Eurasia Hub’s Events in 2012
In 2012 Eurasia Hub has delivered a number of courses in some Eurasian countries, based on the country needs.
On November 27-29 Eurasia Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub organized training on “Training Trainers” for the graduates who had demonstrated the best results in the training events that were held by the center in 2012.
The training was conducted by qualified instructors of the GRBS training center in Baku. The purpose of the event was to built graduates’ skills and capacity in the field of training and to train new trainers in extractive industries in Eurasia.
During the training event, 7 participants from 4 countries-- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan-- gained valuable knowledge on needs assessment, development of a training program, training methods, preparation of professional presentations, management questions and answers, audience management, work with challenging participants, evaluation, and so on. At the end of the training, based on their newly-acquired knowledge, participants prepared and presented individual training programs.
Eurasia Knowledge Hub held this “Training Trainers” course for the second time. A total of 14 new trainers of Eurasia Knowledge Hub have been prepared. With their help, the Center organizes large-scale training events in 13 countries involved in extractive industries in the Eurasia region.
On October 30- November 1, 2012, the Khazar University Eurasia Knowledge Hub held a routine 3-day training on “Revenue management and economic diversification."
There were more than 20 participants in the event, including representatives of scientific research institutes, universities, government agencies, media, and civil society from five countries - Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
During the training, presentations were made on topics such as revenue management, macroeconomic frameworks for resource-rich countries, Sovereign Wealth Funds, macroeconomics management, revenues distribution at the sub-national level, state oil and gas companies, economic and export diversification and its measurement, from economic diversification to sustainable development, and more.
Interactive discussions were held on all the topics that had been presented, and participants were divided into groups to perform specific tasks.
On the second day of the training, participants made presentations on the situation of Sovereign Wealth Funds in Russia and Kazakhstan. On the last day of the training, an exam covering all the topics was given, and special certificates and Khazar University gifts were presented to the participants.
We note that both local and foreign trainers were involved in this training event, which was carried out with the financial support of Revenue Watch Institute of America.
On June 25th, 2012 the Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub began its summer school at Khazar University. It is the first time that Eurasia Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub has held this type of event at the university. The topic is “Economic Diversification and Sustainable Development in
the Petroleum-Rich Countries.” The eight-day course will include not only lectures but also group work and individual exercises to equip the participants with practical knowledge and help them to improve economic issues as well as develop skills. 23 students from Khazar University and graduates from other universities are actively participating in this training.
The trainers’ team includes: Andrew Bauer (Economic Analyst, RWI, NY, US), Ingilab Ahmadov (Director Eurasia HUB, Khazar University), Namik Khalilov (Khazar University faculty member), Kenan Aslanli (Independent expert on economic diversification (Azerbaijan)), and also Ziya Kengerli (State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) expert).
The Hub is planning to deliver this course as a regular summer school in the country and Caspian region.
On June 15-17, 2012 Eurasia Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub in Khazar University has successfully delivered EITI advanced course for 18 representatives from Afghanistan, Mongolia,
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Course concentrated on such topics as EITI special mission role within EI value chain, Theory of change, RWI report quality indicators, EITI Report analysis tools, EITI Innovations. Additionally each country team has developed an action plan to take forward the knowledge acquired at the course to be applied to advancement of EITI processes in their respective countries.
The trainers team included Katarina Kuai (RWI capacity building officer, Erica Westenberg (EITI policy officer (RWI)), Galib Efendiev (RWI Eurasia Regional Coordinator), Ingilab Ahmadov ( Director Eurasia HUB, Khazar University).
Course participants were mostly from EITI MSG members from CSOs and local media institutions.
Part of the participants attended 2011 Eurasia Hub EITI essentials course in Baku, whereas the other part were represented by activists with extensive knowledge and experience of EITI implementation in the country and regional levels.
On March 31- April 6, 2012, Eurasia Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub in Khazar University held 7-day training entitled "Hydrocarbons and Minerals: from extraction to sustainable development".
This training course was the fourth in series of training programs whose aim was to develop and strengthen the capacity of civil society of Eurasia continent in extractive industries.
18 members of four countries - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan participated in the training. Most of them were representatives from NGO and Mass Media, but they were also from state agencies and universities. The schedule was filled with different modules but all of them
were logically related to “Extractive industries value chain”. The most significant areas covered were: contracts, EITI, budget, revenue management and SWF, issues of economy diversification. Lectors involved in this training were both local and international specialists. BP experts also held some sessions. In general, the training focused on practical activities and skill development and lots of labs and group works were held. Additionally, a trip to Sanghachal terminal was organized, one of the biggest terminals in the world, where the Baku-Tbilisi-Jeyhan main export oil pipeline begins.
On November 12, 2012 the Eurasia Knowledge Hub held training on EITI basic course in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. About 35 representatives of energy companies, members of civil society participated in the training. The trainer Ingilab Ahmadov, Fuat Rasulov and RWI staff member Galib Efendiev delivered training sessions that covered topics on basic of EITI: requirements, the mechanism and benefits , process and stages, analyses of EITI report , evaluation of report' quality and other areas. During the training, participants held interactive discussions about all the subjects that had been presented, and they divided into groups to perform specific tasks.