Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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The selection stage of the 2026 competition held by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry under the "Special Scholarship Program for Cultural and Creative Industries" has been completed, AzerNEWS reports.

Applications were accepted from June 2 to 16 this year through the personal accounts on the MyCulture portal for the financing of education abroad at the bachelor's and master's levels in audiovisual arts, design, architecture, management in the cultural and creative sectors, and other fields of specialization.

During the application period, a total of 51 people registered through the portal. Of these, 18 applied for bachelor's programs and 33 for master's programs.

In accordance with the Rules of the Scholarship Program, the selection of candidates was conducted in two stages. At the first stage, the documents submitted by the candidates were evaluated. At the next stage, interviews were held with candidates who met the requirements, during which their theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and creative potential were assessed. A total of 34 candidates participated in the interview stage.

Based on the evaluation results of the "Commission for the Special Scholarship Program for Cultural and Creative Industries," comprising specialists in relevant fields under the Ministry of Culture, 17 candidates became eligible to benefit from the Scholarship Program.

Under the Scholarship Program, education expenses will be fully or partially financed, taking into account the candidates' final evaluation results.

Seven of the scholarship recipients will pursue bachelor’s degrees and 10 will pursue master's degrees at higher education institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, China, Turkiye, and other countries.

Scholarship Program is being implemented under the activity area of "Ensuring the dynamic development of cultural and creative industries and strengthening export potential in this field," outlined in the Action Plan of the "Socio-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022–2026."

At the same time, the 2026–2030 Action Plan of the "Azerbaijani Culture 2040" Cultural Concept envisages the training of professional personnel in cultural fields through education programs abroad, as well as the development of a talent pool with creative and innovative thinking that meets the needs of the labor market.

Scholarship Program is intended for Azerbaijani citizens aged 15 and above who seek to develop their creative potential and pursue professional careers in various fields of culture.

The program covers the full or partial financing of education expenses for individuals who have been admitted to foreign higher education institutions or who are already studying at such institutions at their own expense.