EKKA will help to enhance Azerbaijan’s higher education system

Yesterday on 18th November, a Kick Off Meeting marked the official launch of a new Twinning project in higher education. The project is funded by the European Union with a budget of 1,3 Million Euros.

The overall objective of the Twinning project is to enhance Azerbaijan’s higher education through increased integration with the standards of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The purpose is to increase the institutional capacities of the Ministry of Education and other key institutions of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the development of Bologna related policies and the implementation of the EHEA objectives and reference tools. The project will be implemented from 1 September 2015 to the end of August 2017.

The project reflects the strategic objectives under the EU-Azerbaijan ENP Action Plan, where support is foreseen for the reform and modernisation of the education and training systems within the framework of Azerbaijan’s reform programme. The EU-Azerbaijan ENP Action Plan includes, inter alia, higher education sector reforms in line with the Bologna process principles of quality enhancement, improved accreditation system for higher education institutions, policy dialogue between EU and Azerbaijani and increasing international cooperation and mobility.

The European project partners are the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (lead Member State partner), the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency (Member State partner) and beneficiary partner is the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan.