Dear colleagues and partners,

Happy New Year and congratulations on The World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day! ADA University wishes you a festive start to 2015, which we hope will be a prospereus one for you both personally and professionally.

Looking back at an eventful and successful year 2014, we thank you for your collaboration and support in all areas of our work.

With the best wishes for the holiday season,

Department for Marketing and Communications Team

ADA University

The ADA University School of Business’s application to an international accreditation, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP) has been approved on November 12. The process will take approximately 18-24 months and make us the first business school with the prestigious international accreditation in the Caspian Region as well as Eastern Europe.

Why should the ACBSP accreditation matter to us? The ACBSP accreditation ensures a school isn't just taking your money as it must pass rigorous quality standards. Specifically, ACBSP schools are recognized worldwide by top employers and other universities, are challenging and teach the best skills that give a distinct advantage in the real world, have students that are more international and are likely to earn higher levels of education.

On 14 November ADA University hosted its IV Annual International Festival with more than 1000 guests. This year the Festival was a true celebration of cultures and traditions with the participation of 38 embassies accredited in Azerbaijan, Delegation of the European Union, as well as ADA’s international students representing 34 countries.  With the aim to familiarise youngsters with different cultures and create an intercultural dialogue, the stands and country booths with brochures, magazines, catalogs as well as national cuisine patterns reflecting country-specific information were presented to Festival attendees. Read more...

On 28 November, the “Future of Transport and Logistics in the Central Eurasia” conference kicked off at the ADA University in Baku.

Rector of ADA University, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev who made opening remarks at the conference, noted that in 2012 the University realized the research project entitled “Azerbaijan as Regional Transport Center of Eurasia”, promoted the edition of the book of the same name. Current conference is continuation of this project. At conference, the directions of development of East-West transport corridor and other topical issues will be discussed with the participation of representatives of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the USA, Kazakhstan and India”. Read more...

As ADA University enhances its partnership with educational institutions, ADA students continue their successful participation in student exchange programs with various universities. For the upcoming semester 16 students of ADA University will study at Michigan State University, USA, University of Glasgow, UK, Aberystwyth University, UK,  Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korea, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania and IESEG School of Management, France.

Starting from January 2015, ADA University also will host five international exchange students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korea, Michigan State University, USA, Eskishehir Osmangazi University, Turkey and University of Udine, Italy.

On 3 October, UNDP Administrator, Helen Clark, delivered a lecture on Post-2015 Development Agenda and Global Sustainable Development Goals at ADA University. The main objective of the lecture was to discuss the current global debate on what should succeed the Millennium Development Goals at the end of 2015 with different stakeholders, including students, faculty, NGOs, government officials, etc.

Rector of ADA University, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev welcomed guests and gave information about the University and opportunities it provides. Ambassador Pashayev also touched upon Government’s work towards more sustainable future within the frame of “Azerbaijan 2020: Look into the Future” development concept. Read more...

The Office of Student Services of ADA University hosted the annual Student Clubs Fair, which is the largest event to showcase the student clubs on campus. It was a fantastic opportunity for the clubs to promote their activities and recruit new members. The students met face-to-face with the chairpersons of most active clubs, gained a variety of information, listened to exciting performances, tasted goodies, and won some free stuff.

ADA University strongly encourages its students to participate in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. Student Clubs at ADA University allow our students to engage in exciting projects that help to hone their academic skills and expose them to a world of complex and exciting global issues. Currently, ADA University has student clubs like ADAMUN Club, Anti-Smoking ADA Club, Charity Club, etc. For the full list of the clubs, click here.

The Baku Dialogues is a series of lectures and presentations on key world issues by leading world personalities, followed by direct “Davos-style” open discussions among relevant academics and other actors, on central world issues, for the purpose of academic examination and research. The Baku Dialogues are also intended to stimulate academic research on the subjects discussed, and to produce materials which will be useful to academic researchers around the world. For these reasons, the Baku Dialogues will be reproduced in publication called “Baku Dialogues" Journal.

The first issue of Baku Dialogues Journal covers following topics:

"EU-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership: Looking to the Future”
Dr. Jose Manuel Barroso, President, EU Parliament

"China's Geostrategy in Eurasia”
Prof. Jisi Wang, Dean, Peking University

"From the Millennium Development Goals to a new set of Global Development Priorities”
Ms. Helen Clark, Administrator, UNDP

“Innovation and entrepreneurship: The key to 21st century development”
Dr. Iqbal Quadir, Director of the Legatum Center, MIT

“Security matters in the Middle East: Palestinian Perspectives”
Dr. Riad al-Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs, State of Palestine

Today the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) signed an agreement with the ADA University to strengthen education and human development through scholarship programs, exchange of students and teachers between the ADA University and universities in the member states of the OAS, as well as participation in research projects, conferences and cultural programs.

The document was signed by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development of the OAS, Sherry Tross, on behalf of the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, and the Rector of ADA University, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev, at an event held at the headquarters OAS in Washington, DC and was presented by the Minister of External Relations of the OAS, Alfonso Quinonez. Read more...

During October – December, 2014 Executive Education has offered 5 different programs for junior, mid and senior level professionals in public and private sectors as well as international audience.  The programs are “Caspian Basin Studies”, “Advanced Foreign Service Program”, “Baku Course for Afghani Officials”, “Management and Communication Skills Program” for State Social Protection Fund and a numerous number of soft skills training Baku 2015 European Games Organization Committee.

“7th Caspian Basin Studies Program” was held during November 18-27, 2014 and hosted 17 participants coming from Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Iraq, Malaysia, Spain, Turkmenistan, China, Serbia, Croatia, Bangladesh, Romania, Argentina, Colombia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The participants received the lectures about the region's diverse and rich history and culture, economics and development, foreign policy and security, politics and society, energy and regional security by distinguished ADA University faculty and high ranking government officials. Read more....

ADA University hosted former President of Serbia H.E. Boris Tadic, who delivered a lecture on the topic “25 years after the Berlin Wall. How the global politics have changed” for students, professors and staff of the University.
Rector of ADA University Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev welcomed the guest and mentioned that the lecture has been initiated by the newly established Center for Excellence in EU studies. He also talked about how the University embraces diversity and multiculturalism and highlighted the countries represented in student body of ADA.

During his speech H.E. Boris Tadic talked about the current global politics, its implications, and stressed the need to accelerate the process of creation "United Europe" .

The event was wrapped up with Q&A session.

High ranking government officials, international community and civil society came together to discuss initiatives on making Baku a truly accessible city at a round table organized by Office of Disability Services at ADA University and UNICEF.

The round table discussion – also supported by the Ministries of Youth and Sports, Labour and Social Protection of Population and the National Paralympic Committee – comes at a perfect time, with the city preparing to host the European Games in 2015. Read more...