ESG PART 1

STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN AZERBAIJAN

PREVIOUS OBSERVATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS GIVEN ON THE SUBJECT

RECOMMENDATIONS BY STEs

1.1 Policy for quality assurance

Implementation of internal quality assurance in HEIs is in the emerging stage. In some institutions, QA units and a position for a QA manager have been established, ISO standards adopted, etc.

Although there is some evidence of planning and action in the institutions, the whole PDCA cycle has not firmly taken root yet. QA structures and processes still need to be discussed and put in place.

·         There is need to discuss and have a clearer, common understanding of what internal quality assurance means.

·         It would be beneficial for institutions to hear experiences of how HEIs in other countries have built up their internal QA systems and processes and learn more about how institutions  within the country or internationally can collaborate (by sharing  experiences, etc.).

1.2 Design and approval of the programmes

Design of the programmes and curricula follows the state educational standards. Standards are discipline-wise. Standards are prepared by the expert teams appointed by the MoE. The teams consist of representatives of the universities in the academic discipline. The standards are revised on the regular basis. At present system HEIs have a limited authority to design and approve the content of their programmes.

Limited autonomy of Azerbaijani HEIs to design their own programmes. Low involvement of students and other stakeholders in the design of programmes. (Output 7)

·         HEIs need to be given more autonomy to decide on the structure and content of their curricula. This is crucial in order to allow them to take more responsibility and ownership for the entire study process in the institution.
Such autonomy will also be conducive to the development of internal QA processes in the institutions. There is a need to find a reasonable balance between control exercised by authorities/the state and the autonomy given to HEIs with regard to decision-making on institutional level when it comes to study programmes etc. in a way that is both befitting and beneficial for the institutions with regard to the development of quality assurance system, taking into account the Azerbaijani cultural context, values and present circumstance.

·         External stakeholders and students also need to be involved more closely with the development of study programmes. However, this is complicated in the situation where the decisions regarding programmes are made outside the institution.

1.3 Student-centred learning, teaching and assessment

Teaching process at present time seems to be teacher-centred rather than student-centred. Only the minority of teachers use innovative, interactive and modern methods and technology in the teaching-learning process, although the situation has said to be improved considerably during the last years.

As informed by students, the main methods, in many cases used by the academic staff are 1) lectures, 2) seminars, and 3) report writing.

The current system does not seem to encourage critical thinking of students Also, it was mentioned during the meetings that the present-day students are still very much oriented towards the final outcome – receiving good marks, and not so much the study process itself, i.e. taking true ownership of their studies.

When students are not satisfied with the performance of teachers, they are able to give anonymous feedback on teachers through student surveys carried out in the institution and also turn to the Student Youth Organization in their HEI. However, it could not be established whether this happens in all HEIs.

The outcome of student assessment (grades, achievement of learning outcomes) is given great importance. The assessment of student’s knowledge is part of accreditation procedure.

Time constraints did not allow identifying the methods and criteria for testing and examinations of students and establishing whether the HEIs have formal procedures in place regarding assessment and student complaints.

Variety of teaching/learning methods. Variety and relevance of students’ assessment to be reviewed as the emphasis placed on knowledge testing. (Output 7)

·         More attention needs to be given to the inclusion of modern and interactive teaching methods in the teaching-learning process.

·         In order for students to take an active role for their learning process, it necessitates more openness in communication between teachers and students, willingness to learn on part of the teaching staff, experiment and try out the new, give students to carry out much more independent work (incl. encouraging students to use the libraries) and help students to acquire the knowledge of how to conduct research.

·         Very much emphasis is placed on achieved learning outcomes (student assessment). It is equally vital to assess the skills and competences that have been acquired during the learning process. It was mentioned during the interviews how students are only oriented towards getting good grades and not in the learning process itself. Yet, the present teaching-learning practices and the accreditation system only seem to reinforce such student behaviour.

1.4 Student admission, progression, recognition and certification

Admission is organised centrally for all who want to enter a higher education institution by Central State Admission Committee. HEIs do not have the autonomy to choose their students. According to the interviews students’ progression is followed by the professors primarily by number of credits achieved and grades earned.  Peer tutors (senior students) seem to be in a remarkable role offering guidance for the other students. Certification is regulated on the state-level.

No evidence on the regulation on or functioning of recognition of prior learning (Output 7)

·         Systematic collection and use of data on students’ progress is usually seen as a necessary part of internal quality assurance systems of HEIs. It is recommended to focus on this when building up the institutional quality assurance systems.

1.5 Teaching staff

The recruitment of university staff (teachers) takes place through public competition open for all HEIs. Decisions regarding recruitment are made at the level of the institution.

The development of academic staff is the responsibility of each institution.  

By law, the recruitment procedure for chairs of departments and deans of faculties differ from other staff: candidates are submitted to a special “search committee”; the committee proposes at least two names/candidates to the rector, and the rector makes the final decision.

During interviews, the importance of qualified staff was emphasised by the universities as well as MoE. It is considered that good results in teaching-learning process very much depend on the highly qualified academic staff.

This standard of ESG has been most positively assessed in Output 7 and regarded as strength.

1.6 Learning resources and student support

Learning infrastructure is evaluated as a part of the accreditation process. Textbooks and other study material created by teaching staff seem to play an essential role when assessing teachers’ success in his/her work.

1.7 Information management

According to Output 7 performance indicators are widely used, yet their scope and accuracy is not clear. There feedback systems are in place at the institutional level, usually for students.

Detailed questions regarding the data used indicated potential gaps in data on/from alumni, employers, in some cases students’ and staff feedback. (Output 7)

·         Feedback gathered and used on the level of institutions should cover staff, students, graduates/alumni, employers.

1.8 Public information

In Output 7 this is seen as one of the strengths within the Azerbaijani HEIs. It seems that sufficient information is available on the activities of universities, including the programmes. However, according to the interviews it is not common to publish the results of the self-evaluation.

Highest score in Output 7 survey.

1.9 On-going monitoring and periodic review of the programmes

HEIs have limited academic freedom regarding the design and content of the study programmes and teaching process, which are largely covered by centralized documentation and regulations. Such limitations inhibit institutions to take full ownership and responsibility for innovative design and content and perhaps also take a more active role in communicating their needs to the labour market, since too much is decided on higher levels of authority. However, current accreditation functions as a form of periodic review, but in the sphere of external quality assurance.

Limited autonomy of innovation of programmes. Insufficient communication with stakeholders.

·         Involvement of external stakeholders in the regular review of the content of curricula provided that HEIs are given the necessary freedom to design their own programmes in accordance with their specific mission.

1.10 Cyclical external quality assurance

All HEIs in Azerbaijan, regardless of their legal and organizational form, undergo periodical external assessment (accreditation) once in every 5 years (and every 3 years in case an institution has been established by foreigners and/or persons without citizenship; foreign legal entities) by the Ministry of Education. Accreditation process involves both institutional and programme accreditation.

The universities have been critical with regard to the relevance and complexity of the picture provided by quality assurance/accreditation.

·         The current system of accreditation that attempts to cover the entire institutional assessment as well as the review of all the study programmes in the institution is very ambitions and needs to be revisited. The accreditation process is extensive for the institution and the accreditation commission and the results of two different types of assessments depend on one single assessment committee.

