Education Minister Misir Mardanov

The ministry issued a statement yesterday to explain the decision which in effect closes down the private university.

The university's most recent licence expired on 8 July. The Education Ministry set up an expert group to inspect tuition at the university and review the application for a new licence.

"The investigation found that, though compared with 2005, some work had been done to improve the material and basis of the Azerbaijan International University, the requirements of the normative documents were not observed in the teaching process and serious shortcomings were made," the ministry statement said.

The ministry's Licensing Commission discussed the report of the expert group. 

The commission meeting noted the following failings:

• the potential of the university's Academic Council was not used
• the work of the university faculties did not meet requirements
• there was a lack of properly equipped laboratories
• the departments did not work properly
• teaching responsibilities were not properly allocated amongst staff
• teachers who did not have the appropriate qualifications or academic degrees gave lectures
• professors' signatures were falsified
• the student community was not properly developed
• the rules were broken on the transfer of students and transfer documents were falsified
• the rules for delivering degrees were broken
• the organization of the university's Moscow branch contradicted the normative documents.

"Taking into account the abovementioned shortcomings the Licence Commission unanimously passed a decision not to extend the term of Licence No 003283 given by the Education Ministry to Azerbaijan International University. Within 10 days the university administration is to prepare data about the persons, who studied at the university or finished studying by 1 September and submit it to the Education Ministry."

The heads of the relevant departments of the Education Ministry are to prepare proposals on the education of students who joined the university this year or are studying at present.

The Azerbaijan International University was registered at the Justice Ministry on 17 October 1997; in 1998 the Education Ministry granted the university its first licence. The university received a six-year licence in 1999 and a five-year licence in 2005.

APA