The Thirteenth Session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13), which Azerbaijan will host this year, will be another indicator of the country’s role in solving global issues.
The forum, which will take place in Baku from May 17 to 22, will contribute to the increase of the country’s influence on a global scale and the expansion of its international relations.
Preparations for WUF13, which acts as one of the important platforms of the global political and economic agenda, are ongoing. For this purpose, action plans are being prepared in various fields, and necessary work is being carried out for the comfortable and safe organization of the forum.
The organization of the mentioned global event in Baku, as in other areas, makes it necessary to apply temporary adaptive approaches in the education system. It should be noted that the principle of continuity of education is one of the main priorities in this process.
The relevant agency has already made a decision regarding the comfortable and continuous organization of teaching during the event. Thus, the Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev signed an Order to ensure the continuity of education during the dates when WUF13 will take place. According to the order, a holiday will be set from May 18 to 22 for preschool groups and primary classes of general education institutions in Baku. This date is replaced by the spring break previously set for May 1-5 in the country.
In addition, classes in grades V-XI of general education institutions operating in some districts of the capital will be held remotely. At the same time, teaching in vocational, secondary specialized, and higher education institutions located in Baku will also be organized in a remote (online) format from May 18 to 22.
Moving classes to an online format during the event prevents students from falling behind in the curriculum and necessitates the application of adaptive approaches in the field of education. Moving classes to an online format during the event ensures that students master the curriculum and that their knowledge level is continuously maintained.
This approach can also be assessed as a continuation of the application of the digital teaching experience formed during the pandemic period.
It should be emphasized that there are successful practices in Azerbaijan that ensure the continuous continuation of teaching during such major events. Thus, adaptive models such as both remote education and the replacement of holidays were applied during the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which Azerbaijan hosted in 2024. In addition, for a long time, classes in some schools have been organized online during the “Formula 1” Azerbaijan Grand Prix held in Baku every year.
The transition to remote teaching is not only a means of adapting to current conditions but also gives impetus to the development of technological skills of students and teachers. This increases the sustainability and competitiveness of the education system in the long term.
All this shows that the mechanisms presented by Azerbaijan are in full compliance with the practices applied during international events held in various cities of the world.