ESG PART 2

STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN AZERBAIJAN

PREVIOUS OBSERVATIONS DONE &  RECOMMENDATIONS GIVEN ON THE SUBJECT

RECOMMENDATIONS BY STEs

2.1 Consideration of internal quality assurance

Current accreditation criteria do not directly address the processes related to internal quality assurance or assess their effectiveness

Not all parts of institutions’ systems are included and assessed in the accreditation process (e.g., strategy, process mapping, feedback, evidence and data use, information management). (Output 7)

·         It is recommended to clarify in the state-level regulations whether the HEIs are required to have an internal quality assurance system.

·         It is also recommended to leave some flexibility for the HEIs at the level of a single institution to define the structure and processes included in the internal quality assurance system.

2.2 Designing methodologies fit for purpose

The mechanism for external quality assurance is the accreditation of HEIs in accordance with the principles laid down in “Rules for accreditation of educational institutions”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 28 September 2010. Currently, the Accreditation Unit within the Ministry of Education is responsible for carrying out accreditation of all the HEIs in Azerbaijan regardless of their organizational and legal form.

The external stakeholders’ involvement in the development of current accreditation rules has been very low or almost non-existent.

Accreditation, according to the Education Law, is defined as a procedure to determine and approve the adherence of an educational institution’s activities to the national education standards and its status.

As the present system attempts to assess the entire institution with all of its curricula.  

The Action Plan on the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (approved by the President in 2015) describes that preparations are under way to revise the current accreditation rules for institutions and study programmes and bring them into accordance with international experience by the MoE during 2016-2017; approving them by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2017; preparation of quality standards and indexes for all stages and levels of education.

There is ambiguity of purpose and objectives of accreditation. QA mechanism is seen as too strict, complicated and demanding.  Low interaction with labour market, employers and stakeholders, incl. students in all stages of quality cycle from design through delivery to evaluation. There is no review and improvement strategy or procedure. (Output 7)

·         Set a clear purpose for accreditation: Is only institutional accreditation needed or also accreditation of study programmes?  If both, how can these be conducted in the best possible way? A wider discussion among various actors (incl. MoE, HEIs, employers etc.) should be initiated.

·         As the procedure and criteria of accreditation of HEIs is reviewed in the context of the Action Plan, it is advised to involve external stakeholders, such as labour market representatives, students, industry representatives, and consider their views before the adoption of the rules.

2.3 Implementing processes

Processes of accreditation are prescribed in the above mentioned state-level documentation which covers parts carried out by MoE and institution to be accredited.

The implementing processes cover the stages described in ESG.

The system of follow-up activities is not clerarly expressed in current regulations.

Critical comments on formulation of conclusions, appeal and involvement of institution  and follow-up (Output 7)

·         It is recommended that a clear process of follow-up is designed and introduced in cooperation with representatives of HEIs.

2.4 Peer-review experts

Accreditation commissions consist of members that have the necessary expertise in evaluation of the fields taught in the HEI and who are members of other HEIs, incl. deans or vice-rectors. The no-conflict-of interest is guaranteed by way of not including members who are in contractual relations with the institution under accreditation. Accreditation has been conducted only with local experts, in the Azeri language. Accreditation commissions have very seldom involved representatives of employers; there have been no student members present in the commissions. The number of members in a commission depends on the number of fields/study programmes at the institution.

External experts are seen as competent and well selected; there information missing in their training and instruction; no involvement of employers, stakeholders and students. (Output 7)

·         The systematic involvement of employers/professional practitioners and students in the work of accreditation commissions is advisable.

·         Consider possibilities of including some foreign experts in the commissions in order to increase the international experience of the members and thus bring more of that experience to the HEIs in Azerbaijan – one of the hopes also expressed by the institutions visited.

2.5 Criteria for outcomes

The area indicators and criteria set for the accreditation are specified in the document “Criteria determining the compliance of the activity of an education institution with the requirements of the state education standards”. 

Criteria are set and published. (Output 7)

·         The document describing the criteria and indicators for accreditation may also need some revision. Some area indicators seem to somewhat overlap, e.g., “organisation of qualification courses for teachers (part of “Staff of institution” area) and “engagement of scientific-pedagogical staff in qualification courses in foreign countries” (under the area of “International cooperation” could be considered combining. The development of educational materials is mentioned in 3 different places in the document. 

·         It could also be pointed out that the current criteria are very quantitative rather than qualitative, not taking into consideration the quality and content. For example, an institution is required – according to the present indicators – to have a certain number of monographs published over the past year per 100 members of the teaching staff (incl. creative works at institutions specialised in art or sports); but not considering whether their content and is appropriate and high quality.

2.6 Reporting

The outcomes of accreditation (expert commission’s report and the accreditation decision of the) are made public on the MoE’s website after the Accreditation Council has made the accreditation decision. Accreditation results are also publicized in the media.

The employers the STEs met were not aware of the accreditation system or accreditation results of HEIs.

The HEI is given an opportunity to review the expert report for its accuracy and submit possible comments within one week.

Involvement of the institution for comments is not clear. (Output 7)

·         HEIs should be given more time to familiarise themselves with and comment on the initial expert report in order to fulfil the whole purpose of commenting: it should not only be a formal procedure but be conducive to producing a high-quality report.

·         Increase the awareness of external stakeholder groups (employers) about the accreditation system, its purpose and results in Azerbaijan.

One way of doing this is to involve employers in accreditation commissions. As the understanding of how employers can impact the content and quality of curricula gradually develops among them, the interest in participating in the accreditation process will also slowly increase. This in turn will boost the collaboration between institutions and the industry.

2.7 Complaints and appeals

The accreditation rules foresee a  procedure for appeals. It is specified that an educational institution can appeal against the negative accreditation decision. The appeal is made against the Accreditation Commission.

No evidence in the rules and regulations. (Output 7)

·         It must be pointed out that this appears to be a rather uncommon/unusual practice that experts themselves can be sued in the court of law, and it is advisable to revise the current procedure. Instead, the agency or authority who makes the final accreditation decision (in this case the Accreditation Council, the Ministry of Education) should be appealed against. The experts only provide independent expertise at the request of the Ministry and should not be held responsible for the negative proposals for accreditation decisions they make.

Component 1: Legal and normative framework for HE

Activity 1.1: Facilitate identification, translation and mapping of legislation (laws, bylaws, rules, decrees etc.) relevant for Bologna/EHEA and the AzQF sections relevant to higher education, Months 2-4

Objectives

To identify possible gaps in the legislation relevant to QA and the HE sections of the AzQF and draw attention to possible areas of improvement.

The table follows the logical structure and includes the relevant element on a possible draft law on higher education.

Subject

Subtopic

The Education Law

Bylaws

Comments

1. Division of responsibilities

1.1.  President, Parliament, Government, Ministries, Minister of Education

5.4. The state sets forth the right to receive a one-time free-of-charge education at secondary vocational-professional education and each level of higher education in accordance with the legislation.

29.0. The State responsibilities in the field of education are as follows:

/…/

 29.2.32. to adopt, amend and revoke normative-legal acts that regulate the operation of the educational system.

Higher education of Azerbaijan is regulated by:

·         § 42 of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic (adopted in 1995)

·          the Education Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan (adopted in 2009)

·          the Decrees and orders of the President of the Republic,

·         the Decisions and Orders of the Cabinet of Ministers and the

·          Decrees and Orders of the Ministry of Education and other relevant ministries.

Note: At the moment, there are many different bodies regulating and influencing the field of HE that has resulted in a large number of regulations. In order to avoid the risk of diffusion of responsibilities and losing focus, it is highly recommended to determine the main authority responsible for the design and implementation of educational policy that has a comprehensive overview of the content and objectives of the intended end results.

