5th Anniversary Azerbaijan International Education and Career Exhibition to take place tomorrow

Education and Career 2011, the 5th Anniversary Azerbaijan International Education and Career Exhibition  one of the largest events in the region dedicated to educational services, career guidance and youth employment – will be held in Baku Expo Center from 6-8 October.

The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan, and organised by Iteca Caspian LLC and its partner, ITE Group PLC. The partners of all the exhibitions in 2011 are AZAL, Azerfon-Vodafone, Greenwich Travel Club, Caspel and Caucasus Point Hotel.

Over the years, the exhibition has become a popular and socially significant event, gaining the status of an annual forum for all who are interested in quality education. More than 10,000 visitors come to the exhibition every year to get the most accurate information on local and foreign educational institutions, scholarships, student visas and other important issues.  

In terms of the number of educational institutions presented, this event is the biggest in the region, fully justifying its “Visit the Exhibition – Secure your Future” slogan. This year, the Education and Career exhibition has attracted 103 schools and organisations from 15 countries. Over 75 faculties, courses and programmes, both paid-for and free, form the body of the exhibition. Alongside well-known universities, prestigious schools and universities new to Azerbaijan account for 40% of the total number of exhibitors at Education and Career 2011.

The number of participants from Azerbaijan accounts for about 30% of the total number of exhibitors. Local educational institutions are represented by the Azerbaijan Economic University, Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, Baku Business University, University of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan Institute of Tourism, as well as by agencies which organise study abroad.

Each year, the geographic profile of the exhibitors grows. Educational institutions and organisations from Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Turkey, USA, UAE, Switzerland, Czech Republic and other countries will advertise their services at the exhibition. Lithuania is represented by 18 universities, Turkey by 14, the UK by 7 and Cyprus by 4. The complete list of exhibitors can be found at www.education.iteca.az.

The main emphasis of the exhibition is on higher education and the improvement of the language skills sector, both of which are intended for visitors aged 16 and above. The exhibition includes the presentation of a variety of university programmes; opportunities for bachelor’s, master’s, MBAs and PhDs; summer schools; and language courses. The following specialisations are widely presented: business and marketing, computer science and IT, and philology.

This year, the exhibitors are heavily promoting medical education, which is represented through five disciplines. At the country’s leadership is paying great attention to the development of the non-oil sector and, in particular, the tourism sector - as evidenced by the fact that this year has been declared the “Year of Tourism” by the President of Azerbaijan – special attention has been paid to education in the tourism industry during the planning of the exhibition.

23 educational institutions at the exhibition offer a wide range of courses in tourism and hotel management. The exhibition is also continuing its tradition of covering new niches: oceanography, sea exploration, roads and intelligent transportation management courses will be presented for the first time at the Education and Career exhibition.

The “Career” part of the exhibition will be a special feature this year. World-renowned hotels operating in Azerbaijan will be looking to recruit qualified personnel to work in their chains. A boom in the hotel industry can be seen in Azerbaijan today. Dozens of new hotels are being built, and old ones are being rebuilt and refurbished. Six five-star hotels will be opening in the capital before the end of the year. In order to manage this modern hotel infrastructure, the country needs young professionals.

In this regard, the Education and Career exhibition not only offers information about education, it also provides real help to employers and job seekers in the hospitality and tourism industry. The exhibition will, therefore, help to address youth employment problems.

As usual, printed and electronic versions of the exhibition catalogue, containing the contact information of all the exhibitors, will be distributed free of charge in Baku Expo Center during the three days of the exhibition. In addition, in order to help students and their parents to better navigate the Education and Career exhibition, the organisers have issued a special guide listing the courses on offer.

Azerbaijan attaches special importance to education abroad, as evidenced by the State Programme for the Education of Azerbaijani Youth Abroad. There are currently around 10,000 Azerbaijani students studying abroad. The number of foreigners studying in Azerbaijan numbers more than 7,000.

The students who study abroad at public expense are included on a list of direct human resources, and provided with public jobs according to their specialisation. In this regard, the Education and Career Exhibition is becoming more and more important.  After all, the exhibition is a unique platform where interested individuals can talk face-to-face with representatives of leading foreign universities and colleges, ask questions, obtain reliable information about admission and studying at a particular university, and apply for a course.

The exhibition helps young people seeking their place in life to choose the right type of education for them and to take the first step towards a future career. Education and Career 2011 will contribute to the development in Azerbaijan of a new generation of entrepreneurs, as well as to the improvement of the quality of higher education in the country as a whole.  


/Today.Az/