as well as responsibilities laid upon universities regarding the application of the new system.      Rector of Baku State University Abel Maharramov, rector of Azerbaijan Technical University Havar Mammadov, founder of Khazar University Hamlet Isakhanli and others made a speech at the event. They underlined the importance of establishing and applying modern accounting system in the country, and gave information on the achieved results. According to them, the application of the new system creates an opportunity for each organization for operational analysis, and the automation of accounting area at institutions based on international and national standards provides the automation of financial reporting and its timely submission. Head of “Sinam” company Elchin Aliyev gave information about the functional and technical properties of the system noting software features were created based on the “Institution Resource Management Systems” and provides the automation and management of all types of financial and economic activities of the institution. According to E. Aliyev, the system contains the following modules: “Accounting for inventory”, “Accounting for fixed assets”, “Cash and bank transactions”, “Salary”, “Financial Statements” and “Personnel records.” Further the event was continued with the exchange of views regarding the positive results of automated information system introduction.

08/07/2015 16:52

Education Minister Misir Mardanov expressed his pleasure from meeting the guest at the Ministry. He talked about the relations existing between Australia and Azerbaijan, and stressed the importance of further development of educational cooperation between the two countries. The Minister talked about the study of Azeri youth at the world’s top universities within the “State Program for the study of Azeri youth abroad for the period of 2007-2015” stressing 21 Australian universities were included in the “List of universities selected for study of Azeri youth abroad.” According to him, currently, there are Azeri students studying at some universities of Australia. He talked about the need to give more information about Australian universities to Azeri students noting steps taken in this direction will have a positive effect on the increase in the number of Azeri students wishing to study at Australian universities. Misir Mardanov expressed his belief that the expansion of relations in various fields of education between the two countries, inter-university cooperation, joint conferences and symposiums, as well as organization of mutual visits will contribute to the development of relations. Australian Ambassador Ian Biggs thanked Education Minister Misir Mardanov for the warm welcome. He stressed the importance of developing educational ties and expanding bilateral cooperation between Australia and Azerbaijan. He highly praised the study of Azeri students at Australian universities within the relevant State Program noting it will play an important role in strengthening mutual educational ties. Further, the sides exchanged views on other issues of common interest

08/07/2015 16:52

All calls were received and recorded. Calls required special investigation were sent to the relevant organizations. They were investigated, and relevant measures were taken to eliminate the problems. Some calls were responded in writing. A majority of calls were regarding issues such as organization, conduction and results of national and international subject Olympiads, provision of teachers with teaching load, recognition of educational documents, salary accounting, study abroad, and etc.   The Service received a total of 86 complaints regarding problems existing at general education, initial vocational education, secondary special and higher education establishments. In February the Service received 66 complaints from secondary schools of the country, including 33 from Baku, 3 from Sumgayit, 1 from Ganja, 1 from Mingachevir, 6 from Absheron, 2 from Gabala, as well as Khachmaz, Samukh, Zardab, Lankaran, 1 from Gusar, Sheki, Neftchala, Jabrayil, Gadabay, Kurdamir, Goychay, Agdam, Jalilabad, and Dashkesen. The majority of them were about inadequacies in school heating systems, raising funds for different purposes, shortcomings made by school directors in the management and other issues.    Directors and staff of schools, where shortcomings were revealed, have received a reprimand. Thus, investigation of complaints received from school No. 260 of Baku revealed shortcomings in the school management activity. The school director received a severe reprimand in accordance with the subdivision (b) of Section 186.2 of the Labour Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Math teacher of school No. 83 of Binagadi district, primary school teacher of school No. 69 of Sabunchu district and Biology teacher of school No. 202 of Narimanov district received a warning as a result of investigated complaints. Moreover, director of department for Art Gymnasium of National Conservatory received a reprimand. One complaint was made about Baku Vocational School No.12. The complaint was investigated and solved. 19 complaints (14 from public and 2 from private institutions) were made to the Service from higher and secondary special education institutions. They were about a delay in bursary payments and in granting educational documents, etc. The Service received 3 calls from secondary special education institutions regarding the results of winter exam sessions, delay in granting educational documents, and etc. The calls were investigated and responded. One teacher of Baku Oil-Energy College received a warning from the college Management Board. All calls received by the Hotline Service of the Ministry were seriously investigated and relevant measures were taken. 

08/07/2015 16:52

The guests became acquainted with classrooms of the Lyceum and attended an exhibition organized in the foyer of the school before the ceremony. Speaking at the opening of the event, Education Minister Misir Mardanov welcomed the attendees and thanked everyone, who participated in the ceremony devoted to the 90th anniversary of State Railway Lyceum. He congratulated the staff on the anniversary and noted that the Lyceum that was established in 1923 as Factory School is a first modern vocational school of Azerbaijan and has trained more than 40 000 specialists over the past 90 years. Noting the vocational education field develops in the country as other fields of the education, the Minister talked about achievements gained in this direction noting they were achieved as a result of purposeful policy launched by the national leader Heydar Aliyev. The Minister also talked about works implemented in the country within the measures taken by President Ilham Aliyev. The Minister noted the expansion of practice exchange with developed countries in the world such as Korea, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, etc., to improve the quality of vocational education of the country over the recent years. According to him, as a result of implemented projects several new vocational schools were opened in the country. Noting the Lyceum has trained specialists for Azerbaijan State Railway and Baku Metro during its activity, the Minister highly praised the contribution of the teaching staff to the school success, as well as successful continuation of the established traditions. The Minister also underlined the contribution made by the school to the development of the transport sector, which is one of the leading areas of the economy, noting the existence of famous people among Lyceum graduates, who have achieved notoriety in their careers. He gave information on the secondary school operating in the Lyceum stressing a large number of school graduates being admitted to the universities every year. Misir Mardanov expressed his assurance over future achievements of the school and said that a group of teachers of the Lyceum was awarded an honorary diploma of the Ministry of Education and breast badge “Advanced educator of the Republic of Azerbaijan.” He congratulated teachers and presented them the gifts of the Ministry. Minister of Transport Ziya Mammadov, head of the Baku Metro Tagi Akhmedov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways JSC Arif Asgerov, head of the Narimanov district Executive Power Abdin Farzaliyev, director of the State Railway Lyceum Farrukh Abbasov and others spoke about the path of glory traversed by the Lyceum. It was noted that the school with 90-year-long tradition is one of the country’s institutions that occupies a peculiarly important position in the dynamic economic development of modern Azerbaijan. Next, the guests presented gifts to the Lyceum and expressed their best wishes to its staff. At the end, an appeal of Lyceum staff to President Ilham Aliyev was read.

08/07/2015 16:52

Education Minister Misir Mardanov gave a warm welcome to the guests, and talked about the ties of mutual friendship and fraternity existing between Azerbaijan and Turkey. Having underlined the existence of broad educational cooperation between the two countries the Minister stressed the importance of strengthening an established relationship. Rector of Ankara University Erkan Ibis thanked the Minister for the warm welcome. He expressed his satisfaction at expanding bilateral relations in the field of education and gave information about specialties offered at Ankara University, as well as its material and technical capabilities.  Moreover, the Rector has also talked about works done within the dual diploma programme between Baku State University and Ankara University for law students. Noting 30 students are currently studying within the relevant programme, the guest underlined the possibility of implementing dual diploma programmes for other specialties as well. Education Minister Misir Mardanov highly praised the implementation of dual diploma programme between Baku State University and Ankara University. Noting the Ministry will provide full support for the development of bilateral relations of the universities, the Minister also touched on issues regarding the establishment of cooperation in the scientific research area.   At the meeting, the sides also exchanged views on issues regarding the development of inter- university cooperation, student and teacher exchanges, and etc. 

08/07/2015 16:52

The scholarship programme offers the admission to prestigious universities of China on specialties that most needed in the country at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels. It should be noted that, students, who will awarded the scholarship, shall attend one-year language preparation course as study programmes at universities of China are taught in Chinese. The scholarship programme covers the tuition fees, registration procedure, learning allowance, dormitory fee, living expenses and travel costs (only once during the period of study to university and back to home country). Azeri citizens wishing to participate in the competition shall submit their documents to the Ministry of Education. The submission process will end at 18:00 pm, on 12 April 2013.

08/07/2015 16:52