The Republican Technical Creative Center of the Ministry of Education, Khatai District Executive Authority, Khatai District Branch of the New Azerbaijan Party, Shusha district department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism co-organized “Multiculturalism through children's eyes” event. The event is aimed at promoting love, friendship, unity among people, encouraging respect for traditions of other nations, and building cultural bridges among them. Participants in the event included members of the Milli Majlis, employees of the Ministry of Education, representatives of the New Azerbaijan Part, heads of Khatai and Shusha district executive authorities, representatives of embassies, and Shusha district department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Speakers at the event said multiculturalism was a way of life of the people of Azerbaijan. They said that over centuries the Azerbaijani people had made the principles of respect for other religions and cultures their way of life and contributed significantly to this process. This is why, the speakers said, President Ilham Aliyev`s declaring 2016 the Year of Multiculturalism in Azerbaijan was not a coincidence and had deep historical roots. Members of creative groups of the Republican Technical Creative Center demonstrated handiworks reflecting culture, arts and history of 20 countries as well as national clothes of different nations. The event ended with a concert featuring performance of creative groups.

01/06/2016 14:11

On May 25, Deputy Minister of Education Firudin Gurbanov and officials of the Ministry of Education met with education workers of Masalli, Jalilabad and Yardimli districts at Masalli Culture Centre. The aim of the meeting is to build relations with education workers of cities and districts of the country, to use their recommendations, proposals and initiatives in the implementation of reforms, to recommend on the current educational process and main ways of improving it. The participants of the meeting first paid tribute to national leader Heydar Aliyev and laid flowers at his statue. They then viewed an exhibition featuring handiworks of local schoolchildren and reflecting their achievements in sport, which was set up in the foyer of the Culture Centre. Participants in the meeting included heads and workers of education departments of Masalli, Yardimli and Jalilabad districts, heads and deputy heads of general and extracurricular education institutions, psychologists.  Deputy Minister Firudin Gurbanov welcomed the participants of the event and congratulated them on the upcoming Republic Day. The deputy minister spoke of the successes achieved in all spheres of the country`s life in the past 25 years, large-scale projects implemented in the regions, including in Masalli. Highlighting the reforms implemented in education, Firudin Gurbanov stressed that a number of normative documents had been accepted over the last years. “Work continues to develop new programs and textbooks in order to improve quality of education, transition to a compulsory 12-year general education is being discussed.” The deputy minister said more than 3000 schools had been built and reconstructed in Azerbaijan in the last 10 years. He added that all schoolchildren at general education institutions would have been provided with tablets until 2020. Firudin Gurbanov said that apart from teaching, great attention was paid to training and teacher-student relations in education. “Teachers bear great responsibility in this process.” “The primary goal of Azerbaijan`s education system is to raise patriotic, knowledgeable, skilled, perfect citizens, which meet requirements of the 21st century.” He also highlighted strategic priorities of upbringing, and underlined the role of extracurricular education in this area. Head of Masalli District Executive Authority Rafil Huseynov said “holding such an event in the district is praiseworthy”. He thanked the Ministry of Education for attaching particular emphasis to education of children and youth, and to instilling patriotic feelings in them. Rafil Huseynov advised local education workers to take advantage of this opportunity. Head of Masalli District Education Department Astan Ibishov, head of Jalilabad District Education Department Elminaz Nadirova, head of Yardimli District Education Department Manaf Samadzade, principal of “Dafina” lyceum in the city of Masalli Taleh Akbarov and other speakers highlighted work done in the fields of teaching and training in general secondary schools, and proposed ways of solving the existing problems. Then education workers shared their views and posed questions to speakers.

31/05/2016 09:24

Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov received residents of Absheron, Gubadli, Zangilan districts and the city of Sumgayit at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Khirdalan on May 26. IDPs with temporary residence in Absheron district and Sumgayit also attended the reception, which took place in accordance with May 2016 timetable of reception hours of government executives. The issues raised by citizens at the reception included recruitment and transfer of teachers, reinstatement, recognition of academic degree certificates, transfer of students in higher education institutions, tuition fees, etc. The majority of citizens` requests were immediately dealt with. Minister Mikayil Jabbarov instructed relevant bodies of the Ministry of Education to deal with several other requests. Some requests, which were out of the Ministry`s area of competence, and personal requests, would be brought to the notice of relevant authorities.

27/05/2016 16:56

Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov received residents of Absheron, Gubadli, Zangilan districts and the city of Sumgayit at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Khirdalan on May 26. IDPs with temporary residence in Absheron district and Sumgayit also attended the reception, which took place in accordance with May 2016 timetable of reception hours of government executives. The issues raised by citizens at the reception included recruitment and transfer of teachers, reinstatement, recognition of academic degree certificates, transfer of students in higher education institutions, tuition fees, etc. The majority of citizens` requests were immediately dealt with. Minister Mikayil Jabbarov instructed relevant bodies of the Ministry of Education to deal with several other requests. Some requests, which were out of the Ministry`s area of competence, and personal requests, would be brought to the notice of relevant authorities.

