Azerbaijan, Lithuania seek to boost coop in education
By Nazrin Gadimova
Lithuania's Deputy Minister of Education and Science Rimantas Vaitkus said that Azerbaijan and Lithuania plan to sign an agreement on cooperation in education.
"I am very pleased that the number of Azerbaijani students studying in Lithuania tripled to over 70 for a short time. Lithuania is an interesting country and I think Azerbaijani students can get a decent education," he said at an official event "Higher Education Opportunities in Lithuania" in Baku on October 3.
Lithuania, as an EU member, changed its education system in line with the European requirements a long time ago and the quality of education improved, he said.
"I have already met the Azerbaijani Education Minister, as well as with rectors of two leading universities of the country as part of my current visit to Baku. I discussed the cooperation prospects in the field of education. We have agreed to work out a new agreement on cooperation in the field of education. I think it will be signed next year," Vaitkus said.
He went on to note that Azerbaijan has made a big step forward in the field of education.
According to Vaitkus, the Lithuanian government also plans to allocate scholarships for Azerbaijani students in 2014.
Vaitkus said that representatives of more than 20 Lithuanian universities are accompanying him during his visit to Azerbaijan.
They will present the opportunities of higher education in Lithuania at the seventh International Education and Career Exhibition in Baku on October 4-6.
"Azerbaijan is considered one of the most promising markets for Lithuanian universities wishing to attract foreign students. Five Lithuanian universities, namely Vilnius University, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (Kaunas ) and Vytautas the Great University (Kaunas ) are included in the list of universities participating in the 'State Programme on education of Azerbaijani youth abroad'," he said.
The official event was organized by the Lithuanian embassy on the occasion of the participation of the Lithuanian delegation in Baku's International Education Exhibition. The higher education system of the country and its competitiveness in Europe and worldwide was presented during the event.
The representatives of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Education, Azerbaijani universities and secondary schools, Azerbaijanis who have graduated from Lithuanian universities and parents of Azerbaijani students currently studying in Lithuania attended the event.