Azerbaijan develops educational, scientific connections
By Nigar Orujova
The Azerbaijani Education Ministry has begun preparing the next state program for Azerbaijani youth studying abroad, Education Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said at the plenary session of the Parliament on November 20.
He said the "State program on study of Azerbaijani youth abroad in 2007-2015" will expire next year. "Until today, in the framework of the state program, 755 people have been educated abroad, of whom 35 percent were trained in the state sector and 65 percent others in the private sector," Jabbarov said.
In future, the government plans to attract foreign professors to the universities of Azerbaijan in order to strengthen the academic base of universities, he added.
Azerbaijan is one of the few countries, which implements educational programs covering those Azerbaijani students living abroad. Today, every Azerbaijani citizen has a right to use the state program.
Earlier, it was announced that Azerbaijan will increase the number of students studying abroad at state's expense.
The number of Azerbaijani students studying abroad at state's expense is expected to reach to 3,000 in the 2014-2015 academic year. The project would be carried out as part of the state program on education of Azerbaijani youth abroad in 2007-2015."
Free access to Eduroam
The country is planning to develop its own educational system. The state budget for 2015 is expected to provide funding in the amount of 143 million manats (about $182 million) for the development of science.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Universities will gain free access to the educational roaming Eduroam, the Institute of the Information Technologies said.
Eduroam was created by a working group of the Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association (TERENA), which provides an opportunity to combine network infrastructure and connects all research and educational networks.
Eduroam is used in more than 35 research and educational institutions in Europe including hundreds of educational institutions.
The services will allow students to have a free access to the internet, staying in the area of Eduroam, using login and password.
“By using the authentication password, students will be able to enjoy the benefits of the educational roaming in Azerbaijan and abroad. Today, Eduroam is widely spread in Europe. The network covers educational institutions, universities, and other places of students’ gatherings, as well as subways and hotels,” the institute said.
At present, Eduroam infrastructure has been created in the institutions and structures of Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Science.
ANAS to integrate to GEANT4
Academic Computer Network AzScienceNet of the National Academy of Sciences will be integrated into the European scientific network GEANT4, the Institute of the Information Technologies said.
The institute plans to increase the speed of data transmission in the network AzScienceNet from 250 to 300 megabits per second to the end of the year.
Multi-gigabit network GEANT provides high performance and modern infrastructure of data transmission for scientific and educational communities.
The network brings together more than 3,500 of research institutes, educational institutions and three million individual users of national networks from 35 countries of Europe. It is also connected with the other regions of the world. The speed of data transmission in the network reaches 12 gigabits per second.
Currently, work is underway on the preparation of legal documentation, in accordance with which the structural unit of ANAS will act as the national operator of TERENA. The status of the national operator will allow citizens to participate in the projects implemented by the European scientific community, including GEANT4.
Connection of Azerbaijan to GEANT4 research network will strengthen the cooperation between Azerbaijani scientists and scientists of the European countries.