27/05/2016 16:17

Scientists at Azerbaijani educational institutions published 242 papers in impact-factor journals in 2011, 300 papers in 2014, and 604 papers in 2015. Purposeful work has been conducted in the country in recent years to expand the use of international research databases, including Thomson Reuters, the largest provider of intelligent information in the world. The Ministry of Education signed an agreement on cooperation with Thomson Reuters last December, under which, requested by the Ministry, 40 higher education institutions in Azerbaijan received access to products and services of Thomson Reuters, including Web of Science®, the most comprehensive and versatile research platform available. Apart from this database, Azerbaijani scientists also received access to the most recently published issues of leading scholarly journals. The Ministry of Education will organize a competition to evaluate quality of scholarly articles published in Thomson Reuters-indexed journals. The main goal of the competition is to expand scientific and publishing activity of scientists and teachers at higher education institutions in Azerbaijan. Quality of authors` scientific activity will be measured through a special methodology developed by the Ministry of Education. The competition will feature mathematical and technical sciences, physics, chemistry, biology, humanities, economy and management, medical sciences. The Ministry of Education will provide comprehensive information about the competition that will be held at the end of every calendar year.

27/05/2016 14:16

“Book Quest” and “Azerbaijan – my Motherland” competitions for school communities have wrapped up. A ceremony to award the winners of the competitions was held at secondary school No. 18 in Baku on May 25. Participants in the event included employees of the Ministry of Education and Baku City Education Department, education experts, and media representatives. Organized by community.az portal, “Book Quest” competition aimed to encourage schoolchildren`s, teachers` and parents` interest in literature. “Azerbaijan – my Motherland” competition provided schoolchildren with the opportunity to show off their photography skills. More than 500 schoolchildren, their parents and teachers registered through community.az  portal for the competition. Teacher at secondary school No. 169 in Baku Albina Abubakirova, teacher at secondary school No. 23 in Sumgayit Eleonora Kairova and member of school community of secondary school No. 158 in Baku Naila Bukhlova became winners of “Book Quest” competition. Teacher at secondary school No. 46 in Baku Gullu Ahmadova won “Azerbaijan – my Motherland” competition. The winners were awarded certificates of recognition and valuable prizes. The competitions were held in partnership with Access Bank, Saglam Aile LLC, Standard Insurance and Allianz Consult companies. The competitions were designed to stimulate the activities of school communities, encourage members of school communities, and also increase teachers`, schoolchildren`s and parents` interest in community building.

27/05/2016 14:13

One hundred and twenty-four schools in five cities and 36 districts will have an extra emphasis in certain subjects starting from 2016-2017 academic year. Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov signed a decree approving the list of new pilot secondary education institutions, which will specialize in certain subjects, including in the cities of Baku, Ganja, Sumgayıt, Mingachevir and Shirvan, and Absheron, Lankaran, Guba, Barda, Tovuz, Ismayilli, Shaki, Aghjabadi, Yevlakh, Khachmaz, Samukh, Neftchala, Zagatala, Jalilabad, Shamakhi, Siyazan, Shabran, Gusar, Gabala, Balakan, Salyan, Masalli, Bilasuvar, Sabirabad, Saatli, Kurdamir, Goychay, Zardab, Beylagan, Aghdash, Goranboy, Goygol, Tartar, Shamkir, Gazakh, Aghstafa districts. Under the existing rules, specialized classes will have at least 20 children each. The pilot schools will be provided with special curriculums. Measures will also include enlightenment, staffing and equipping specialized classes, and conducting trainings for teachers. The pilot specialization project was launched in five schools in the city of Baku in 2011. The number of subjects on the curriculum in these schools was reduced, and they were supplied with special curriculums with an extra emphasis in certain subjects. In view of positive results of the pilot project, the Ministry of Education decided to expand the network of specialized schools. The 2015-2016 academic year saw 50 more schools (33 in Baku, 5 in Sumgayit, 4 in Mingachevir, 3 in Ganja, 1 in Shirvan, and 4 schools under the Ministry of Education) make an extra emphasis on four subjects (technical, mathematical-economic, humanitarian, nature). Nearly 3700 tenth grade schoolchildren in 176 classes in 58 schools were involved in the specialized education program in the 2015-2016 academic year. An analysis of the project results proves that given the fact that specialized schools meet schoolchildren`s tendencies and preferences, making an emphasis in certain subjects has increased their interest in education and had a positive impact on their performance.  

