Khazar University

Khazar University

Xəzər Universitəsi
Motto	“Always leading the way”
Type	Private
Chairman	Professor Hamlet Isakhanli
President	Dr. Irada Khalilova (appointed 2019)
Academic staff	250
Students	2500
Location	Baku , Azerbaijan
Language	English

Khazar University (Azerbaijani: Xəzər Universiteti, which directly translates as Caspian University), is a private university located in Baku, Azerbaijan.^[1]

Campuses[]

Khazar University owns four campuses in the city of Baku and two campuses in regions of Azerbaiajan.

• 

  Neftchilar Campus

• 

  Neftchilar Campus

• 

  Downtown Campus

• Neftchilar Campus
• Downtown Campus
• Baku Dunya School Campus – Education complex for “Dunya” School, also Khazar University School of Education`s Internship Center, Sports Center, Dormitory and Technopark
• Sumgayit Dunya School Campus
• Ganja Dunya School Campus
• Buzovna Conference and Leisure Center

Background information[]

Founded in 1991 by Prof. Hamlet Isakhanli ([1]), the University became one of the first private universities in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and the first in Azerbaijan to introduce Western-style, research-oriented higher education. Isakhanli formed Khazar in the interest of reforming the previous system of higher education under Soviet rule.^[2][3][4] For more information on education system in Azerbaijan, read:

1. Hamlet Isakhanli. In Search of Khazar. Khazar University Press, Baku, 2006.^[5]

2. Hamlet Isakhanli. Education System in Transition Economy: A View from Azerbaijan. Khazar University Press, Baku, 2007.^[6]

Academic information[]

In Azerbaijan, Khazar University is providing Western-style education on all levels: undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral. Khazar University also welcomes exchange students from foreign countries. It creates an opportunity to let students of Khazar University become exchange students in foreign countries too. ^[7] It also runs a lab.

	There are five schools (colleges) operating within Khazar University:
1	School of Science and Engineering
2	School of Economics and Management
3	School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
4
5	Graduate School of Economics and Business

Departments[]

English Language and Literature[]

The English language and Literature Department administers the Khazar University English Language Requirements program which prepares students to perform with excellence in the English language academic environment of the university.

The English language and Literature Department’s graduate programs provide advanced study in the disciplines of Translation, General and Applied Linguistics, and Literary Studies.

History and Archaeology[]

The Department of History and Archaeology is one of the leading academic departments in Khazar University.

The Department of History and Archaeology (formerly the Department of History), within the , established in June 1993, is one of the first and leading units of Khazar University with wide academic and research interests. It offers minor problems in History, fundamental courses in the history of world civilizations, covering such issues as history of ancient and medieval human societies and history of Asian, European and American cultures, as well as courses of archaeology, ethnology, anthropology. The Department also provides courses related to University requirements on the History of the Azerbaijani nation, including its evolution, culture and historical development as well as relations of Azerbaijan with other Caucasian peoples and neighboring countries such as Russia, Iran, and Turkey are among the major topics of the programs developed and offered by the Department.

Staff of Department carries out scientific research in history and archaeology as well as participate in working out of various education textbook, handbooks and take part in international and countrywide conferences. "Azərbaycan tarixinin çağdaş problemləri" (2000), " aşiqi" (2002); " və ictimai-siyasi ideallar" (2005) are among well known monographs have been prepared by the department. Department of History and Archaeology permanently conducts various workshops, seminars and international conferences with participation of famous scholars from all around the World. Among the conferences, particularly were: "The problems of Azerbaijani history and their reflection in modern textbooks and research literature", "The social and political thought in ", "The Soviet totalitarianism in the Caucasus", "Shah Ismail and his epoch". Since 1999 Department publishes the Journal of "Azerbaijani Archaeology", covering new research in archaeology both in Azerbaijan and abroad. "Azerbaijani Archaeology" covers essentials, methodology, contemporary problems and achievements of archaeology as well as publishing theoretical works, field studies and popular articles related to Azerbaijan and world archaeology

Political Sciences and Philosophy[]

The Department of Political Science and Philosophy offers degree programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The undergraduate degree programs include Political Science, International Relations, and European Studies. The postgraduate programs include Masters and PhD degrees in international relations.