1.2.  Hierarchy of legislation

The division of tasks between different authorities has been established by the Education Law, designating as the executive body the Cabinet of Ministers who has the right to sub-delegate certain areas of regulation to the Ministry of Education and other ministries.

The Decrees of the President have the highest place in the hierarchy of legislative acts.

Subject

Subtopic

The Education Law

Bylaws

Comments

2. Structure of HE, Degrees and Diplomas

2.1    Levels

17.1. The following states and levels of education exist in the Azerbaijan Republic:

…

17.1.5. Higher education

17.1.5.1. Baccalaureate

17.1.5.2. Master’s degree

17.1.5.3. Doctorate

 22.2. The training of specialists and scientific-pedagogic staff is carried out in three levels at the higher educational institutions of the Azerbaijan Republic:

22.2.1. Baccalaureate (except for medical education);

22.2.2. Master’s degree (except for medical education);

22.2.3. Doctorate.

The 3-stage structure of HE is presented in the Education Law that also gives the definitions and stipulates the access requirements for every stage of education.

The Action Plan on the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereinafter referred to as “Action Plan”), approved by the President in 2015 foresees the following activities:

1.6.5. Strengthening links and continuity among the higher education levels, developing and expertise of the state of the art standards to provide high level preparation in scientific research and perfect skill acquisition in the academic activities for the PhD level (Ministry of Education, 2016 – 2017)

3.1.2. Preparing proposals to ensure compliance of stages and levels of education with the international practice (Ministry of Education, 2016)

2.2    HE standards

6.1. National standards of education are a set of comprehensive norms developed in accordance with the scientific and pedagogic principles, meeting the demands of the individual, society, and the state. They contain common state requirements for a certain period of time (not less than 5 years).

6.2. National standards of education are determined by taking into account the internationally established progressive criteria in education, national and universal values.

6.3. Development, approval, and effectiveness of national standards of education are determined by the respective executive authority.

6.4. National standards of education determine the academic content, management, its material, technical, and teaching foundation, infrastructure, teachers’ quality indicators, the knowledge, skills, and aptitude of the learners at each level of education.

6.6. Respective national standards of education are taken as the foundation while assessing the operations of an educational institution, the quality of education and the graduates’ achievements, accreditation and the final attestation of the graduates.

6.7. Special national standards are determined for the education of individuals with physical restrictions.

“State Standard and Programme for Higher Education” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

“Rules for content and organisation of Bachelor’s Education”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

“Content and organization of the master degree education and procedures for granting the “Master” degrees”, 2010, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers (AVAILABLE in English)

The regulation regarding the content and organization of Doctoral studies, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers

The Education Law indicates that the regulation of academic content, management, its material, technical, and teaching foundation, infrastructure, teacher’s quality indicators, quality assurance of the HE institutions, and the knowledge, skills, and aptitude of the learners is covered by the “State Standard and Programme for Higher Education”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

There are also separate standards for the content and organization of education on each study level (Bachelotr’s, Master’s and Doctoral).

The Action Plan foresees the following activities:

1.6.1., 1.6.2 Developing and expertise and the approval of standards as per the qualifications for each level of higher education by the Ministry of Education and the Cabinet of Ministers in 2015 – 2017.

3.1.7., 3.1.8 Preparing, approval and application of new infrastructure-related norms, standards and rules of educational institutions by the Cabinet  of Ministers and the Ministry of Education in 2017 – 2019.

3.3.1. Preparation of quality standards and indexes for all stages and levels of education in 2015 – 2017 by the Ministry of Education.

3.4.1. Creation of the reporting, analysis and forecasting system of based on the Information System and Student-Graduate system of Education Management for all stages of education and their regular updating, Ministry of Education and the State Commission for Students’ Admission, regularly from 2016.

3.4.2. Creation, updating and the use of databases and graduate coordination and information systems in the regulation process at education facilities, regularly from 2016, by the Ministry of Education.

Note: In general, the HE institutions appear to have limited academic freedom regarding the design and content of the study programmes and teaching process, which are largely covered by centralized regulations.

The State Standards on Higher Education, as well as the standards concerning the Bachelor’s and Master’s study levels are highly detailed, regulating for example the percentage of class hours allotted for teaching different disciplines (General standard, article 8.4) or the in-time classroom hours (MA standards, article 2.9.). It would be recommended to consider leaving at least some of the questions regarding the organization of studies and design of the study programmes to the discretion of the higher education institutions in the future.

The standards regulating the content and organization on Bachelor’s and Master’s level have at the momment not been completely harmonized with the State Standard on Higher Education which has resulted in overlapping in certain areas of regulation (e.g see articles 8.4 of the general standard and 2.23 of the BA standard regarding the structure of educational programmes).

 In order to strengthen the links and continuity between different higher education levels, as also envisioned by the Action Plan, it would be advisable to consider consolidating the standards of the three study levels into one document including the requirements for all the study levels, instead of having them separately. As the “Standard of Higher Education” also regulates the academic content, maybe also the standards regarding the content and organization of Bachelor’s Master’s and Doctoral studies could be included in this regulation in a uniform manner.

2.3.  Baccalaureate

1.0.7. Bachelor – a higher vocational-professional degree conferred to the individuals who have completed Bachelor’s Degree.

22.3. The baccalaureate level of education carries out a wide range of specialists with higher education on educational programs of various majors, on the basis of general secondary education and secondary vocational-professional education. …

“Rules for content and organisation of Bachelor’s Education”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

“Approval of the Lists of Bachelor’s Degree Specialties (programs) of Higher Education”, 2009, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers

The Bachelor’s studies are regulated by the “Rules of Content and Organisation of Bachelor’s Education”  as well as the list of Bachelor’s degree specialities containing 8 specialties groups which include different majors/specializations.

2.4.  Master

1.0.34. Master’s Program – the second level of higher education.

22.4. The master’s level education envisages a deeper study of a specialization field for scientific-research or professional purposes and entitles the graduates to engage in a professional activity, scientific-research and scientific-pedagogic work. The content of and regulations pertaining to the master’s education are determined by the respective executive authority.

22.7. The master’s level education in the areas of culture, music, arts, sports, architecture, design and others, which require special abilities and have distinguishing features, is only provided in the areas that require theoretical education and research. The respective executive authority determines the list of such specialties.

“Content and organization of the master degree education and procedures for granting the “Master” degrees”, 2010, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers (AVAILABLE in English)

“Classification of Master’s level specialities“, 2011, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers

The Master’s studies are covered by the “Content and Organization of the Master’s Degree Education and Procedures for Granting the “Master’s” degrees (2010) which contains the period of Master’s studies, demands for the education content at the Master’s level and organization of the educational process, and the “Classification of Master’s level specialities“ (2011).

2.5.  Doctoral

1.0.12. Doctoral student – an individual enrolled in the doctoral program.

23.1. Doctoral level education is the highest level of higher education which develops scientific and scientific-pedagogical staff and offers advanced professional and scientific degrees.

23.2. The post-graduate education is provided through doctorate programs at the institutions of higher education and scientific establishments (or adjuncture programs at the military schools) and leads to the relevant scientific degree. The scientific degrees are conferred by the dissertation boards within the institutions of higher education and scientific establishments.

23.3. The following scientific degrees are established in the Republic of Azerbaijan:

23.3.1. Philosophy doctor – indicating the field of science;

23.3.2. Doctor of science - indicating the field of science.

23.4. The procedures for establishment of a doctorate program, admissions to the post-graduate study, conferring scientific degrees and the pertinent policies are determined by the respective executive authority.

