“Bridge of Friendship” international children`s and youth festival of folklore and dance was held at the Children`s Creativity Center in Guba on June 10-15. The festival aimed to strengthen friendly ties among the peoples of Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkey and Georgia. A total of 426 people participated in the festival, including 219 guests. The first day of the event featured a festival of dance in Baku and Guba. Starting from 2011, the Children`s Creativity Center in Guba has successfully participated in and won awards at numerous international festivals in Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia and Turkey. As part of the festivals members of the center made presentations on customs and traditions of Azerbaijan. In view of great interest in the festival, Georgian, Turkish and Moldavian delegates were invited to Azerbaijan.  The main objective of the festival is to promote culture of participant countries and contribute to strengthening friendly ties through dance troupes.

13/06/2016 11:49

“Children are a guarantee of our future” social project has wrapped up. Part of School Communities project, it was held by AXA MBASK insurance company in partnership with the Ministry of Education and “Community.az” portal. The project featured a survey on the official website of School Communities project (www.community.az) involving teachers, parents and schoolchildren as part of trainings on different topics. According to results of the survey, two topics were chosen – “Dad, mom and I: how can we understand each other?” and “Behavioral problems in children”. A series of trainings were held in the cities of Ganja, Shaki, Lankaran and Guba on these topics. The trainings were attended by more than 2000 parents, schoolchildren and teachers. The project and trainings aim to increase effectiveness of communication between parents and children, address behavioral problems including aggressiveness, anxiety, lying, and provide an insight into methods of raising children in the right way and ways of constructive interaction given children`s personal qualities. The trainings were conducted by professional psychologists of the encouragement organization of “Community.az” school communities project. The project aims to pave the way for all-round education of children and increase the effectiveness of education process through ensuring communication among schoolchildren, parents and teachers. Part of AXA Group, the world leader on the insurance market, AXA MBASK believes that such projects contribute to raising children and youth as citizens with a broad worldview.

13/06/2016 11:45

On June 9, the Ministry of Education hosted a meeting involving employees of around 50 companies and ministry staff as part of IT Internship Program designed to provide internship opportunities for SABAH group students at higher education institutions in Azerbaijan. The project aims to train students in compliance with IT sector employment requirements, and build cooperation with local and international companies for providing them with internship programs. The project will be executed as part of cooperation between the Department of Informatization of Education System under the Ministry of Education, SABAH project Executive Committee and Microsoft Azerbaijan. SABAH group first, second and third year students specializing in IT will be provided with Microsoft-developed training resources, and pass Microsoft Technology Associate certification. The students will also receive pre-exam consultation from local Microsoft specialists. Students, who perform well at exams, will be given the opportunity to take an internship at partner companies, where they will put what they learnt at higher education institutions and during trainings into practice. The project was presented at Azerbaijan Technical University on May 25-27 with the aim of involving SABAH group students. More than 100 students joined the event. Launched in 2014-2015 academic year, SABAH groups now enroll more than 1600 students in 11 higher education institutions. SABAH project is designed to create long-term and comprehensive conditions for quality changes in the education system.

13/06/2016 11:43

Winners of “Spring yard” project, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Education and IDEA Public Union with the aim of planting trees and shrubs in schoolyards, were awarded on June 8. Speaking at the award ceremony, deputy Minister of Education Firudin Gurbanov said the project played an important role in building schoolchildren`s and youth`s ecological worldview and environmental culture, and also encouraged their active involvement in addressing environmental problems, and caring and humane attitude to nature. General Coordinator of IDEA Public Union Farid Jafarov highlighted the projects jointly organized by the Ministry of Education and IDEA with the aim of preserving environmental balance in Azerbaijan. “Spring yard” project involved 15 higher and 26 secondary education institutions in the cities of Baku, Ganja and Sumgayit. The project had a positive impact on environmental situation of education institutions and students` health, and also contributed to the expansion of schoolchildren`s and students` environmental knowledge and stimulation of their caring attitude to nature. Under the project, students and schoolchildren planted around 12,000 trees and shrubs, and carried out cleaning and maintenance work in schoolyards. IDEA gave nest boxes to each education institution involved in the project. The Ministry of Education and IDEA held a competition among 26 general education institutions in the cities of Baku, Ganja and Sumgayit. Schools that built the tidiest and most beautiful “Spring yard” became winners of the competition. The winners received certificates and different prizes.

10/06/2016 15:46

For the information of residents of Astara, Lankaran, Lerik, Yardimli, Masalli and Jalilabad districts! In accordance with June 2016 timetable of reception hours of government executives, Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov will receive residents of Astara, Lankaran, Lerik, Yardimli, Masalli and Jalilabad districts at the Heydar Aliyev Center in the city of Lankaran at 11.00 on June 20. IDPs with temporary residence in Astara, Lankaran, Lerik, Yardimli, Masalli and Jalilabad districts can also attend the reception. The citizens who want to attend may contact the Call Center of the Ministry of Education (hotline – 146) or register at http://edu.gov.az/az/contacts/request on June 9, 10, 13, 14 and 16. Those registered are requested to present, upon their arrival, a written description of the issues they plan to raise during the reception.

