Future education leaders awarded at ASPU
Baku, May 22, AZERTAC
On May 22, the official closing and award ceremony of the second season of the "Future Education Leaders of the Pedagogical University" competition was held at Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University (ASPU). The event was attended by government officials, university administration, representatives of the educational community, media members, academic staff, and students.
In his opening speech, ASPU Rector and Chairman of the Competition Organizing Committee, Professor Jafar Jafarov, noted that the main aim of the competition—held for the first time among higher education institutions at ASPU—is to identify talented students with leadership potential, support their professional development, and form a potential talent pool from among students. He emphasized that the competition, now in its second season, has already become a tradition. Participants in this season had the opportunity not only to demonstrate their theoretical knowledge but also to showcase their leadership qualities, innovative approaches, and sense of social responsibility.
This year's 10 winners were selected in a highly competitive environment and each received a monetary award of 1,000 AZN, various gifts, and—most importantly—the right to participate in a one-year professional development program under the mentorship of experts appointed by the Organizing Committee. Additionally, 15 students who were winners of the first season have already successfully completed their mentorship program. The rector reiterated that the Pedagogical University consistently supports projects that serve the comprehensive development of youth, and expressed hope for the competition’s continuity.
Project leader Taleh Mirzayev, Head of ASPU’s Public Relations and Marketing Department, delivered a presentation, noting that nearly 800 students registered for the second season of the competition and around 650 qualified to participate. On March 15, over 400 students took part in the first stage, which involved questions assessing general knowledge. In the semifinal stage, 231 students who had shown successful results in the first stage participated. Held on April 12, the semifinal evaluated students based on tasks in the categories of "Working with Information," "Logical Thinking," "Verbal Analysis of Text," and—for the first time—"Management."
The final stage of the competition was held on May 9, with 105 participants who had qualified through the semifinals. Conducted in the format of assessment conferences within teams, the final stage included various case studies designed to assess participants' communication and teamwork, leadership, social responsibility, effective and strategic thinking, result-oriented performance, change management, and project management skills.
During the official part of the event, Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Firudin Gurbanov, praised the project and noted that such initiatives play an important role in cultivating a culture of strategic leadership in education. He emphasized the need for professionals in modern education management who possess innovative thinking, strategic vision, strong leadership qualities, and social skills.
Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Working Group of the "Yüksəliş" competition, Farhad Hajiyev, also commended the initiative and emphasized that the "Yüksəliş" competition is ready to support such initiatives.
Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, Vice President for Communications and External Affairs of bp in the Caspian region—the main sponsor of the competition—stated in his speech that supporting education and youth development is one of the core directions of bp’s corporate social responsibility strategy. He highlighted that ASPU is one of bp’s important partners and affirmed that their collaboration on such innovative projects would continue.
Aliya Aliyeva, Advisor to the Chair of the Board of Directors of the State Examination Center, stressed that such initiatives by higher education institutions to develop students’ non-formal skills are highly positive trends.
Following the official segment, the 10 winners of the current season, members of the competition’s working group, experts, and past winners who have successfully completed the mentorship program were awarded.
The event concluded with a cultural program organized with the participation of active members of university student organizations. One of the highlights was a piano performance by competition winner Gulay Imanzade, which was met with particular acclaim.
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