As part of the 29th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), events co-hosted by the Ministry of Science and Education will address critical themes, including green education, environmental literacy among students, and the essential role of education in combating climate change. On November 18, 2024, COP29 Presidency, Ministry of Education and Science of Azerbaijan Republic in partnership with UNESCO and OECD will organise roundtables on “Greening Education and Climate Resilience” and “Measuring Environmental Literacy in International Assessments,” with participation from education ministers representing various countries. Within the scope of these discussions, the second annual meeting of the “Greening Education Partnership”—an initiative launched by the United Nations in 2022 and supported by over 90 countries—will also be held. Recognizing education’s vital role in addressing climate change, the Ministry of Science and Education, in collaboration with UNESCO, will establish a multi-stakeholder platform to discuss greening education as part of Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29. The discussions will address crucial components such as school infrastructure, curriculum development, student competencies, and teacher training to ensure students are prepared for a climate-resilient future. The Ministry of Science and Education’s proposal to measure students’ climate literacy through PISA will be a focal point of discussion. Together with the OECD, the Ministry has proposed developing a new competency-based assessment framework on climate literacy, to be implemented in the 2029 PISA cycle. This initiative aims to incorporate climate literacy and skills into all PISA assessment criteria (reading, mathematics, and science), aligning core learning with the goals of climate resilience. It is notable that the COP29 agenda, hosted by Azerbaijan, places a strong emphasis on education within the context of climate resilience, underlining the country’s commitment to global climate and sustainability goals. Azerbaijan’s initiative to incorporate climate literacy indicators into PISA assessments, a key topic of discussion, aims to promote climate awareness across the education systems of multiple countries.

11/11/2024 16:52

On the 7th of November, the Minister of Science and Education, Emin Amrullayev, met with Dr. Saja Farooq Abdullah, the UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan. During the meeting, the current state of cooperation and prospects for the development of cooperation with the UNICEF in Azerbaijan in the field of science and education were discussed. The parties also exchanged views on education initiatives in the context of COP29.  

07/11/2024 18:19

On 5-6 November, a delegation led by Deputy Minister of Science and Education Firudin Gurbanov visited St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg State University. The purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the higher education institutions of the two countries and to identify prospects for cooperation based on the results of the Russian-Azerbaijani Forum.   The delegation included Ulkar Sattarova, Director of the State Agency for Science and Higher Education; Simuzer Feyzullayeva, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Science and Education; Adalat Muradov, Rector of the Azerbaijan State Economic University; Yagub Piriyev, Rector of the Baku Engineering University; and Rufat Azizov, Rector of the Sumgayit State University.   During the visit, the delegation met with the Rector of the St. Petersburg State University, Nikolay Kropachev. During the meeting, the prospects for cooperation between the higher education institutions of the two countries were discussed.   In addition, meetings were held with representatives of the Applied Cybernetics, Geophysics, Economics, Systems Programming and other departments of the St. Petersburg State University to exchange experiences and give presentations on their activities.

06/11/2024 18:38

Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev held a series of meetings as part of UNESCO's Global Education Meeting in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza.   During meetings with Sarah Al-Amiri, Minister of Education of the United Arab Emirates; Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Buthaina Bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, Minister of Education and Higher Education of Qatar; Camilo Santana, Minister of Education of Brazil; and Chen Jie, Deputy Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China, the parties exchanged views on the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) and discussed the current status of and prospects for developing cooperation between the countries in the field of science and education. In addition, the meetings touched upon the issues of further expansion of cooperation prospects at all levels of education.   During the meetings, Emin Amrullayev invited his colleagues to take part in the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held in our country.   In a meeting with Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Azerbaijan's initiative to include the climate literacy in the PISA study was highly appreciated, and it was stressed that Azerbaijan has given special importance to education in the COP agenda.   It should be noted that the UNESCO’s Global Education Meeting, held from 31 October to 1 November, was attended by Ministers of Education and Finance of UNESCO Member States, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini, and officials from a number of organizations.

04/11/2024 12:29

On 1 November, the “QS Higher Education Pre-Summit: Asia Pacific 2024” was held at the Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi under the auspices of “QS International Rating Agency”, one of the world's most prestigious rating organizations.   At the opening of the pre-summit, Ulkar Sattarova, Director of the State Agency for Science and Higher Education, gave a presentation on science and higher education in Azerbaijan. The panel also discussed current relations between Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries and highlighted possible future prospects for cooperation.   It should be noted that the official opening of the Pre-Summit, represented by a delegation of 8 leading universities of Azerbaijan, was attended by the Advisor to the President of Kazakhstan and the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the country, as well as the leadership of the International Rating Agency "QS".

01/11/2024 19:21

A delegation led by the Minister of Science and Education, Emin Amrullayev, is visiting the Brazilian city of Fortaleza to participate in the UNESCO’s Global Education Meeting.   On the first day of the event, the delegation participated in the launch of the Global Education Monitoring Report as well as in a number of plenary sessions such as equity and inclusion in education, education, science and technology.   On 31 October, Emin Amrullayev delivered a closing speech at the session on climate and environment. In his speech at the session, the Minister informed about the green education and climate education policies implemented in Azerbaijan and shared the successful experiences of our country. Emin Amrullayev also stressed the importance of COP-29, which will be held in our country soon, and invited the audience to participate in the event.   Ministers of education and finance from UNESCO member states, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini and officials from a number of organisations are taking part in the UNESCO’s Global Education Meeting, which runs from 31 October to 1 November.   It should be noted that the event ends today.