The regulation regarding the content and organization of Doctoral studies, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers

„Classification of specialities for Doctoral level“, 2012, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers

There exists a regulation regarding the content and organization of Doctoral studies that is currently being renewed by the Ministry of Education. The approval of standards for the PhD level by the Cabinet of Ministers is also foreseen by the Action Plan (1.6.6).

The specialties are regulated by the “Classification of specialities for Doctoral level (2012)

2.6.  Degrees

29.0. The State responsibilities in the field of education are as follows:

…

29.2.34. determine the regulations and conditions for scientific titles and degrees;

1.0.8. Bachelor’s Degree – the first level of higher vocational-professional education that trains a broad range of specialists in respective majors.

22.3. …The Bachelor’s degree is a completed higher education. The graduates who complete Bachelor’s program are issued the Bachelor higher professional-vocational degree. The graduates who receive Bachelor’s degree may work in all the fields, other than scientific research and the scientific-pedagogic activity of the higher educational institutions. The content of Bachelor’s program and the regulations pertaining to these programs are determined by the respective executive authority.

1.0.35. Master – a higher academic professional degree conferred to the individuals who have completed the Master’s Program.

1.0.13. Doctor’s Degree – the highest degree in higher education, a type of advanced scientific and pedagogic training that provides conferment of the doctorate degree.

1.0.15. Doctor of Science – the highest academic degree conferred during the second stage of the doctorate program by the fields of science.

1.0.18. Doctor of Philosophy – a scientific degree conferred during the first phase of doctorate programs by the respective field of study.

Note: The Education Law foresees two types of doctoral degrees - Philosophy Doctor (kandidat nauk) and Doctor of Science (doktor nauk). The reasons for such a distinction appeared to be mainly historical and in the regulations. According to the discussions with the representatives of the MoE the acquisition of Doctor of Science serves as a precondition for applying for academic positions/titles set in the law („dotsent“, „professor“). In the light of the EQF, it is advisable to rethink the necessity for such a distinction.

2.7.  ECTS

1.0.41. Educational credit – the unit of measurement allocated for the mastery of a certain course in accordance with its content and the scope.

“State Standard and Programme for Higher Education” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

“Rules for content and organisation of Bachelor’s Education”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

“Content and organization of the master degree education and procedures for granting the “Master” degrees”, 2010, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers (AVAILABLE in English)

The regulation regarding the content and organization of Doctoral studies, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers

“Rules on organizing the credit system education at bachelor and master levels of higher education institutions”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2013 (AVAILABE in English)

The European Credit Transfer System has been referred to in the State Standard and Progamme for Higher Education, as well as the standards concerning studies on Bachelor’s and Master’s Level. In 2013, rules were adopted on organizing the credit system.

Note: The learning outcomes of students have been described on different study levels in respective standards on Bachelor and Master studies in a very brief and general manner (e.g see article 4 of the BA standard, Requirements toward Training Level of Bachelor’s Degree Graduate). It is advisable to consider describing the learning outcomes of all study levels in a more thorough and specific fashion.

The rules adopted on organizing the credit system education are at the moment partly overlapping with the State Standard on HE, as well as the standards on Bachelor and Master studies. The document also regulates the organization of studies in a highly detailed manner (e.g the concrete dates for preparing the individual curriculum of the student, see article 3.3.1). An abundance of definitions has been included in the regulation, some of which have not been further referred to in the document (e.g the General Middle Success Indicatior in article 2.1.14).

It is recommended to harmonize the regulation with other relevant standards concerning the organization of studies. It is also advisable to consider leaving some of the areas of regulation regarding the organization of studies to the discretion of the higher education institutions and omitting superfluous definitions from the document.

2.8.  Admission, graduating

26.1. The student admissions to institutions of higher and secondary vocational-professional education fully maintain the citizens’ right to education and is carried out on a competitive basis (except as provided by the section 26.5) by allowing students who have mastered the educational programs at the corresponding educational level and are competent and prepared, to independently select the specialization and educational institution of their own choosing.

26.2. The student admissions to institutions of higher and secondary vocational-professional education is carried out in accordance with the procedures established by the respective executive authority and based on the students’ performance during the student assessment exams.

26.4. A student’s achievements in the preceding stage of education are taking into consideration during the admissions to the institutions of higher and secondary vocational-professional only in accordance with the procedures determined by the respective educational authority.

26.5. The winners of world subject Olympiads, reputable international competitions and contests are entitled to direct admissions to the relevant specializations at the higher educational institutions. The list of these Olympiads, international competitions and contests is determined by the respective executive authority.

26.6. The student admissions to master’s level programs at higher educational institutions is carried out for individuals holding a bachelor’s or other higher educational degrees, in accordance with the procedures determined by the respective executive authority.

29.0. The State responsibilities in the field of education are as follows:

…

29.0.9. define the student admissions plan for institutions of primary, secondary vocational-professional and higher education

“Rules for content and organisation of Bachelor’s Education”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

“Content and organization of the master degree education and procedures for granting the “Master” degrees”, 2010, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers (AVAILABLE in English)

The study enrolment plan has to be approved by the Council of the HE institution and later by the Minister of Higher Education.

The admission rules of students are established and the entrance exam is organized by the State Student Admissions Committee directly subordinate to the President. After passing the exam, the students can freely choose the university they wish to attend.

The final attestation of the students is regulated by the Higher Attestation Committee also directly subordinate to the President.

The admission and attestation of students are also briefly touched upon in the standards on the content and organization of education of the Bachelor’s and Master’s study levels (see e.g article 4 of the MA standard, Undergraduates’ Final Attestation).

The Action Plan foresees the following activities:

3.1.15. Preparation and submission for approval of new admission and placement mechanisms envisaging termination of the admission plan on paid education at high and secondary special education institutions, regardless of their form of ownership, and determination of state order based only on specialties by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2015 – 2016.

3.1.16. Application of new admission and placement mechanisms at high and secondary special education institutions, regularly from 2016

By the Ministry of Education, State Commission for Students’ Admission.

Note: As the rights to select and assess the outcomes of their own students (including giving them personal feedback based on these outcomes) form a central part of the academic autonomy of the HE institution, it is advisable to consider adopting a less centralized approach to the organization and rules of student admission and examination.

2.9.  State recognized diplomas

Article 27. The state document on education

27.1. Individuals who complete any stage and level of education at an educational institution which holds a special permit (license) and has passed state accreditation to operate in the field of education in the Republic of Azerbaijan, are issued a state educational document in accordance with the procedures established by the legislation.

27.2. The state document for completion of education constitutes a basis for pursuing one’s education at the next level or commencing labor activity in the area of specialization.

27.3. Individuals who for various reasons fail to complete a certain phase and level of education receive a reference document from the educational institution in accordance with the procedure established by the respective executive authority.

27.4. Educational documents issued in foreign countries are recognized in accordance with the procedures established by the respective executive authority.

2.10.          Diploma supplement

Note: At the moment, there appears to be no regulation covering the Diploma Supplement. As the Diploma Supplement is an important tool in the Bologna framework to improve international transparency and facilitating the academic and professional recognition of qualifications, it is recommended to include the requirements and procedure for the DS in the centralized regulations.

Subject

Subtopic

Educational Law

Bylaws

Comments

3. HE institutions, autonomy

3.1. Types, definitions

1.0.4. Academy - a higher educational institution that implements higher and in-service training programs, and conducts fundamental and applied scientific research;

…

1.0.25. Institute (higher education institution) – a higher education institution, either independent or a structural unit of the universities, which carries out the training of specialists with higher education on specific specialties, as well as provides in-service training programs.

