AAA School Research Initiative

The purpose of this initiative is to promote networking among the members while developing AAA's capacity to produce high quality research and policy papers. The format of this project will resemble the traditional research system at the US universities where professors are assisted by students in their research initiatives. Within this project alumni of professional graduate programs like Muskie and Fulbright will be matched up with younger alumni of FLEX and UGRAD programs to work together on specific research projects. The alumni of the graduate programs will lead the project but majority of research activities will be implemented by the alumni of undergraduate and high school programs. It is expected that such collaboration on research alumni of the graduate programs will become professional mentors of younger alumni.

The final products of this initiative, policy papers, will be posted on the AAA's website and will be discussed during seminars organized at the Association's office.

Quarterly Magazine - Alumni Perspectives

The purpose of this project is to publish a quarterly alumni magazine in Azerbaijani under the title Alumni Perspectives. This will allow alumni to showcase their intellectual potential in the fields of economics, public administration, public health, education, international affairs and others and promote AAA as a think tank. Considering huge deficiency of analytical writing in the Azerbaijani-language media, the publication of western-style writing in Azerbaijani would be an important event.

Every issue of the Alumni Perspectives will focus on a specific topic (e.g., education, public health, financial markets, social policy, public transportation, etc.). The major goal will be to focus on articles with analytical content, written in easy to understand language. Alumni of all programs will be encouraged to submit articles the magazine's editorial board will select the ones of the highest quality ones for publication.

Apart from in-depth analytical articles, each issue will include an interview with opinion-leader/expert in a specific topic area conducted by alumni with a journalism background. Up to two pages of in each issue will be devoted to alumni news and accomplishments. The magazine will be available on the AAA's website in English, but will be printed only in Azerbaijani.

University Links Project

The University Links project will seek to increase the quality of instruction in Azerbaijan's universities. Alumni who have an extensive teaching experience will develop a training model for university professors to introduce them to modern interactive teaching methods and research methodologies.

The training module will include, but not limited to the following topics:

• Theory and methods of higher education
• Motivation of higher/adult education
• Learning needs assessment techniques
• Program planning and development
• Methods of instruction
• Interactive methods
• Content-based instruction
• Individual & cooperative learning styles
• Case study method in higher education teaching
• Methods of assessment in higher education
• Using web-resources in higher education
• Creating effective teaching materials

The AAA will also involve the Fulbright alumni doing research in Azerbaijan (visiting American scholars). Call for participation will be made in the universities and higher education institutions after the training module is prepared by the alumni. In addition to select seminars in the AAA Office, the training courses will also be offered by AAA to universities in Azerbaijan.

Within the framework of University Links project the AAA will organize targeted monthly roundtables - Building World-Class Universities in Azerbaijan. The target participants will be university administrators, professors, and staff, members of the parliament and executive branches of the government (including the Ministry of Education). Topics will vary from university administration to building links between universities and private sector, and promoting universities as economic development tools. Below is the potential list of topics for seminars/roundtables:

• Modern Approaches to University Administration
• Running Universities as a Business
• Universities as Local Economic Development Tools
• University - Industry (Business) Linkages
• Attracting and Developing Quality Faculty
• University Campuses: Current realities and future perspectives
• Developing extra-curricular activities for Universities

The summaries of the roundtables and seminars will be published in the local media, and on the AAA's website. In addition, at the end of the year AAA will submit a Memo to the Ministry of Education, and the Administration of Public and Private Universities of Azerbaijan, with major policy recommendations generated within the frameworks of this project.

Promoting Interactive Teaching through Alumni Teachers Network

The purpose of the Promoting Interactive Teaching through Alumni Teachers Network is to assist the Ministry of Education with the implementation of the secondary school reform. The alumni of TEA and PIE programs will lead the project. The Curriculum Center at the Ministry of Education will provide the alumni with the new methodology and materials. The Association will identify two pilot regions and PIE/TEA alumni who are familiar with the current education reform, interactive teaching methods and new curriculum development issues will organize trainings for teachers in select pilot regions on the new curriculum that is currently being developed by the Ministry of Education and modern teaching methods.