PETRA project's wider objective is to promote teaching and learning excellence in Azerbaijan. Specific objectives are: (1) Building Capacity for Developing Teaching and Learning Processes to meet pedagogical and technological needs and (2) Improving and Providing Quality Teaching and Learning through innovative technology, promoting research, improving active learning, and establishing long-term partnerships with European universities. The project targets two private, two public universities and four state universities in Azerbaijan with a key objective to improve their quality of teaching and learning.It aims to build human resource capacity in teaching, research, and developing/improving necessary infrastructure to provide an environment for effective learning. The most up-do-date planning, development and management resources have been utilized for these activities and adapted to the needs of the student body.8 Teaching and Learning Centres (TLCs) aimed at guiding and enhancing the teaching and learning process have been established at each member university in Azerbaijan, because one of the main aims of this project is to assure the quality of education, teaching and learning processes. Building on the Project objective to enhance the quality of teaching and research towards excellence, the TLC's updated equipment are used to incorporate last generation teaching tools and advanced technology, by developing human resource capacity and international partnerships, and developing students' learning skills through on-line active learning.The project results also include the development of a 3-year strategy plan, with a detailed structure and activity plan designed as a result of learning experience in European countries. The trainers and pilots incorporated the necessary skills for training selected faculty for the final purpose of promoting on-line education as a key element in professional development. A broad assortment of trainings and workshops on enhancing research competence have been provided to the selected trainers, and students of target universities participating on the pilots which have been replicated to selected faculty (and students) included on the TLC plans.Last but not least, new collaboration agreements are in place between EU Universities and Azerbaijan partners for the initial team development of credit courses and research activities.

The Nizami project concerns the modernization of doctoral education, research and internationalization of HEIs in Azerbaijan. This project intends to answer to the urgent need for Azerbaijan universities to revise the rules and content of organizing doctoral studies within Bologna process documents in terms of their consistency, especially on ensuring science and research provisions in relevance with European standards, to fulfill the students' mobility and internationalzation of research.The consortium will achieve the objectives by restructuring the doctoral education through : (a) the organisation of doctoral schools within the HEIS and at the National level, (b) insuring high standards in doctoral education, (c) improving internationalization.A standardisation and modernization of doctoral education will lead to a better recognition from Europe of the quality of research provided by the HEIs and research institutions of Azerbaijan. Therefore, an enhance in collaboration between Europe and Azerbaijan can be predicted. As well, a greater ease of international mobility for PhD students, young researchers and staff should be reached.On a national level, the PhD students should inhance their professional skills to meet the needs of the local, regional and national markets.

With the internationalization of education and the growing need for specialists who meet the requirements of the new digital and innovative economy, the role of universities is becoming a key. In this regard, new forms of interaction between higher education organizations at the international level of university networks emerging and developing. “Although Azerbaijan signed Bologna agreement already in 2005, there is weak awareness of benefits of EHEA related issues among wider audience in the country. The knowledge on the recent developments of higher education system in Azerbaijan remains vague. The communication and networking concerning EHEA issues is rather fragmented among different departments in the MoE and various stakeholders. There is a need of national universities networks in Azerbaijan to promote and facilitate cooperation, support universities in their primary work, that is – high quality education, as well as to actively lobby for better legislation and wise spending its finance aimed at the advancement of higher education and research. The consortium believes that Rectors conference can be a great getaway for all of the universities presenting a single voice in key initiatives and challenges. The ultimate goal of this project is to endorse strong networking and cooperation among national universities and decision makers through the establishment of Rectors Conference. The approach chosen for implementation, however, includes a collaborative framework with respective stakeholders, mainly focusing on educational needs.The overall aim of the project is fostering national networking and cooperation among universities and all other stakeholders by establishing the rectors conference in accordance with national development strategies.