Visit to Azerbaijan once again
The ERASMUS+ program is initially aimed at developing cooperation in the field of education. Within its framework, it is possible to exchange teachers, staff, doctoral students and students between different universities. It is possible to receive various grants aimed at developing and implementing new educational programs, creating new laboratories, publishing textbooks, developing new teaching methods and many other types of activities. This program is divided into separate key activities. In particular, the activity of KA171 “Educational Mobility” consists of the exchange of students and teachers between partner universities from regions of the world that are not members of the European Union.
Silesian University of Technology is part of a consortium that consists of partner universities representing various countries, including Azerbaijan. Among the Azerbaijani universities included in this consortium, the Baku Eurasian University (BEAU) occupies an important place. This university was founded in 1992 under the name “Higher Diplomatic College”. The main goal was to train specialists to work in foreign embassies and consular services, other representative structures and international organizations, diplomats, simultaneous interpreters, journalists and lawyers, specialized experts from Western and Eastern countries, including the qualifications of personnel working at the diplomatic level and conducting scientific-research work in relevant areas. Currently, the university is also training specialists in marketing, logistics, economics and several technical disciplines.
Prof. A. Sładkowski visited this university in May 2024 as part of the ERASMUS+ KA171 program to give lectures to Azerbaijani students. In addition, meetings were held with the leadership of this university and leading specialists. The result of the negotiations was a prepared agreement on double diploma degree, which was signed by the Azerbaijani side and is currently being signed by the management of the Silesian University of Technology.
Lecture by prof. A. Sładkowski for BEAU students
Meeting prof. Aleksander Sładkowski with BEAU vice-rector for international relations dr. Sayavush Gasimov
Another opportunity for cooperation was the 3rd International Conference on Logistics, Management and Operation in the East-West Transport Corridor (PLMO 2024), organized these days. Silesian University of Technology is a co-organizer of this conference, which every year gathers an increasing number of participants from different countries. Scientists from Azerbaijan, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, China, Uzbekistan, and other countries took part in the conference.
Prof. Ali Abbasov, general director of the Institute of Control Systems (Azerbaijan) opens the conference (left); prof. Aleksander Sładkowski, co-chairman of the Scientific Committee of the conference, delivers a greeting addressed to the participants of the plenary session
Conference participants during the plenary session
The organizers of the conference, in addition to very interesting scientific discussions, tried to organize for the conference guests the opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and science of this country. The conference participants got acquainted with the sights of the central part of the capital. They visited the Heydar Aliyev Center, which is a collection of several interesting museums.
Foreign conference participants during an excursion in the old city of Baku
On the last day, the conference moved to the city of Shamakhi, which until 1805 was the capital of the Shirvan Khanate. Here the guests got acquainted with the historical landmark, which is the Juma Mosque - the Friday Cathedral Mosque of the 8th century. This largest mosque in Azerbaijan was restored after earthquakes and reconstructed in 1905-1910 on the base of design by Polish architect Józef Płoszko. Guests could also get involved with nature by visiting the Safari Park in Shamakhi. Here, on an area of 690 hectares of fenced mountainous terrain, about a thousand different animals live. It was also very interesting to visit the village of Lahic, which is a center of folk crafts.
The conference ended in the conference hall of the Shemakha Astrophysical Observatory. Here, in addition to the meetings, conference participants could get acquainted with the museum, as well as with the optical telescope with a „Carl Zeiss JENA” reflector with a diameter of 2 meters, which was commissioned in 1966 and modernized recently.
Conference participants in the hall of the Shemakha Astrophysical Observatory
Familiarization with the main telescope of the observatory