The European Commission has recently announced call for proposals for Tempus IV programme. The program is aimed at facilitating cooperation between higher education institutions in the EU and in the partner countries (neighboring regions), which also includes Azerbaijan and other countries in the wider region.

Two kinds of projects can be proposed for grants: 1) National projects – to include institutions from one partner country and three EU countries; 2) Multi-country – projects to include – institutions from more than one partner country and three EU countries.

Proposals for grant projects can be submitted in any area related with higher education, but programme-wide priorities of the Commission include three broader areas – Curricular Reform (including, establishment of new curricula and double-, joint-degree programs), Governance Reform, and Higher Education and Society. There are also national priority areas for each country, but that applies only to national projects. For detailed information about the program, please visit its website:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/tempus/index_en.html

Khazar University is currently looking for partners institutions in the EU countries to form a consortium and apply for a grant.

Khazar University is experienced in this kind of grant projects and has won three Tempus grants since 1999. This time, we have the intention to submit a proposal for grant in the broader programme area of Curriculum Reform. The project will first and foremost include curriculum development, but quite realistically, in agreement with other members of the consortium (both EU and non-EU members), it can be developed to the level of double- or joint-degree programmes in the proposed fields of studies. The fields of studies that we have in mind for now are EU Studies, Oil and Gas Engineering, Nursery, and similar fields, but if our future partners have other proposals regarding broader programme area and fields of studies, we are ready to discuss other possibilities with them.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 28 April 2008. Considering forthcoming holiday seasons first in Azerbaijan and then in Europe, there is not much time left. However, if a consortium is formed as soon as possible, we think that a well-designed proposal can be worked out and submitted to the Commission before this deadline.

If your institution is interested in forming such a consortium, please contact Hafiz Aliyev, Senior Coordinator for International Relations at Khazar University:

E-mail: haliyev@khazar.org

Phone: +994 12 4217927

Fax: +994 12 4989379