PREPARING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

We met with the Secretary-General of the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ) Charlotte Payen on the day of the exams. Founded upon the Azerbaijan State University of Oil and Industry (ASUOI), the university summarized the results of the first academic year. Absolute silence reigned in the corridors, and we tried to pass by the auditoriums as quietly as possible, so as not to distract students. Yet I managed to sneak a look at a couple of audiences - serious faces, a functional but not pressing environment. As it turned out later during our conversation with Charlotte Payen, this was exactly what the methodology of the famous Strasbourg University. By the way, being a Frenchwoman, the UFAZ Secretary-General is fluent in Russian. In addition, she speaks with the Baku accent, sometimes diluting her speech with Azerbaijani phrases, which she has begun learning recently.

Can you share the results of your first academic year?

I will not run ahead since the year has not yet ended. Today we hold the final exams. In general, I can say that we are satisfied with the results of the first year. At first, it was not easy for students, but I think the majority of them has already become accustomed to our methods. Our classes are taught in English. This year, we also organized classes in chemistry at the laboratories of the French Lyceum. Strasbourg University attaches great importance to the practical training of students. We teach them both the French language and culture. This year, we organized a francophone class at the UFAZ. That is, the students had an opportunity to study the French language along with the English. Bachelorship in France lasts for three years; in Azerbaijan, it takes four years before graduation. In the first year, we only prepare the students for the level of the French Bachelorship. This is the so-called foundation stage. Therefore, this year was very important for us.

The best evaluation of your activity is the results of final exams. How successful will your students be today?

They have already had many exams. According to our system, we hold exams every month. This helps to keep students in shape. The result of each exam is taken into account at the end of the year. We summarize them and derive common scores. I can assure you that 90% of our students have completed the foundation level successfully and are ready for September.

Are you satisfied with the level of Azerbaijani students? How prepared are they after graduation from school?

As you know, we have selected the best students from those who had scored more than 500 points. Our students have an average score of 585 points. Then they passed the second exam organized by Strasbourg University. So, it was a serious selection process. When we met them in September, they were already quite literate and very quickly mastered everything. True, the first months were difficult in terms of adaptation to the methodology. They are used to tests, but we do not use testing, we practice only open questions. Students should be able to think instead of just choosing right answers from the ready-made options. We demand a lot of activity during the lessons. Sometimes the teachers ask the students to do homework. But we want them to complete everything in the classroom. This helps to change their attitude to the studies at the university. It is not easy and requires more than visiting a classroom, recording a lecture and leaving for home.

Recently, you have announced admission for the second academic year for the same four specialties. Do you plan to increase the number of specialties in the future?

In principle, yes, we do. We have very strong support from the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan. But honestly, it is not about the quantity but quality of our students. First and foremost, we intend to strengthen our positions in specialties that we teach today. In the future, we plan to offer something else, including at the master's level.

What other specialties can be interesting for UFAZ? What is in demand in Azerbaijan?

Our goal is to train good specialists who will be able to find jobs after graduation. We intend to prepare the right people. We do not want to train specialists who will be unemployed after graduation. We know that Azerbaijan is also working on the development of other specialties outside the oil and gas sphere. For example, I know that you have a great potential in agriculture and environmental protection.

However, as the Secretary-General of UFAZ, I am not in favour of simply expanding the range of specialties. This is the common opinion of all our partners. We work with the Ministry of Education and must meet their requirements too.

Do you provide free or paid education service?

The paid groups are in minority. Originally we planned to have 160 students, of which 120 would be trained for free and 40 would pay the fees. This year we admitted 141 students: 120 of them study for free, 21 pay for their classes. We are glad of this opportunity. It is important for the French state and the University of Strasbourg that most students study with us for free. Do you know that public universities are free in France? We are glad that your state also provides such an opportunity.

According to a presidential decree signed a year ago, it is possible to attract several universities to the UFAZ. Currently, the project involves ASUOI, the Strasbourg and Ren-1 universities. Do you expect other universities to join you in the future? Do you have ongoing negotiations with them?

In principle, yes, it is possible. But this is also related to the specialties that we are developing. For example, Ren-1 has joined us, as they have very good specialties in oil and gas, which are not available at Strasbourg University. If tomorrow we start training for agricultural specialists also not available at Strasbourg University, then we will be able to attract other universities.

What are your plans to ensure the quality of education that you are talking about?

We expect to launch our laboratories in physics, chemistry, similar to what is available in Strasbourg. It is very important for us. From the next academic year, a new UFAZ campus will be commissioned at Nizami Street. We will have experimental rooms in chemistry and physics in the campus, so that students can practice there starting from September. A year later a new, more powerful laboratory for third and fourth courses will be ready. Now it is already being prepared.

Which of the four specialties is most interesting for Azerbaijani students?

Judging by the choice of students, it is the computer science.

What about the teaching staff. Is it completely formed of French teachers?

This is a very important part of our project. It is very important for us that our team is a mix of Azerbaijani and French specialists, because it is the local teachers who will teach here tomorrow. Therefore, we intend to send our Azerbaijani colleagues to the University of Strasbourg, so that they can be acquainted with the French methodology and laboratories.

Their level is high enough, they studied in Canada, Germany, etc. They just need to get used to our methods only. They are young, and it will not be difficult for them.

By the way, as far as we know, you will send students to summer schools in Strasbourg...

Yes, we will send 40 of our students to summer school in Strasbourg already this year. We are very satisfied with this free opportunity. Students will have the opportunity to work in laboratories, participate in different meetings.

You said that you do not practice tests in France. What is your attitude to the test system?

I would not like to judge this or that system. But we do not practice tests at our university. It is required that we write everything ourselves, justify our thoughts, formulate our opinions, explain what and why since the school years. I am accustomed to write a lot myself, to think and therefore am not very used to the test system. In this regard, I think it is better when a person formulates his own opinion. But that is my personal opinion.

As you know, Azerbaijan is implementing reforms in education, which is successful sometimes. I would like to know your opinion as a foreign specialist. What problems do you consider to be of prime importance?

I have noticed that you do not pay much attention to the work in the laboratories. This is the biggest difference between our universities. In Strasbourg University, we have huge laboratories, where each student has his own space for experiments. When I visited the Azerbaijani laboratories, I noticed that you have only teachers doing experiments, and students are watching from the side. But it is desirable that students work autonomously. Each of them must have its own place. This is what I did not see in Azerbaijan. Therefore, we are very happy to be able to work on this here, to fill this void in the experimental part of the training process.

Afterword

A letter of intent on the establishment of the UFAZ on the basis of the ASUOI was signed on April 25, 2015 during the visit of the French President François Hollande to Baku. The document was ratified by a presidential decree issued on May 22, 2015. The university admitted the first students in 2016. UFAZ will issue both the diplomas of ASUOI and the Strasbourg University.