Curriculum Development and Capacity Building in EU Studies

In 2012, we were awarded a three-year grant under the Tempus IV programme to enhance our curriculum in EU Studies and bring the quality of our education in the field in line with exemplary European examples. EU Studies is still a new field of academic study in Azerbaijan although there is a growing interest in it from students. In the period of 2012-2015, we aim to revise our curricula, create new courses, and develop our instructors, enhancing their academic expertise in EU studies, under the Project titled Curriculum Development and Capacity Building in EU Studies (CURDEUS).

We coordinate activities aimed at the establishment of EU studies programs in local partner institutions. We are also responsible for the fulfillment of the project as well as dissemination of the materials which are produced, ensuring sustainability and quality monitoring. The staff of our Department will work on the development of a new curriculum for EU studies and the establishment of an EU Study Centre. Once completed, the curricula created within the framework of this project will be regularly updated and disseminated to other institutions of higher education in Azerbaijan and of the region if needed. It is also our intention to launch double and joint degree programs with interested partner institutions in line with the National Priorities in the field of Curriculum Reform set by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan.

Project specific targets:

The project's specific targets are as follows: a) to update the existing, and establish a new, curriculum in the field of EU Studies for use at Azeri universities in line with European standards; b) to develop a curriculum which will significantly improve professional academic capacity in the sphere of EU Studies; c) to establish a permanent EU Studies Centre at Khazar University, which will function as a resource centre and think-tank in this field; d) to develop dual or joint degree programs in EU Studies with interested  institutions in order to facilitate and promote further cooperation in the EU Studies field between Azerbaijan and the EU as a whole.   

Expected results:

- Curriculum/courses in this field will be established facilitating  long term programme goals 

- Academic staff will receive necessary training, and related academic activity (teaching, research) in the field will thereby be increased

- An EU Studies Centre will be established and begin functioning

- Agreements on establishing double or joint degree programs in this field will be concluded among involved institutions

EU Partners:

Leiden University (Netherlands)

Academy of Management in Lodz (Poland)

The Lusophone University of Humanities and Technology (Portugal)

University of Genoa (Italy)

Our partners  in Azerbaijan:

Azerbaijan University

Ganja State University

Nakhchivan State University

Baku State University

Baku Slavic University

Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan Republic