…

1.0.30. Conservatoire – a higher educational institution which trains highly specialized experts on the field of music.

…

1.0.53. University – a leading multi-profile higher educational institution, which carries out a broad range of specialist training at all levels of higher education, in-service training programs, and conducts fundamental and applied scientific research.

14.5. The following types and kinds of educational institutions are established:

…

14.5.6. institutions of higher education (universities, academies, institutes, etc.)

1.0.48. Autonomy of an educational institution – independence granted to state and municipal educational institutions by the respective executive power body.

14.11. The respective executive authority may grant a public higher educational institution the right (status) of autonomy within its framework of authority. An educational institution, which is granted the right of autonomy, is free to carry out teaching, scientific research, personnel, financial-economic, and other activities in compliance with existing legislation and its statutes.

According to the Education Law, there are 4 types of HE institutions:

-          The University is a leading multi-profile higher education institution which carries out HE on all levels.

-          The Academy can also provide HE on all levels, but is specialised in only one area.

-          The Institute can be an independent HEI or a structural unit of the university and provides professional higher education.

-          The Conservatory is a HEI specializing in music education.

The Education Law does not give very clear criteria for distinguishing between different types of HE institutions – e.g the Academy and the Institute.

Note: At the moment, the organizational, academic and staffing dimensions of autonomy of the HE institutions appears to be somewhat limited, as the regulations for governing bodies are largely centralized, the rector is appointed and the involvement of students in the governance of the HE institutions is insufficient.

However, as a positive development, according to the Action Plan a greater degree of organizational and administrative autonomy shall be awarded to the HEIs in the future. The Plan foresees:

1.6.4. Improving the regulatory framework in order to give independence to higher education institutions in the application of the educational content by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Education in 2018 – 2019.

3.2. The creation of result-oriented and transparent regulation model at educational institutions, including the (3.2.1.) Creation of a legislative framework for granting administrative, academic, financial and organizational autonomy to educational institutions and the (3.2.2.) creation of the application mechanisms for strategic regulation of education institutions.

3.2.   Legal status

14.1. The organizational and legal forms, and status of an educational institution are established by the corresponding legislation.

14.2. Based on its forms of ownership, the following educational institutions operate in the Azerbaijan Republic:

14.2.1. State

14.2.2. Municipal

14.2.3. Private.

14.3. State educational institutions in the Azerbaijan Republic do not directly seek any financial benefit.

14.15. An educational institution is a legal entity and has an independent balance. An educational institution may have a bank account and other accounts in accordance with the respective legislation. An educational institution is independent in the performance of its administrative and financial-economic activities within the framework of existing legislation.

14.16. An educational institution has the right to establish a network of affiliate institutions both within the country and abroad (for state educational institutions, under the condition of prior agreement with the respective executive authority), to create educational unions, associations, and alliances with public organizations for the advancement and improvement of education, likewise to join similar organizations in compliance with the legislation and its statutes.

The HE institutions are either state owned or private. The rules and limitations of action are the same for all the state owned HE institutions.

3.3.  Founding, merge, closure

14.9. The establishment and activities by the political parties and religious institutions in educational institutions, educational management and other bodies are prohibited.

14.12. Establishment, expansion, re-organization, and the closure of an educational institution is carried out in accordance with the rules established by the legislation.

Article 15. Founder of educational institution

15.1. Founder (founders) of the educational institutions can be the state, municipalities, legal entities, and individuals of the Azerbaijan Republic and of foreign countries.

15.3. The establishment rules and the list of special purpose institutions of education are decided by the respective executive authority.

15.4. A founder’s liability, scope of authority, and mutual obligations with an educational institution are established and regulated by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, the constituent contract, and the entity’s statutes.

3.4. Internal regulations.

3.4.1. Charter

3.4.2. Development plan

3.4.3. Structure

14.4. The operations, rights, and, and duties of an educational institution is established and regulated by its Charter, taking into account this Law and the respective legislative acts of the Azerbaijan Republic.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an Exemplary Charter for a HE institution. Within these limits, the Scientific Board of the HE institution approves the charter of the institution which is then sent to the Ministry of Education for approval and registered at the Ministry of Justice. The HE institutions have limited powers in designing their charters.

According to the discussions with the representatives of the MoE, despite no legal obligations to adopt a development plan, all the institutions have one approved by the Scientific Board for every five years. The STEs did not get any information regarding the involvement of different stakeholders in the creation of the development plan.

3.5.  Governing bodies.

3.5.1. Rector, board

3.5.2. Student and labour market participation

30.2. Administration of a public educational institution is carried out by the management of the educational institution appointed by the respective executive authority. The highest governing bodies of public educational institutions are the scientific and pedagogical boards. The establishment and activities of the scientific and pedagogical boards are defined by the regulations approved by the respective executive authority and the statute of that educational institution.

30.4. Administration of a private educational institution is carried out by the management of the private educational institution appointed by the founding board (trustees).

30.5. The deputy head of an educational institution must be a citizen of Azerbaijan Republic if the founder(s) of this institution are foreign citizens or foreign legal entities, including if more than 51% of the statutory capital or stocks are owned by foreign legal entities or foreign citizens. The nomination of the head and the deputy head of such educational institution shall be agreed upon by the respective executive authority. The state registration of this educational institution can only be made once the nominations of the head and the deputy head are agreed upon.

30.6. Units of administration and self-administration (general meeting, trustees, scientific, scientific-methodological, pedagogical, parental and student boards) can be established at an education institution to provide for democratic and transparent administration of the educational institution. The procedure for establishment of these types of institutions is specified by the statute of the education institution.

30.7. The management of an educational institution is carried out by a rector, director or head depending on the status of that institution and in accordance with the statute of the educational institution.

30.8. The age limit for holding academic and administrative positions in an educational institution is determined the respective executive authority. The pedagogical staffs who reach this age limit are entitled to take part in the teaching and scientific activities of the educational institution provided that they do not hold any academic and administrative position.

30.9. No public and local self-government authority or any other entity, with the exception of the educational administration authorities may not interfere in the matters involving administration of an educational institution.

“State Standard and Programme for Higher Education” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

“Regulation of Scientific Board of higher education institutions”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers (AVAILABLE in English)

The HE institutions have two main governing bodies – the Rector and the Scientific Board. The general principles of governance of the HE institutions are regulated in the “Standard of Higher Education”.

In principle, the HE institutions are governed by the Rector who is appointed to office by the President for an unfixed term. The Rector is not accountable to the Scientific Board. Members of the HE staff cannot interfere with the process of the election.

The rules of forming the Scientific Board are determined by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Board consists of both appointed and elected members. The seats in the Board are provided for the rector, pro-rectors, deans, students’ union, trade union (students, professors), etc.

The rest of the seats are elected by the departments of HE institution. The members of the Board are approved by the Ministry of Education for 3 years. The Rector is the chairman of Scientific Board. The Scientific Board adopts internal regulations (e.g the rules for election of the teaching staff), approves the deans, regulates procedural issues and approves the structure of the HE institution (final approval is given by the MoE), as well as the Charter and Development Plan of the HE institution. According to article 8 of the Regulation of Scientific Board, the decisions of the Scientific Board only come into effect after the approval of the rector.

Note: At the moment, the rector is not in any way accountable to the Scientific Board. In order to increase the autonomy of the university and the transparency of the governance of HEIs, it is recommended to consider increasing the accountability of the rector (as an executive body) to the Scientific Board (as the supervisory body) and thus the academic community.

