BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/01/2008

The education is one of the very promising directions of cooperation between our countries

N.E. Paskevich, the Ambassador of Belarus Republic to the Azerbaijan Republic: "The exchange of experience and education of students is the very promising direction of the cooperation"

- What can you say about relations in the field of culture and education?

- The Belarus-Azerbaijan cultural cooperation to a lesser degree suffered after USSR collapse which led to the establishment state independency of our countries. The peculiarity of such fields as culture and art is that actually they cannot be blocked up within frontiers and cordons. Azerbaijani representatives routinely take part in such popular international festivals taking place in the Belarus Republic as "Listapad", "Slavic bazaar in Vitebsk". The Belarusian creative teams although occasionally, but also come on tour to Azerbaijan. But for the last decade a specific information vacuum appeared in relations between our countries. Except of particular specialists the Belarusian and Azerbaijani community began to know less about modern development tendencies of culture and art in two countries. But these subjective difficulties can be very easily overcome owing to the integration of Belarusian and Azerbaijani art into world culture. The solution of this task will contribute to the realization of a wide range of joint projects. The opening of diplomatic missions in Minsk as well as in Baku promoted essentially stirring up the Azerbaijan-Belarusian cooperation in the field of culture. A great work in this priority is done by Embassy of Azerbaijan to Belarus. In May 2007 the Days of Culture of the Azerbaijan Republic first, which aroused deep public resonance, took place in Belarus. The Belarusian audience perceived with pleasure performance of Azerbaijan's leading cultural workers. In 2008 the Days of Culture of the Belarus Republic first will be held in Azerbaijan. The cooperation in the field of librarianship is developing. In December 2006 Azerbaijani delegation attended the international scientific and practical conference "The mission of library in forming intellectual potential of the community" and an Agreement on Cooperation between the National Library of the Belarus Republic and Azerbaijan National Library named after M.F.Akhundov was signed. The active consultations and exchange of experience concerning the librarianship organizing related issues are progressing. Not so long ago, late October 2007 the director of National Art Museum of the Belarus Republic V.I. Prokopsev's visit to Azerbaijan ended. During this visit agreement on cooperation between fine arts museums of two countries was signed. In 2008 a number of joint art work exhibitions are expected to be organized in Belarus and Azerbaijan. At the suggestion of the Belarusian party, in the second half of 2008 an exhibition of Belarusian artists will take place in Azerbaijan. Thus, as regards the culture, we have a great deal of interesting joint projects in future. Our education cooperation also is very promising. Within President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's visit to Belarus among others, an Agreement on education cooperation has been signed. Currently the Embassy of Belarus to Baku is studying chances of holding a joint education forum in Azerbaijan.

- What can you say about exchange of students and teachers between our countries?

- The education is one of the very promising directions of cooperation between our countries. In Azerbaijan a State Programme on Youth Education abroad is realizing. As is well known, the Programme is considered the education of about 5000 specialists. The Belarus Republic which has strong education potential is interested in this project. The Belarus trains foreign students since 1961. For this time over 20,000 foreign students have been trained. The Belarusian education by right is considered one of the essentials worldwide. That's why annually not only Belarusian citizens but also foreign students desire to educate there in higher education institutes. Today approximately 7,000 foreign students from over 70 countries worldwide educate in Belarus. In Belarus higher technical education traditionally is strong that, to our view, is the important for Azerbaijan which determined on industry modernization. Our country's medical institutes annually allow thousands of foreign students to get high-quality vocational education. A number of ministries and departments already are efficiently cooperating in the field of education. Particularly 46 cadets of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Emergency State educate in Belarusian specialty higher education institutes daily and by correspondence. We've also agreed with the Azerbaijan Union of Architects and Azerbaijan Architecture and Building University to develop the issue related exchange of students on the architecture and building speciality, specialists' education in appropriate faculties of the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) and Azerbaijan Architecture and Building University. The exchange of experience and students' education is very promising priorities of the cooperation already only because of active development of construction activities in Belarus and Azerbaijan. B.M. Khrustalev, the BNTU's rector backed up our proposal. I hope very soon there will be signed an agreement on cooperation between BNTU and Azerbaijan Architecture and Building University. The Belarus Republic has one of the best higher schools for training of high-skill IT programmer and specialists in post-Soviet space. Since Soviet period we had have first-rate research institutes and production associations on IT products, for instance, PA "Integral", OJSC "MPOVT", scientific and research institute for electronic computer, etc. We have kept and multiplied our IT traditions. According to the decision of President of the Belarus Republic A.G. Lukashenko the IT Park has been established in our country. And it's clear, because Belarusian high-skill IT programmers today are working almost in all countries of the world and are in great demand in world labour market. At very acceptable price it is possible to receive first-rate IT-education in Belarus State Information Science and Radio Electronics University. I think that taking into consideration the urgency of IT parks and innovation development related issues in Azerbaijan, including in the field of IT, many students from Azerbaijan would like to receive education in the Belarusian University. The possibility of medical personnel training and retraining for Azerbaijan in Belarusian higher education institutes has been discussed during the visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Belarus in October 2006. Recently I met with Minister of Health of the Azerbaijan Republic O. Shiraliyev during which we discussed also the possibility of cooperation in this direction. I think that with his assistance we'll succeed in the realization of many interesting projects in this field. We have very good medical education and traditions. But I don't want our readers to think that the Belarusian higher education institutes and science can prepare only builders, architects, medical and IT specialists, a list of specialties is very large. The education process for foreign students is organized in 50 leading higher education institutes of Belarus, includes also general scientific specialties, economic, law, pedagogical, agriculture and art education. More detailed information about Belarusian education you can receive following web-site www.minedu.unibel.by.

