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UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES HOSTS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, "ACADEMIC WRITING AND READING IN HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM IN AZERBAIJAN"
On May 20-21, 2005, the University of Languages in Baku hosted an international conference, "Academic Writing and Reading in Higher Education Reform in Azerbaijan". The conference was attended by over 200 people, and featured guests and speakers from national and foreign universities, as well as representatives from local governmental and non-governmental organizations involved with education.
The purpose of the conference was to introduce the new Academic Writing and Reading classes being taught at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, Baku State University, and Baku Slavic University. The conference also discussed other models of academic writing and reading programs at Central Asian and European universities.
At the conclusion of the conference, Dr. Natiq Yusifov, Vice-Rector of the University of Languages, issued a joint statement with representatives from Baku State University, Baku Slavic University, and the Pedagogical University, in which they resolved to create a network to share academic writing and reading training and expertise.
Guests and presenters at the conference included Samad Seyidov, Rector of the University of Languages; Prof. Shahlar Askarov, Head of Parlimentary Committee on Science & Education, Azerbaijan National Parliament; Dr. Farda Asadov, Director of the Open Society Institute in Azerbaijan; Ms. Theresa Markiw, Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy of Azerbaijan; Dilek Tokay from the Sabanci University Writing Center in Istanbul; and John Harbord, director of the Academic Writing Center of Central European University in Budapest and the Chairman of the European Association of Teachers of Academic Writing. Other guests were Dr. Mominat Omarova, Chair of the Foreign Languages Department at Baku State University; Prof. Balakhan Huseinov, Head of Foreign Languages Department at Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University; and Dr. Sahiba Gafarova, Vice-Rector for International Relations at Baku Slavic University.
Panel topics included a look at the history and features of academic writing and reading, with an examination of the intellectual tradition in Azerbaijan through the works of Nasreddin Tusi. Representatives from Sabanci University in Istanbul and Central European University in Budapest presented their universities' academic writing programs. Further discussions concerned the role of academic writing and reading in the context of higher education reform in Azerbaijan. Certificates were awarded to teachers who had completed training in academic writing and reading, and prizes given for winners of a student writing competition. The Open Society Institute also presented a new textbook published by OSI, Introduction to Academic Writing and Reading, copies of which will be donated to the University of Languages and other universities.
Since 2003, the Azerbaijan University of Languages has cooperated with Open Society Institute Teacher Trainer George Bishop, Jr. and U.S. State Department Senior English Language Fellow James Solan in setting up a new academic writing and reading program. The program consists of three semesters of classes devoted to university-level English academic writing and reading. Teacher training for the new curriculum began in January 2004; by June 2005, there will be 34 teachers trained to teach the new academic writing and reading classes. The new classes began in September 2004 with approximately 250 first-year students in the departments of Philology, Western Studies, and Translation.
Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation (OSI-AF)/Azerbaijan is a branch of the Open Society Foundation Network established by famous investor and philanthropist George Soros in over 50 countries. The main goal of OSI-AF is to foster transition of closed society to more open one. Since its establishment in the country in 1996, the Foundation has encouraged the development of the third sector by awarding grants and also through operational activity to support civic initiatives in education reforms, communication technologies, human rights and rule of law, mass media, public health, gender equality and arts and culture. Responding to new challenges of the country development, OSI-AF has recently concentrated on increasing civil society involvement in democratization process, good governance and transparency of national resources.
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