3.6.  Financial autonomy.

3.6.1. State order

3.6.2. Contract, performance indicators

3.6.3. Commercial activity

3.6.4. Financial control

29.0. The State responsibilities in the field of education are as follows:

…

29.0.9. define the student admissions plan for institutions of primary, secondary vocational-professional and higher education;

Article 38. Financing of the educational institutions

38.1. The State allocates spending from state budget and other sources for the development of education.

38.2. An educational institution is entitled to render various paid educational services to individuals and legal entities, engage in business activity, as well as receive voluntary donations and contributions from individuals and legal entities in accordance with procedures determined by the legislation. The funds, property and income obtained from such sources does not in any way affect the amount of funds allocated from the budget to that educational institution and is independently used in accordance with its statute.

38.3. An educational institution may only use its income for the development of education and the social protection of learners and educators.

38.4. The financing of a public educational institution is carried out on the basis of financial norms determined for each level of education. These norms are established by taking into account the cost per student, according to the mode, type and category of an educational institution.

38.6. A public educational institution acts independently in the use of its funds generated from the tuition fees and other non-budget resources in accordance with its statute. The public educational institution determines independently the amount of allocations from non-budget resources towards material incentives for the staff, or to providing assistance to educators and learners.

38.7. The state provides long-term and individual loans to support development of educational institutions and for eligible students to cover their tuitions and other related costs, as well as grants for scientific-research activities, financing of doctoral programs, studying the international experience and other purposes. The procedures and conditions for receiving educational loans and grants are defined and regulated under relevant legislative acts. The state grants for education and scientific-research may not be used to finance other activities of an educational institution.

38.8. The state provides favourable investment climate to attract investments, including foreign investments into the fields of education and for this purpose it proposes to investors concessions in accordance with the legislation.

38.9. Foreign investment in the system of education is carried out in accordance with the procedures established by the legislation.

Article 39. Sources of financing for public and municipal educational institutions

39.0. The public and municipal educational institutions are financed from the following sources:

39.0.1. state and municipal budget funds;

39.0.2. income from tuition fees;

39.0.3. special grants, bequeathed funds, voluntary contribution and aid provided by individuals and legal entities, including foreign citizens and foreign legal entities;

39.0.4. competition-based scientific-research grants allocated by the state;

39.0.5. income generated by the educational institution for educational, scientific, production, consulting and other services defined by the legislation;

39.0.6. funds allocated by individuals and legal entities under contract for the development of specialists, in-service training and re-training;

39.0.7. funds earned through special-purpose programs and projects financed by state authorities;

39.0.8. The proceeds from sale of physically & morally outdated equipment, transportation vehicles and other assets that belong to the educational institution but are unfit for the purposes of education;

39.0.9. grants and resources obtained by the educational institution through international cooperation;

39.0.10. resources obtained from other sources not prohibited by legislation.

Article 41. Business activity by education institution

41.1. An educational institution can engage in the type of business activities authorized by the respective executive authority and in accordance with the procedures prescribed in its statute in order to generate extra income.

41.2. The educational institution is authorized to freely dispose of its income obtained from business activities on the basis of the relevant legislation. The resources obtained by the public educational institution through business activities are channelled directly to the development of education and social protection of its staff.

41.3. An educational institution can establish legal entities or participate in the activities of other legal entities in accordance with the procedures defined by the legislation in order to conduct its business operations.

Article 42. Compensation for damages from inadequate education

42.1. In case an educational institution is found to have fallen short in the provision of education in accordance with the national standards of education, resulting in the poor training of its learners, the respective executive authority shall put forward a claim in the court of law to which the educational institution must provide remuneration for the damages incurred, including for the necessary costs related to the re-training of graduates or learners at another educational institution.

42.2. The claim may only be based on an unfavourable opinion issued by the accreditation service to the accredited educational institution (Section 42.1).

“Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the use of the new funding mechanism for higher education institutions”, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

 “Definition of the types of entrepreneurial activities that can be provided by educational institutions in order to receive the additional income”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

The HE institutions manage their own budget which consists of state budget funding, fees from students and other income from paid services. State budget funding includes core funding (for salaries, utilities, running management costs) and state funding according to state ordered study places allocated by the President.

The HE institutions send the data about their teaching capacity to the MoE. After considering the needs of the labour market and the requests of the HE institutions, the Ministry presents the final study enrolment plan to the Educational Committee that is governed directly by the President. The Committee decides on the division of state ordered study places between the HE institutions.

Note: The obligations of the HE institutions regarding the use of the budget allocations are not clear. It was not possible to identify any performance criteria (input or output) as a basis for the shaping of the student enrolment plan.

The Action Plan foresees the following activities:

3.1.13. Preparation and approval of a new mechanism of formation of the state order covering staff training in priority spheres with respect to the real demand in social, economic and political development of the country by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2015 – 2016.

3.1.14. Application of a new mechanism on formation of state order on training staff in education system by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy and Industry, regularly, from beginning of 2016

3.3.7. Creation of the rating system of an educational institution in 2016 by the Ministry of Education.

3.3.11. Creation and application of the stimulation mechanisms to improve quality and a grant system encouraging the innovative activity in education, regularly from 2015 by the Ministry of Education.

 5.1. Involvement of adequate amount financial resources in education, achieve 5-6 per cent increase of the ratio of educational expenses to  gross domestic product in stages, results-oriented budgeting and financing mechanisms in different sources:

 5.1.1. Imply the increase of the ratio of educational expenses to  gross domestic product in stages, in the medium-term forecasting, as of 2016, Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Education

5.1.2. Creation of mechanisms for result-oriented budget planning for state educational institutions, involvement from and use of non-budgetary funds sources, 2016 – 2017, Ministry of Education

5.2. Transformation to the financing mechanism based on cost per student in educational institutions.

 5.2.1. Creation of a mechanism for financing in educational institutions based on cost per student, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy and Industry, 2016.

 5.2.2. Approving the mechanism for financing in educational institutions based on cost per student, Cabinet of Ministers, 2016

 5.2.3. Implementation of the mechanism for financing in educational institutions based on cost per student by the Ministry of Education, as of 2017.

5.7. Establishment of investment expenditures system of educational institutions based on the quality indicators.

3.7.  Research obligations and funding

25.1. The scientific researches in the system of education are conducted by the relevant scientific-research entities operating under the educational management bodies, at the institutions of higher education and their relevant units (scientific-research institutes, centres, departments, laboratories and etc.).

25.2. The scientific researches carried out in the system of education are of fundamental and applied nature.

25.3. The scientific researches in the system of education are carried out using public funds, grants, resources from various funds, extra-budgetary funds generated by the educational institutions, outside orders and etc.

25.4. Scientific researches related to the educational development issues are innovative in nature and are aimed at the study of educational history, improvement of the structure and management of the education, organization of the teaching process on the basis of modern methodologies, development and implementation of new learning technologies and pedagogical innovations in other areas.

According to the Education Law, the universities have an obligation to conduct fundamental scientific and applied research.

However, the majority of research is in practice carried out separately in the institutes of the Academy of Sciences directly subordinate to the President. Research funding is not a part of the core funding of the university.

Note: At the moment, no incentive nor initial funding are provided by for research activities inside higher education institutions. It would be advisable for the State to build up capacity for research and promote success in research funding projects, also involving the representatives of the labour market.

