EHEA Twinning project arranged an open seminar on networking and cooperation between higher education institutions together with the Ministry of Eduction in early September. The meeting took place in State University of Economics and there were about 40+ participants, mostly the same people who took part in previous open seminar on the same subject in the State University of Oil and Industry in July. 

But while in the July seminar it was debated whether it is better to compete or cooperate, and what   cooperation would be about, the question was now how to organise the networking and cooperation between main actors of higher education. Our highly experienced and competent experts, Mr. Kauko Hämäläinen from the University of Helsinki and Mr. Rait Toompere from Archimedes Foundation in Estonia, presented their recommendations to the audience of about forty people from different Azerbaijani universities. The experts had an agenda of recommendations. They proposed that the Azerbaijan higher education institutions should start with making a common electronic newsletter and founding a common association, a Rectors’ Conference for universities, and widen the scope of cooperation thereafter. The audience welcomed the recommendations and started to brainstorm which would be the best ways to make it happen in Azerbaijan.

Before the meeting, we did not know what to expect. Also the July seminar was very positive and enthusiastic on improving networking. But now, the discussion had moved forward. There was such a positive atmosphere and strong common will. The further the meeting went, the broader was my smile. The second year of the project could not have started better. But there is yet so much to do …

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