Institute of Politics[]

The Institute of Politics is an independent, nonpartisan institution committed to public policy research, analysis and education. The Institute (formerly the Center for International and Strategic Studies) has a primary objective of contributing to improving the performance of public institutions in Azerbaijan and the quality of public policy through cultivating regular interaction between policymakers and scholars to analyze issues and offer practical approaches for addressing those issues. The Institute holds conferences, seminars, workshops and panel discussions with various public officials, diplomats and scholars as well as various student-oriented workshops, such as annual crisis simulation exercises and annual moot courts. It has offered resources including speakers, visiting and resident fellows, study groups and internships. Example activities:

• In May 2010, an OSCE Model Conference was organized by Khazar University and OSCE Office in Baku, bringing together students from about 15 Azerbaijan universities.
• A group of students of Khazar University won the competition conducted among Azerbaijani universities for participation at OSCE Simulation Model Conference. Students of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences attended the OSCE Model Conference in Vienna in 2008.
• In 2006-2007 organized a series of crisis simulation exercises, conferences and workshops on various issues of contemporary international relations as well as on different topics in political science.
• Two-day Modeling Azerbaijan's Future: Examining Trends, Exploring Opportunities conference took place on June 18–19, 2005. The conference attracted around 60 scholars, practitioners and students of public policy, government executives and civil society leaders. Concrete policy recommendations were offered to various institutions and agencies. The program consisted of several panels and roundtables on political development, economic development, foreign policy and public diplomacy, identity and nationalism. Workshops developed policy recommendations and shared with the larger audience.

• The second annual Crisis Simulation Exercise was held on April 30, 2005, involving 70 students from four universities in Baku. Teams of students from Khazar University, Baku State University, Azerbaijan State Economic University, and Baku Slavic University mock-representing National Security Councils (NSC) of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey and the United States in a role-play game to solve an imaginary crisis in the South Caucasus. Each "NSC" consisted of a President, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Security, Minister of Defense, and Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs. Several other states as well as major international organizations were "represented" by one person. "Mass media" highlighted the developments during the exercise. The working language was English.
• From November 22–26, 2004, Khazar University Institute of Politics held its First Annual Executive Education Workshop Doing Policy Analysis: How to Tackle Policy Problems in Azerbaijan. This workshop was conducted under the auspices of the Eurasia Foundation/ Azerbaijan and the US Embassy to equip government and public sector executives and analysts as well as faculty and students with tools to handle problem identification, policy formulation and decision-making issues. 25 government executives and policy analysts, NGO managers, junior faculty and advanced students from Azerbaijan and Georgia participated. Participants applied various methods in policy analysis through analyzing case studies and developing their own policy analysis project.

Dictionary and Encyclopedia Center[]

The Khazar University Dictionary and Encyclopedia Center,^[8] located on the campus of Khazar University in Baku, Azerbaijan, has been in operation since April 1996.^[9] The center is directed by Professor Tofik Abaskuliyev.^[10] The center’s main functions are to perform linguistic and lexicological research and to prepare, evaluate and publish bilingual, multilingual and encyclopedic dictionaries.

The center is currently devoting most of its time to the production of a six-volume “Khazar English-Azerbaijani Comprehensive Dictionary” (edited by Prof. Hamlet Isakhanli and Prof. Tofik Abaskuliyev) which aims to be a significant aid to language learners, translators and scholars. The first three volumes of the dictionary were published by Khazar University Press in 2004 and 2008, and the remaining volumes are in the process of compilation by the Dictionary and Encyclopedia Center.

Notable alumni[]

• Adnan Hajizadeh, blogger and youth activist
• , blogger ^{[11] [12]}
• Nargiz Birk-Petersen, television commentator
• Nigar Jamal, winner of Eurovision 2011

Affiliations[]

The university is a member of the Caucasus University Association.^[13]

References[]