26/05/2016 14:09

The football team of Ganja branch of “Tahsil” Sport Center has won 2015/2016 season of Under-13 Azerbaijan championship, which was organized by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA). Held on Bayil stadium on May 24, the final game pitted the team of Ganja branch of “Tahsil” SC against Inter. Ganja branch team sealed the title of Azerbaijani champion of 2015/2016 season with a narrow 1-0 win. The team`s striker Umid Samadov became the top scorer of the season with 67 goals.

26/05/2016 11:27

The 20th scientific conference of PhD students and young researchers opened on May 24, organized by the Ministry of Education. Participants in the opening ceremony included deputy Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov, academicians, heads of higher education institutions, intelligentsia, PhD students and young researchers. Held annually, the conference this time marked “The Year of Multiculturalism” in Azerbaijan. In his remarks, deputy Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov said this year`s conference occupied a special place in a series of events held under “The Year of Multiculturalism” and marking the 93rd anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev. “The conference creates good opportunities for youth to exchange their scientific ideas, which ensure sustainable development and prosperity of Azerbaijan. It also allows them to exchange views on theories and technologies that they introduced, and to enrich their scientific knowledge,” he said. The deputy Minister of Education said: “The role of science and education is rapidly growing today at a time when competition in the fields of politics, economy and information is strengthening, when natural resources are dramatically depleted and ecological balance is impaired. With human capital and intellectual resources lying at the heart of its development strategy, Azerbaijan is committed – as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr Ilham Aliyev said – to turning oil capital into human capital,” he noted. Jeyhun Bayramov said education reforms conducted in Azerbaijan aimed “to raise a young generation with a new mindset and broad world view”. “Wide opportunities were created for students to conduct researches, master advanced technologies and learn foreign languages.” He underlined the importance of expanding the role of science and education. “Strategic tasks and goals set by the ‘State Strategy for Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan’ define development trends in Azerbaijan`s education in accordance with the challenges of the 21st century. The average age of teaching and scientific staff at higher education institutions is high, and this prioritizes the training of young specialists,” said Jeyhun Bayramov. He highlighted the measures taken by the Ministry of Education to ensure development of science and education. The deputy Minister emphasized the necessity of building “such an education environment that will allow youth to fully realize their potential”. “Therefore the government pays special attention to highly intelligent young people, providing them with all the necessary opportunities so that they can fully realize their potential. In order to preserve the intellectual potential, the process of preparing highly qualified specialists is underway at leading higher education institutions both in the country and beyond.” Jeyhun Bayramov said: “Given the popularity of Thomson Reuters-indexed journals among the scientific community as well as in order to give Azerbaijani scientists and PhD students access to the company`s citation index and get scientometric data on the activity of Azerbaijani scientists, the Ministry of Education signed an agreement on cooperation with Thomson Reuters. Under the agreement, 40 higher education institutions in Azerbaijan received access to products and services of Thomson Reuters, including Web of Science®, the most comprehensive and versatile research platform available. In order to ensure recognition of Azerbaijan`s scientific achievements on an international scale and boost the research and publication activity of Azerbaijani scientists, the Ministry of Education plans to launch a competition to award authors whose papers are published in Thomson Reuters-indexed journals.” “Happy future of our independent Azerbaijan depends on the level of youth`s intelligence, and on their mastering national and universal values. Therefore I wish all of you success in addressing these important challenges.” The deputy Minister of Education also wished the conference success. Other speakers noted the significance of involving youth in researches, and hailed work done on this front in recent years. Twenty higher education institutions as well as Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences submitted a total of 650 theses to the two-day conference. Seventeen sections, including one on multiculturalism, headed by famous scientists were established to consider and discuss papers submitted by PhD students and young researchers. Materials of the conference will be published by Azerbaijan State University of Oil and Industry to be further circulated to participants. Materials of the scientific conference of PhD students and young researchers are on the list (of the Higher Attestation Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan) of papers whose scientific results are recommended to be published. After the plenary session, the conference featured panel sections.

25/05/2016 17:23

 “Museum week for school children” was held on May 18 on the occasion of International Museum Day. The event was organized by the Republican Ecological Education and Training Center in partnership with the Republican Center of Young Tourists and Local Lore of the Ministry of Education. Implemented from May 12 to May 18 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve under the Cabinet of Ministers, the project was dedicated to the Year of Multiculturalism. The opening ceremony of the “Museum week” took place at Azerbaijan Carpet Museum on May 13. The program aimed to familiarize school children with collections of museums, exhibits reflecting different periods, and instill in them – through interactive excursions – respect for national and moral values as well as for representatives of different ethnicities, religions and cultures. Last year the project saw 7,000 pupils visit 15 museums in Baku. In view of high activity and interest of school children in museums this year excursions were organized for around 50,000 pupils to 25 museums in Baku and districts. May 18 is annually marked as International Museum Day. In 2016, the International Council of Museums marked this day under the slogan “Museums and cultural landscapes”.

25/05/2016 09:26