Azerbaijan is bordered on the north by Russia, on the east by the Caspian Sea, on the south by Iran, on the west by Armenia, and on the northwest by Georgia. The population of Azerbaijan is 8,347,000 people, of which 4,298,000, or 51.5 per cent – live in urban areas and 4,490,000, or 48.5 per cent - in rural areas (Azerbaijan State Statistical Committee 2006). Azerbaijan has an administrative structure that includes five major cities and 65 districts.
In 2005, Azerbaijan acheived its third year of double-digit real GDP growth. In line with the 10.7 per cent average annual growth of the past five years, GDP grew by 10.2 per cent in 2004. Industry accounted for 38.8 per cent of GDP, agriculture for 9.5 per cent, construction for 12.6 per cent, transportation for 7.6 per cent, communications for 2.8 per cent and social and other services for 12.5 per cent. According to the forecast by the Asian Development Bank for 2006, the medium-term outlook for the economy is very positive, with the main driving force switching from investments in the oil sector to production and export.
The Azerbaijan market for Education UK products is growing fast. Greatly increased international involvement in the economy of Azerbaijan has fuelled a strong demand for English language skills in the workplace. As a result, a growing number of middle class Azerbaijanis send their children to further their education in the UK; international and local organizations sponsor their employees to further their studies through both in-country providers and abroad; and there is a growing number of young professionals choosing to further their education in the UK.
Students spend four years in elementary education, followed by five years in primary education to attain the Certificate of Primary Education. This is followed by a further two years in secondary education for which students receive the Certificate of General Education. To enter universities, students must pass a National Entrance Examination. After Grade nine, students may opt for specialized secondary education and enter professional lyceums to study for three years, or technical and vocational schools to study for one or two years.
The education system of Azerbaijan is currently undergoing reforms to better prepare students for the current world market and meet the demands of the global economy, but is still largely based on the Soviet model. The lessons are teacher-centered and lessons do not allow for the development of problem-solving and spoken language skills. Since most students leave secondary school with little capacity to communicate in English, families with higher socio-economic status usually send their children to for private tutition before and after school. Achieving competence in English language and developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills will enable the next generation of Azerbaijanis to become productive members of the global economy.
Currently there are 33 public and 15 private accredited higher educational institutions functioning in Azerbaijan (Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan Republic 2006). Public universities receive about half their funding from the state budget, and the remainder from tuition fees. In contrast private universities do not receive any public funding.
According to the Ministry of Education, in 2005 there were 3500 foreign students from 41 countries studying in higher education institutions in Azerbaijan and 3,000 Azerbaijan students studying in higher education institutions abroad. In the same year 15 intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in the education were signed, there were 20 collaborations with international organizations and over 60 joint projects and programmes.
In the past, the most widely taught second language in the schools was Russian. Today, Russian is taught as a foreign language, along with English, German, and French. English is increasingly viewed as a language to aid students in obtaining access to information and technology, achieving broader academic goals, and opening up a broad range of professional opportunities. Good knowledge of English is valued by employers and can improve job prospects. This explains the very high demand for English and the marked preference among Azerbaijani students to study English over other languages. The Ministry of Education, individual schools, and communities all recognize that English language skills can provide Azerbaijani citizens with many advantages including enhancing education and career prospects; increasing access to information and technology via the internet; the opportunity for closer relationships with Western democratic countries; and increased understanding of new business practices.
There are are many opportunities for UK suppliers to provide services to international agencies for educational development projects in Azerbaijan. Areas for potential foreign involvement include the training of teachers. There is also a potential market for UK degrees since there is a sustained demand amongst young professionals for postgraduate studies with direct career relevance, in fields such as business, international relations and teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Azerbaijan higher education institutions could therefore collaborate with UK insitutions in the preparation of joint degree programmes, especially masters and PhD programs. But the UK’s biggest market in Azerbaijan is still mainly English Language Training, especially short courses for students aged 12 to 17, professionals from organizations and the general public.
British Council Azerbaijan has been engaged in education promotion since 1999, when we participated in the first Azerbaijan Educational Fair. Since that time the British Council have participated in educational exhibitions annually and in 2005 extended our activity to the regions.
The British Council aims to build up English language public courses and UK examinations, develop professional courses, expand the young learners’ market and increase the number of higher education Azerbaijan students in the UK. We aim to develop our outreach activities beyond Baku where the British Council’s office is located and raise awareness of the UK education programmes among Azerbaijanis.
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