01/11/2024 16:11

The closing ceremony of the International Green Festival Steam Azerbaijan took place on 25 October.   Deputy Minister of Science and Education Firudin Gurbanov, First Deputy Minister of Economy Elnur Aliyev and other guests attended the closing ceremony.   First, the head of the project, “Steam Azerbaijan”, Igrar Nazarov, made a report on the results of the competition.   Then a video message for the International Festival of Green Steam Azerbaijan was shown.   Then prizes were awarded to the winning teams.   The event ended with an artistic part.   It should be noted that this festival was held with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education and the COP29 Chairmanship, with the organisation of the Steam Azerbaijan project. More than 900 participants from 244 teams took part in the final stage of the festival, 146 of which represented 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, Turkey, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the USA. The festival includes events such as 'Green Initiatives', 'Green Coding', 'Drone Technology', 'Our Satellite', 'Robot Battle', 'Engineers of the Future' and others. Competitions and exhibitions were organised in 9 categories.   Within the framework of the festival, there were organized competitions and contest-exhibitions in nine categories, covering topics such as “Green initiatives”, Green coding”, “Hydrogen car racing”, “Drone technology”, “Our satellite”, “Robot fighting”, “Engineers of the future” and others.   The main goal of this year's festival is to promote STEAM learning, develop 21st century skills among students, identify creative individuals, and, taking into account the holding of COP29 in Azerbaijan and the announcement of 2024 as the ‘Year of Solidarity for a Green World’, prepare innovative solutions and projects for environmental improvement, efficient use of water resources and alternative energy sources using STEAM-based approaches.

25/10/2024 19:18

Science and Education Minister Emin Amrullayev met with a delegation of the executive body of the “Zamin” International Public Foundation of Uzbekistan headed by Tamilla Aliyeva on 25 October.   Prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in the field of education were discussed at the meeting, and the special support provided by the Uzbek side in the construction of a secondary school No.1 named after Mirza Ulugbek in Fizuli for 960 pupils was underlined.   At the same time, the parties discussed further joint activities with the said fund and other issues of mutual interest.

25/10/2024 18:29

The opening ceremony of the International Green STEAM Azerbaijan Festival was held on October 24. The event, organized within the STEAM Azerbaijan project, is supported by the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan and the COP29 Presidency.   The ceremony, held at the Baku Expo Centre, was attended by government officials, members of parliament, COP29 representatives, heads of higher education and scientific institutions, prominent public figures and other guests.   The ceremony began with the singing of the national anthem, followed by a video dedicated to the festival.   Speaking at the event, Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev said that the festival was a significant and prestigious event in the field of education. He noted that the STEAM Azerbaijan project plays an important role in the country's education and that the main goal of STEAM education is to prepare the young generation for new challenges. At the end of his speech, the Minister wished the participants success.   For her part, senior UN climate change champion Nigar Arpadaray, who was present at the event, said that said the focus on green technologies in the STEAM Festival on the eve of COP29 was important. She also stressed that climate change can be mitigated through the synergy potential of the STEAM educational method.   STEAM Azerbaijan project manager Igrar Nazarov said that more than 900 people from 244 teams, 146 of which represent 15 countries, including the UK, Turkey, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the USA, are taking part in the final stage of the festival. The jury consisted of 17 members from 10 countries, including Denmark, Slovakia, Canada and Turkey. According to Nazarov, the festival will organise competitions and exhibitions in nine categories, covering topics such as “Green initiatives”, Green programming”, “Hydrogen car racing”, “Drone technology”, “Our satellite”, “Robot fighting”, “engineers of the future and others.   Nazarov noted that the STEAM project currently covers 398 schools and 252,711 students across the country, and more than 20 STEAM centres are already operational. It is also planned that the number of students participating in the project will reach 300,000 by 2026.   After the speeches, a video clip reflecting the preparation of the festival participants was presented, followed by a presentation of the teams. The opening ceremony ended with an artistic part.   The festival will take place on 24 and 25 October. During the two days, participants will also attend training sessions on climate change and sustainability organised by COP29 Azerbaijan experts.   The main goal of this year's festival is to promote STEAM learning, develop 21st century skills among students, identify creative individuals, and, taking into account the holding of COP29 in Azerbaijan and the announcement of 2024 as the ‘Year of Solidarity for a Green World’, prepare innovative solutions and projects for environmental improvement, efficient use of water resources and alternative energy sources using STEAM-based approaches.

24/10/2024 16:22

The opening ceremony of the International Green STEAM Azerbaijan Festival was held on October 24 with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the COP29 Presidency, and the organization of the "STEAM Azerbaijan" project.   More than 900 participants from a total of 244 teams are taking part in the final stage of this year's festival, with 146 of them representing 15 countries, including Great Britain, Turkey, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the United States. A total of 17 judges from 10 different countries including Denmark, Slovakia, Canada, and Turkey are involved in the content development and evaluation process of the participants.   Competitions and exhibition contests will be organized in nine categories within the festival, including "Green Initiatives," "Green Coding," "Hydrogen Machine Race," "Drone Technologies," "Our Satellite," "Robot Battle," and "Engineers of the Future".     It should be noted that the festival will take place on October 24-25. The main goal of this year's festival is to traditionally promote STEAM-based education, develop 21st century skills among students, and reveal creative talent. In connection with the announcement of the "Year of Solidarity for the sake of the Green World" in our country and the hosting of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan in 2024, the festival aims to promote the development of innovative solutions and projects for the effective use of water resources, alternative energy sources, and environmental health by applying a STEAM-based approach.  

24/10/2024 11:18