The Action Plan foresees  (5.5.) the introduction of a new funding mechanism for research in the education system, including (5.5.1.) development and implementation of a mechanism for conducting research based on public order and grants, as of 2015 regular, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy and Industry.

3.8.  Framework for private universities

30.4. Administration of a private educational institution is carried out by the management of the private educational institution appointed by the founding board (trustees).

35.4. Social protection of learners studying at private educational institutions is regulated by the statute of that institution.

Article 40. Financing of private educational institutions

40.1. A private educational institutions is financed from the following sources:

40.1.1. income generated for provision of educational services;

40.1.2. funds from founders (trustees);

40.1.3. funds from received grants and loans;

40.1.4. contributions, aid, bequeathed funds and gifts provided by individuals and legal entities;

40.1.5. income generated for providing educational, scientific, production, consulting and other services defined by the legislation;

40.1.6. resources obtained from other sources not prohibited by legislation.

40.2. private educational institution independently manages financial resources.

40.3. Private educational institution independently determines the tuition fee on the basis of curricula in each level of education.

40.4. The relations between the private educational institution and learners and their parents (legal guardians) are regulated under a contract.

Subject

Subtopic

Educational Law

Bylaws

Comments

4. Certification

4.1. Definition

1.0.32. License – a special permit issued by the state for providing educational operations.

4.2. Participants in Proceedings

16.1. Any educational institution should receive a special permit (license) from the respective executive authority under the established legislation in order to provide educational activities. State educational institutions are issued special permanent permits (license)….

16.2. The recognition of the licenses obtained by the foreign individuals and legal entities, their affiliate branches and representations in order to provide educational activities in their countries, in the Azerbaijan Republic is determined by the agreements signed between the states.

16.5. Only the operations of educational institutions, which have registered in the Azerbaijan Republic as legal entities, received special permits (license) for activities, and accredited, are provided with legal provisions.

The licensing of the HEIs has been regulated by the Education Law and is conducted by the Accreditation and Licensing Unit in the MoE.

4.3.  Criteria

The decision of opening a new curriculum is at the discretion of the Minister of Education. At the moment, the evaluation conducted by the Ministry before approving the curriculum does not appear to be particularly broad-based.

Note: In the interests of the students studying on the programme that does not yet have state accreditation, it is advisable to create continuity between the standards of the initial evaluation of the programme and the accreditation criteria.

4.4.  Frequency

16.1. …

Private and municipal educational institutions founded by the individuals and legal entities of the Azerbaijan Republic are issued special permits (license) for a 5-year period. The educational institutions founded by the foreign individuals and legal entities are issued special permits (license) for not less than 3 years.

4.5.  Costs

4.6.  Terms of withdrawal, state supervision

29.0. The State responsibilities in the field of education are as follows:

…

29.2.26. carry out the scientific-methodological supervision and control over educational institutions

Note: There appears to be no regulation in place regarding neither the terms of withdrawal of licences nor the state supervision. In order to bring the rights and obligations of the universities into balance and increase their accountability to the state and society, it is advisable to regulate these matters in a centralized manner.

Subject

Subtopic

Educational Law

Bylaws

Comments

5. Quality assurance

5.1. Definition.

5.1.1. Institution

5.1.2. Curricula

1.0.5. Accreditation – a procedure to determine and approve the adherence of an educational institution’s activities to the national education standards, and its status.

5.2.  Performing accreditation.

5.2.1. Body for accreditation.

5.2.2. Employers, students, other stakeholders involvement

5.2.3 Frequency, self-assessment

16.3. The accreditation of an educational institution is implemented in order to determine the adherence of the organization of educational process, material-technical resources, educational programs, human resources, financial resources and the educational infrastructure to the adopted national standards and other normative-legal requirements. An accreditation is regarded as the recognition of the status of an educational institution and the legal provision for approval of its activities for the following period (for a period of not less than provided by the Section 16.1 of the Present Law).

16.4. The accreditation of an educational institution is overseen by the state accreditation services established by the relevant executive authority. The accreditation concludes with the issuance of a corresponding quality document – a certificate.

“Rules for accreditation of educational institutions” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 2010 (AVAILABLE in English)

1.2. The accreditation of education establishment is carried out in order to specify the organization of education process, m logistical basis of the establishment, curriculums, personnel potential; financial resources and educational inf

Date

Activities/Meetings

BC experts met

(title and institution)

Remarks

28.3.2016

Meeting with RTA, assistants and MoE representatives:
Mr Azad Akhundov – BC CL III, Science and Higher Education Department senior Advisor;
Mr Afgan Abdullayev, BC CL IV;
Mr Tofig Ahmadov - Senior Adviser, the Science, Higher and Secondary Professional Education Department, RTA  Counterpart

Preparation of the mission and trainings

29.3.2016

Training at Baku State University: Overview of EHEA QF; study program development; outcome based learning and assessment

list of participants and study materials in annexes

30.3.2016

Training at Azerbaijan Technical University: Overview of EHEA QF; study program development; outcome based learning and assessment

parallel training with the one in the next row; list of participants and study materials in annexes

30.3.2016

Training at Azerbaijan  State  Economic

University: Overview of EHEA QF; study program development; outcome based learning and assessment

parallel training with the one in the previous row; list of participants and study materials in annexes

31.3.2016

Training at Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University: Overview of EHEA QF; study program development; outcome based learning and assessment

list of participants and study materials in annexes

1.4.2016

Report writing

Mission review and planning of next mission with RTA and MoE representatives:

Mr Azad Akhundov – BC CL III, Science and Higher Education Department senior Advisor;
Ms Zahra Jafarova, - Leading Adviser, Science, Higher and Secondary Professional Education Department;
Mr Tofig Ahmadov - Senior Adviser, the Science, Higher and Secondary Professional Education Department, RTA  Counterpart

Date

Activities/Meetings

BC experts met

(title and institution)

Remarks

14.3.2016

Meeting with the RTA Reijo Aholainen

Meeting with mr. Emin Amrullayev - Head of the Department of Education Development programs, ms. Vusala Gurbanova - Senior Advisor of Science, Higher and Secondary Special Education Department, mr. Azad Akhundov - Senior Advisor, Science and Higher Education Department 

ST experts meeting: summary of the day/reporting

15.3.2016

Workshop on current institutional arrangements of the support of Bologna process. Lala Piriyeva, Azerbaijan Technical University, Registration and Assessment department,

Shafag Shahmammadova, Azerbaijan University of Languages, Department for Curriculum and Quality Control,

Vusala Gurbanova, Afgan Abdullayev and Tofig Ahmadov MoE

Farida Jafarova, Azerbaijan University of Languages, 2 year student (Sabah group),

Nigar Rahmanova, Azerbaijan University of Languages, 3 year student, philology and journalism faculty

ST experts meeting: summary of the day/reporting

16.3.

Workshop on good practices in Finland, Estonia and other EHEA countries. (Participants listed on a separate list by RTA office)

ST experts meeting: summary of the day/reporting

17.3.

ST experts: Reporting and preparing the recommendations

18.3.