- What opportunities does Belarus present for Azerbaijani students desiring to educate in your country?

- The training cost for foreign students in higher education institutes of the Belarus Republic is varying from $US 800 to $US 1000 in access course, from $US 1500 to $US 2500 per year in main courses of humanitarian, technical and economic higher education institutes, from $US 2400 to $US 2600 in main courses of medical higher education institutes, and from $US 2500 to $US 4000 per year in post-graduate course. Averagely a living cost in Belarusian dormitories makes about $US 15-30 a month, depending on the number of rooms and location in city. Foreign students not fluent in Russian and Belarusian adequately are taken on access courses of selected education institutes where they can learn language, and also tighten up other disciplines depending on speciality which they intend to receive. Belarusian as well as foreign students equally have the right to educate for other speciality (internal, night classes and correspondence) or to continue their education under individual curriculums within education standards. When foreigners successfully complete full education course, they get diplomas of the established samples. In accordance with Regulations on Foreigners' education in the Belarus Republic, they can participate in self-government institutions and create associations and friendly associations. The health care service of students abroad is done on basis of compulsory medical insurance. To our view, such factors as public and political and social and economic stability in the Belarus Republic and high degree of tolerance in our community are of important. 140 nationals and 25 world religions live in harmony in Belarus. At the same time any conflicts rooted in national and interreligious clashes are lacking. I think that student himself as well as his parents care about in which environment and atmosphere he will live and educate. Plus a chance to learn Russian, travel without visa regime between our countries, and regular Minsk - Baku direct flight, and it'll be clear for you why the education process for Azerbaijani students in our country pass within very profitable and comfortable conditions.

- How do you assess the Azerbaijani Diaspora's activity in Belarus?

- The Azerbaijan's diaspora enjoys great respect in the Belarus Republic. Differing from Belarusian community in Azerbaijan numbered about 1,000, over 6,000 citizens by birth Azerbaijanis live in Belarus. In 1991 "Gobustan" society was founded in Minsk and later "Congress of Azerbaijani communities", the International Public Association was registered. At present the Congress includes the following public associations "Gobustan" (Minsk city), "Azeri" (Mogilev city and province), "Dostlug" (Friendship) (Grodno city), and also branches in Bobruysk and Gomel cities. Azerbaijani community in Belarus has library and film library that are placed in the Congress's office. In Mogilev city there is children's consort. The community is developing and for that all necessary conditions have been created by authorities. Particularly in one of the schools of general education in Minsk city, "Sunday school" for learning Azerbaijani language, history of culture, geography and traditions of Azerbaijani nation will be opened. Natig Baghirov, the chief of Azerbaijani diaspora and chairman of "Congress of Azerbaijani communities in Belarus", the International Public Association enjoys great respect in our country. He has trained a whole galaxy of first-rate sportsmen for our country, including Igor Makarov who became judo champion of Olympic Games.

Interviewed by Iskender Guliyev

Source:

http://www.demaz.org/cgi-bin/e-cms/vis/vis.pl?s=001&p=0056&n=001319&g=