On December 12-14, 2016, an annual conference organized by Support and Promotion for Higher Education Reform Experts (SPHERE) was held at the University of Barcelona in Spain. Raziya Isayeva, Khazar University Development Director, participated in the conference as a Higher Education Reform Expert (HERE) representing Azerbaijan. The conference gathered together HERE of different profiles from more than 20 countries. The conference discussed Higher Education Reform with five central dimensions: access/retention/study success, quality, employability, internationalization and democratic governance/autonomy.

The ultimate purpose of the conference was to sharpen participants’ skills in analyzing education policy reforms, considering examples of other systems, designing education policies with realistic and specific plans for implementation, and further developing their roles in their own countries.

Support and Promotion for Higher Education Reform Experts (SPHERE) is funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union.