Raziya Isayeva, Director of Development at Khazar University, Higher Education Reform Expert participated in the HERE seminar devoted to Social Engagement of the universities. The seminar covered the cases of EU universities like University of Bremen, Germany; Institute of Advanced Studies, Austria; University West, Sweden; University College Cork, Ireland; Hadassah Academic College, Israel as well as HERE countries. HEREs and key speakers analyzed the different components of ‘social engagement’ and third mission. The discussions included the issues like access to higher education, catering for minority and marginalized learners, but also how to weave social engagement and responsibility into the curriculum.

A special session was devoted to learn how universities, mostly in the case of European Universities, are responding to migrant and refugee learner needs, provided by the fact that this is currently a very diligent issue of the Mediterranean area. The meeting co-hosted by the University of Nicosia and CARDET, a research center that specializes in social inclusion, migrant education and ICT in education took place on 13-14 of June, 2017.

The seminar discussed diverse issues and the challenges of HEIs and HE systems that need to be resolved in order to meet the diverse needs of learners and also get engaged with society and stakeholders to ensure the educational impact on them.

 The seminar ended up on a very positive note and with extensive plan of future activities (joint researches, events etc.) to assist the universities to become more engaged with the society they work with and for.