On April 28, 2025, a literary event dedicated to the works of William Shakespeare was held in the Marble Hall of Khazar University, organized by the Department of English Language and Literature.

The event opened with a speech by Dr. Milana Abbasova, Head of the Department of English Language and Literature. Michael Collins, an American specialist and faculty member of the department, recited two original poems written in the style of Shakespearean sonnets, along with an acrostic poem dedicated to Khazar University. He also discussed parallels and contrasts between Shakespeare’s works and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. Senior lecturer Firangiz Nasirova shared well-known quotations from Shakespeare in her speech, while fellow senior lecturer Naile Gasimova recited a poem of her own composition.

Student actors from the Khazar University Arts Club, under the guidance of third-year English Philology students Shayeste Malekan and Ramala Hasanova, performed a scene from Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet”. Their performance was met with great appreciation from the audience. Second-year Psychology students from the School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences—Sadagat Majidli, Dunya Abbasova, and Jala Javadova—also took the stage to recite selected Shakespearean sonnets.

The event welcomed a special guest, Leyli Salayeva, a member of both the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union and the British Poetry Society, who addressed the audience. Students from the Pishavari Republican Gymnasium of Humanities were also present among the audience.

The event concluded with a speech by Prof. Acad. Hamlet Isakhanli, the founder of Khazar University and Chairman of the Board of Directors and Trustees. He praised the students’ live performances, emphasizing their artistic spirit and expressing hope that their talent would one day reach broader audiences on larger stages.