10/06/2016 15:03

Azerbaijani fighters have won the 28th international junior judo tournament commemorating Hazi Aslanov. A total of 357 fighters from 10 countries contested medals of the tournament, where the Ministry of Education was represented by 38 athletes of the Olympic Reserve Specialized School No. 13. The judo fighters of the school claimed a clutch of seven medals, including four golds, one silver and two bronzes, to rank first at the tournament. Murad Abishov (46 kg), Jafar Akbarli (90 kg), Mehdi Zeynalov (55 kg) and Diana Shoranova (70 kg) won gold medals. Sabir Ismayilov grabbed silver in the 66 kg weight category. Nigar Hajiramazanova and Pasha Aliyev took bronze medals in the 40 kg and 73 kg divisions respectively, Azerbaijan topped the overall medal table of the tournament, followed by Georgia and Hungary.

09/06/2016 17:04

“Environmentally friendly products and agrobiodiversity” countrywide competition for schoolchildren continues. The competition is held under “Green network” environmental awareness campaign of the Republican Ecological Education and Training Center of the Ministry of Education. On June 7, the competition featured Baku zonal stage at Ethnographic and Ecological Center at Gala State History and Ethnography Reserve. This stage involved schoolchildren from both Baku and adjacent districts. The competition is organized by the Republican Ecological Education and Training Center of the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture. It aims to protect agrobiodiversity, engage schoolchildren in making ecologically friendly products, and improve their skills and knowledge. The two-stage competition features nine nominations. Participants submitted photographs and data on their year-long observations, agrotechnical events and cultivated agricultural plants to the organizing committee. A total of 1270 schoolchildren took part in the zonal competition, where they made presentations on daily activities, progress of practical experience and their achievements. The works submitted during Baku zonal stage were evaluated on a 100 point grading scale by a jury panel consisting of experts of the Republican Ecological Education and Training Center, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture. Schoolchildren who scored above 50 points qualified for the countrywide stage of the competition, which will take in Baku this October.

09/06/2016 12:43

The Republican Methodological and Training Center for Aesthetic Education of the Ministry of Education organized an event at the special boarding school for visually impaired children in Narimanov district to mark the 135th anniversary of Abdulla Shaig. Titled “My childish world”, the event aimed to familiarize children with works of Abdulla Shaig, the founder of the national children`s theater, and promote his legacy. Participants in the event included Honored Artist Rahman Rahmanov, director of Abdulla Shaig`s house museum Ulkar Talibzade, employees of Education Museum, teachers and schoolchildren. Speakers at the event highlighted the life and works of the poet. Schoolchildren recited Abdulla Shaig`s poems, performed songs composed on the basis of the poet`s lyrics, and did a sketch from his “Good support” verse novel. Speakers hailed the role of Abdulla Shaig`s works in children's development. Participants of the event then viewed an exhibition of schoolchildren`s drawings depicting characters and scenes from the poet`s works.

08/06/2016 18:08

The final stage of the countrywide futsal tournament involving the teams of higher and vocational education institutions was held at Baku Sports Palace on June 6. Participants in the opening ceremony included deputy Minister of Education Firudin Gurbanov, Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee Chingiz Huseynzade, deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Ismayil Ismayilov, representatives of Futsal Federation, and heads of higher education institutions. The final game pitted the teams of Baku State University and Azerbaijan State Academy of Physical Culture and Sport against each other. The academy`s team sealed the title of the champion with a comfortable 9-2 win. Baku State University ranked second, while Azerbaijan State Economic University finished third. Speaking at the award ceremony, deputy Minister of Education Firudin Gurbanov said that held for the first time, the tournament aimed to promote football among students of higher and vocational education institutions and effectively organize youth`s leisure time. He highlighted the measures taken by the ministry to develop sport. “The ministry is regularly holding competitions, tournaments and championships among pupils and students of general, vocational, secondary and higher education institutions.” He said that by hosting the first European Games Azerbaijan made great strides in the field of sport. Firudin Gurbanov said the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe to be held in a couple of days would again attract the world community`s attention to Azerbaijan. Then the award giving ceremony was held. The winning team, the second and third place holders was awarded a prize money of 3000 manats, 2000 manats and 1500 manats respectively. They also received the cup and medals. The performance of main referees and participants of the tournament was evaluated in seven nominations. A total of 800 students in nearly 40 teams competed in the countrywide tournament. The tournament was organized by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan Student Football Federation in partnership with the ministries of education and youth and sport, and Azerbaijan Futsal Federation.

08/06/2016 18:01

On June 6, a media briefing was held to present “Maarifçi” Student Loan Fund and its website. Executive Director of the fund Rufat Mahmud said its founding was initiated by the Ministry of Education. He said the fund was established by several state higher education institutions, including Azerbaijan University of Languages, Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Azerbaijan State University of Oil and Industry, Azerbaijan Technical University, Azerbaijan State Economic University, Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, Baku State University, Baku Slavic University, Ganja State University and Sumgayit State University. “The fund is designed to create equal higher education opportunities for students from low-income families, who experience problems with paying their tuition fees, through granting long-term low-interest loans to them.” “The students applying for a loan should meet a number of criteria. They should be citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, they should study at one of the founding universities and should also need financial assistance to continue their education,” said Rufat Mahmud. The event also provided an insight into the fund`s newly-launched website (www.maarifci.az). The website highlights the organization`s mission, activity, loan types and terms. Through the website students can also submit an online loan application, which was introduced with the aim of ensuring transparency and efficiency in the application process. It also provides information about how and who can apply, as well as the list of the required documents. The event also featured a question-and-answer session with journalists.

07/06/2016 10:20