Mission review with MoE representatives and with the BC PL team

Date

Activities/Meetings

BC experts met

(title and institution)

Remarks

4.4.2016

Meeting with RTA, assistants and MoE representatives:
Mr Azad Akhundov – BC CL III, Science and Higher Education Department senior Advisor;
Mr Tofig Ahmadov - Senior Adviser, the Science, Higher and Secondary Professional Education Department, RTA  Counterpart;

Ms Zahra Jafarova - Senior Advisor at Science, Higher and Vocational Education Department

Preparation of the mission

5.4.2016

Interview with the committee members of the national educational standard for teacher education:

Dr Malik Jabrayilov;

Dr Nazim Abbasov

6.4.2016

Attending Nizami Project meeting;

Interview with the committee members of the national educational standard for economics and business administration:

Dr Cahan Bulud

The Agenda of Nizami project meeting is attached

7.4.2016

Attending Nizami Project meeting;

Interview with the committee members of the national educational standard for ICT:

Dr Ramin Mahmudzade;

Dr Etibar Seyidzade

8.4.2016

Reflection of the week, preparation for the next week with RTA, assistants and MoE representatives:

Mr Azad Akhundov – BC CL III, Science and Higher Education Department senior Advisor;
Mr Tofig Ahmadov - Senior Adviser, the Science, Higher and Secondary Professional Education Department, RTA  Counterpart

11.4.2016

Interview with university staff members responsible for recognition of studies from other institutions (credit transfer, RPL) at Qafqaz University:

Ms Sevil Imanova - Vice Rector for External Affairs;

Mr Islam Huseynov - Associate Dean at Pedagogy Faculty;

Mr Adalat Ibadov - Head of Quality Management Department;

Mr Khanlar Heydarov - Associate Dean at Faculty of Economics and Administration;

Mr Parviz Mammadov - Associate Dean at Engineering Faculty

Writing the gap analysis based on the interviews

12.4.2016

Interview with university staff members responsible for recognition of studies from other institutions (credit transfer, RPL) at Baku State University:

Ms Elmira Ismayilova - Head of International Relations Department;

Mr Akif Guliyev - Dean of Biology Faculty;

Ms Sabina Omarova - Vice Dean of Biology Faculty;

Ms Gulheyran Rahimova - Dean of International Department;

Mr Khanverdi Ganbarov - Head of Micobiology Department;

Mr Abdulsaid Azizov - Dean of Chemistry Faculty;

Mr Ralfrid Hasanov - Head of Biophysics and Molecular Biology Department

Meeting with the MoE representative responsible for development and implementation of AzQF:

Mr Emin Amrullayev - Head of the Educational Programmes Development Department, BC Project Leader

Writing the gap analysis based on the interviews

13.4.2016

Interview with university staff members responsible for recognition of studies from other institutions (credit transfer, RPL) at Azerbaijan State Economic University

Meeting with MoE representative responsible for the implementation of NQF, presentation of the first findings of gap-analysis:

Mr Azad Akhundov – BC CL III, Science and Higher Education Department senior Advisor

Interviews with MoE representatives responsible for nostrification of diplomas and accreditation:

Mr Natig Ibrahimov – Deputy Director, Science, Higher and Secondary Special Education;

Mr Afgan Abdullayev -  Senior Advisor at Regulatory Legal Documents Unit

List of participants of the meeting at Azerbaijan State Economic University

is attached

14.4.2016

Meeting with the representative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection:

Mr Elnur Suleymanov – Head of State Employment Policy Department

Finalising the gap analysis

15.4.2016

Report writing

Mission review and planning of next mission with RTA, assistants and MoE representatives:

Mr Azad Akhundov – BC CL III, Science and Higher Education Department senior Advisor;
Mr Tofig Ahmadov - Senior Adviser, the Science, Higher and Secondary Professional Education Department, RTA  Counterpart;

Ms Zahra Jafarova - Senior Advisor at Science, Higher and Vocational Education Department

Date

Activities/Meetings

BC experts met

(title and institution)

Remarks

18.4.2016

Preparatory meeting: RTA Reijo Aholainen, Language assistant Tarlan Arzumanov, STEs

Helka Kekäläinen, Heli Mattisen and Kirsi Hiltunen

Discussions on possible model for QA in Azerbaijan: Afgan Abdullayev, Tofig Ahmadov, Vusala Gurbanova, Zahra Jafarova

Preparation for the workshop and interviews, and other organisational needs

19.4.2016

Preparatory meeting: STEs Helka Kekäläinen, Heli Mattisen and Kirsi Hiltunen

Interviews of:

Emin Amrullayev, Natig Ibrahimov

From the new Accreditation and Nostrification Office: Samir Valiyev, Rovshan Abdullayev

Interview of students from the State Oil and Industry University of Azerbaijan: 3rd-year students Shukur Sadikhov, Nazim Mustafayev, Erkin Najafli, Elshan Mirzazade

From the MoE: Afgan Abdullayev, Tofig Ahmadov

Preparatory meeting for the workshop and interviews; drafting the workplan

Discussions on the possible model for QA in Azerbaijan

20.4.2016

Preparatory meeting: STEs Helka Kekäläinen, Heli Mattisen and Kirsi Hiltunen

Workshop:

- Workplan for drafting the Standards and Guidelines for QA of Higher Education in Azerbaijan

- Contents of the Standards and Guidelines for QA of Higher Education in Azerbaijan

- Drafting criteria for: design and approval of programmes; on-going monitoring and periodic review of programmes

List of workshop participants attached

Preparation for the workshop

Workshop

21.4.2016

Preparatory meeting: STEs Helka Kekäläinen, Heli Mattisen and Kirsi Hiltunen

Meeting: RTA Counterpart Tofig Ahmadov, BC PL Emin Amrullayev, RTA Reijo Aholainen, STEs Helka Kekäläinen, Heli Mattisen and Kirsi Hiltunen

Workshop:

- Drafting criteria for: student-centred learning, teaching and assessment; internationalisation

List of workshop participants attached

Preparatory meeting

Meeting with RTA Counterpart and BC PL

Workshop

22.4.2016

Meeting: STEs Helka Kekäläinen, Heli Mattisen and Kirsi Hiltunen

Mission review: RTA Counterpart Tofig Ahmadov, BC PL Emin Amrullayev, RTA Reijo Aholainen, STEs Helka Kekäläinen, Heli Mattisen and Kirsi Hiltunen

Meeting with the Minister of Education Mikayil Jabbarov

Report writing

Composition of the drafting group

Discussion on the possible model for QA in Azerbaijan

Task

Schedule

Actor(s)

Appointment of the Drafting Group

April 2016

Ministry of Education

Definition of the overall framework and objectives for evaluation

April – June 2016

Drafting Group and STEs

Definition of the objects and criteria for evaluation (incl. outcome of evaluation and consequences)

April – June 2016

Drafting Group and STEs

Description of the evaluation process:

- self-evaluation and other material, evaluation team, site visit, final report and publication of results

April – June 2016

Drafting Group and STEs

Drafting the Proposal for Standards and Guidelines and Manual for the pilot evaluations

- first draft of the Proposal (May 2016)

- discussion on the Draft Proposal (June 2016): national seminar

- Manual for the pilots (August 2016)

April – August 2016

Drafting Group and STEs

Various stakeholders

Translation of the Manual into Azerbaijani

August 2016

RTA office

Fostering the Self-Evaluation Capacity of Pilot institutions

- support the capacity to conduct a self-evaluation for pilots in 3 selected institutions

Autumn 2016

Finnish and Estonian experts

Pilot evaluations

Spring 2017

3 evaluation teams (3-5 experts from Azerbaijan and abroad, secretary from FINEEC or EKKA)

Analysis of the pilot evaluations

Summer / autumn 2017

Pilot institutions, external experts, FINEEC and EKKA staff, MoE representatives and other relevant stakeholders

Revised proposal for the Standards and Guidelines

Roadmap for the future QA system in Azerbaijan

Summer / autumn  2017

STEs and BC experts