As part of the Turkic World Interuniversity Quality Alliance Program held at Baku State University with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, KAEU Vice Rector and Quality Management Coordinator Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek, who was in Azerbaijan for the event, held a series of meetings. In this context, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek and his delegation met with Türkiye-Azerbaijan University (TAÜ) Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şimşir and TİKA Baku Program Coordination Office Coordinator Hayrettin Özçelik. KAEU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek first met with TAÜ Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şimşir, expressing his pleasure at discussing potential collaborations with a fellow Turkish rector at a university jointly established by Türkiye.
TAÜ Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şimşir expressed his satisfaction with the visit, emphasizing that the presence of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University in Azerbaijan and its sharing of experience were of great importance to them.
Türkiye-Azerbaijan University (TAÜ), which commenced its academic activities in Baku in the 2024–2025 academic year, stands out as a joint initiative between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The university was officially established following discussions between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and a memorandum of understanding signed on February 19, 2024, by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev and the President of the Council of Higher Education of Türkiye (CoHE) Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar. TAÜ operates in partnership with Azerbaijan Technical University and Türkiye’s leading universities: Middle East Technical University (METU), Istanbul Technical University (ITU), and Hacettepe University. Officially opened in September 2024, the university aims to bring a fresh perspective to higher education in the Turkic world.
Visit to TİKA
Vice Rector of our University, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek, and his delegation later met with Hayrettin Çelik, the Coordinator of the TİKA Baku Program Coordination Office. During the meeting, they exchanged views on strengthening academic cooperation between the two countries, reinforcing cultural ties through education, and acting jointly in quality assurance processes.
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek stated that they were very pleased to be in Azerbaijan to contribute to the development of a quality culture among the higher education institutions of the Turkic World. Emphasizing that this program, supported by TİKA, represents a significant beginning for new collaborations to be built on shared values, he thanked Coordinator Hayrettin Özçelik and his team for their hospitality and contributions.
Hayrettin Özçelik, Coordinator of the TİKA Baku Program Coordination Office, stated that increasing inter-university interaction within the Turkic World and forming a shared vision in education and quality processes are among their top priorities. He added that any cooperation with Kırşehir Ahi Evran University within this framework is of great value to them. Expressing his satisfaction with the visit, Özçelik thanked Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek and his accompanying delegation, which consisted of Rector’s Advisor Ekrem Öztürk and Quality Executive Board Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatih Yaman.