As part of his program in Azerbaijan, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin visited schools in Shusha and met with faculty members and students at Karabakh University in the city of Khankendi.

 

At a ceremony held at Karabakh University, an additional protocol was signed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the field of vocational and technical education, with the participation of Minister Tekin and Azerbaijan's Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev.

 

In his speech, Minister Tekin stated that the foundation and many details of the issues discussed at this ceremony are rooted in the relations that were initiated, implemented, and developed in 2013, when he was undersecretary.

 

Minister Tekin stated, "Here is my thought: The world is evolving in a very different direction. In this changing world, I believe that states and structures that have relations and ties beyond merely pragmatic ones can protect one another and become strong. In this sense, as the Republic of Türkiye, our relations with our brotherly states here need to be good and further developed. The ministry that should lead this effort the most and take the greatest responsibility in this regard is the Ministry of National Education."

 

Minister Tekin, emphasizing that this awareness must continue, continued his speech as follows: "I would like to explain our objective through the Century of Türkiye Education Model. With the Century of Türkiye Education Model, we have revised all our programs and curricula. While making this revision, we adopted two approaches. The first is to revise our education system according to the pedagogical requirements of the age. The world is changing rapidly, and there are significant changes in educational methodologies as well. We need to evaluate and revise our education and training system from the perspective of these changes. Every country does this. In addition, we took the following step: we aimed to develop a program that would strengthen our legal and institutional ties with our friends, brothers, and allied countries. In our programs and curricula, we took a step to give maximum place to these friendship relations. In this context, the country on which we focus most to develop our relations is undoubtedly Azerbaijan."

 

Minister Tekin, noting that the Presidents of the two countries are behaving in a brotherly manner toward each other to strengthen bilateral relations, said, "The sincerity between them is remarkable. The peoples and nations of both countries love each other. Such sympathy exists at the level of our Presidents, as well as at the societal and national level. Our duty is to take steps to develop these relations within the perspective set by our Presidents and in accordance with society's expectations of us, while fulfilling our public responsibilities."

 

Minister Tekin also emphasized that he, the Prime Minister, and the Minister agreed on the need to act swiftly to strengthen Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations in the field of education, adding, "Thanks to this, we resolved issues that had remained pending for years. One of these was the campus of our Baku Turkish Anatolian High School. The other is the protocol on cooperation in the field of vocational and technical education that we will sign here today."

 

Minister Tekin continued: "In the field of vocational and technical education, we have implemented many innovative practices in Türkiye and achieved tangible results. This protocol aims to share our experience with colleagues involved in vocational and technical education here and to ensure that the youth and children in Azerbaijan benefit from these experiences. With the increasing ease of access to new knowledge, it is clear that many professions will evolve in the coming period, and employment, industry, and economic infrastructure will increasingly focus on skills rather than purely theoretical knowledge. Therefore, I believe that we need to develop cooperation in the field of vocational and technical education with a skill-oriented approach."

 

Speaking regarding the Turkish Maarif Foundation, Minister Tekin also said, "Our Ministry and the Government of Azerbaijan have made significant contributions to this effort, and I would like to express my gratitude for that. In the new era, we may need to establish a diploma program that is internationally recognized, perhaps for the Turkic world. This could serve as one of the initial steps. The process regarding our Maarif school in Nakhchivan is already underway."

 

Minister Tekin emphasized, 'Following the meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev, an agreement was reached for Türkiye to build a school in Karabakh, which will be constructed in Aghdam or another suitable location. 

 

Minister Yusuf Tekin thanked Azerbaijan for hosting the event and expressed his hope that the protocol would prove beneficial.

 

Azerbaijan's Minister of Science and Education, Emin Amrullayev, also emphasized the importance of the cooperation protocol, stating, "The close friendship and brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye continue in the field of education." He thanked Minister Tekin for his visit.

 

Under the additional protocol signed, vocational education institutions to be opened in Azerbaijan are planned to provide training in information technologies, hospitality and travel services, furniture and interior design, fashion design technologies, and food and beverage services.

 

This step will contribute to broadening the scope and enhancing the quality of vocational education while nurturing younger generations in line with shared cultural values and the evolving needs of the present era.