AzUAC's Experience in Training Specialists in Project Management Highly Appreciated

The closing ceremony of the "Strengthening the Potential of Project Management in Higher Education Institutions" project, implemented jointly by the Project Management Association of Azerbaijan, BP, and partners, took place. The ceremony was held via Zoom and was attended by officials from the Ministry of Education, BP, and its partners, rectors of higher education institutions, project participants, and representatives of civil society organizations.

Igbal Babayev, the President of the Project Management Association, noted that the purpose of the project, supported by BP and its partners, is to prepare specialists in project management in higher education institutions and to create a teaching methodological base. He noted "Three specialists in project management are trained in each of these higher education institutions. These specialists undergo 20 hours of courses conducted by international experts and receive certification from the International Project Management Association, granting them the status of international project managers. These certificates are recognized by 72 countries worldwide and are registered in the Unified International Register." He noted that, upon the initiative of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (AzUAC), a textbook has been developed and approved by the Ministry of Education for use as teaching material in high schools (the author of the textbook is Dr. Igbal Babayev, the first PhD in project management in the post-Soviet space and professor of the Department of Project Management at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture). The book is intended for high school students, master's and doctoral students, and colleagues engaged in scientific and pedagogical activities. Babayev emphasized that, effectively, with the direct support of BP and its partners, a large group armed with modern standards in project management has been formed in the higher education system, and we will see the synergistic effect of their activities in the coming years.

In other presentations, AzUAC's activities in this direction were highly praised, particularly emphasizing the university's initiative and internal resources to start preparing specialists in project management at the master's level. It was highlighted that the highest-achieving students are encouraged to pursue education in this field. It should be noted that AzUAC has organized a Master's program in "Project Management" in accordance with the programs of leading international educational institutions in the 2019-2020 academic year. In the admission plan for the 2019-2020 academic year, 10 places were allocated for this specialty, 12 places for the 2020-2021 academic year for Azerbaijani students, and 5 places for English-speaking students. The admission results for both academic years were 100%, and currently, 27 students are studying in this specialty. Graduates of the specialties in Civil Engineering, Irrigation and Water Resources Engineering, Transportation Construction Engineering, and Industrial Organization and Management can also receive certification in this specialization.

University staff members have been invited to collaborate with external experts in preparing specialists in the field. The majority of the invited external experts are trainers from the Project Management Association of Azerbaijan. Starting from this year, the establishment of a Specialized Scientific Council for the specialization in "Project Management" is also planned.