Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The Azerbaijan State Economic University (ASEU), The Millennium Project and Azerbaijan Future Studies Society (AFSS; a branch in Azerbaijan) have commissioned a joint educational project - Аzerbaijan Foresight - in the area of future studies and forecasting for the ASEU students.

The organizers say that from 16 October 2009 the University’s students are to receive knowledge during one year in the field of future studies and forecasting with help of leading specialists in this area from the US, UK, Canada, Italy, Venezuela and Japan.

Such quite a unique opportunity was created for students following joint efforts of ASEU (www.aseu.az), The Millennium Project (www.millennium-project.org) and its branch in Azerbaijan (www.futurestudies.az).

The relevant agreement on the project was signed between the heads of the above-listed organizations: ASEU rector Prof. Sh. Hajiyev, Millennium Project director J. Glenn and AFSS director R. Huseynova.

This is the only project of such kind on the CIS area in the sphere of future studies and forecasting where teaching is carried out by world-known foreign professors ad researchers. Project’s unique specific feature is its online realization in video-conference format. Teacher from different countries can communicate simultaneously with the audience, conduct presentations and use fully all opportunities of information technologies. This is not long-distance education, but precisely inter-active form of education online in the virtual area. In higher education practice use of such format for education goals has not been used and that is why bears innovation character. Speech is not of one-off conferences but about targeted lessons within the framework of entire educational project.

Among the researchers teaching course for students are such known scientists as Jerome Glenn (US); the director of The Millennium Project, author of a great deal of such research works  as annual report “The State of the Future” and “Methods of  Future Studies”, “Global Energy Collective Mind”, “National Future Strategy Organs”, “Possibilities of Education and Education for 2030”, “Global Energy Scenarios of 2020, “The Future of Ethics”, “Scenarios of Science & Technologies of 2025”; Teodor Gordon (US), leading specialist of the Millennium Project, founder of the Millennium Project, founder of Futures Group, co-author of reports “The State of the Future” and “Methods of Future Studies”; Jose Cordeiro (Venezuela), specialist of the Millennium Project, head of the Venezuela branch of the Project and founder of the Venezuela branch of   the World Society of the Future, author of many works and researches in the area of globalistics and forecasting; Hazel Henderson (England-US), founder of corporation Ethical Markets Media, world-known futurist and researcher; author of book “Ethic Markets: Growing of Green Economy”; Paul Werbos (US) from University Brookings, director of Research Programs of the US National Scientific Fund, inventor and author; Elisabeth Floresku (Canada), specialists and director of research programs of the Millennium Project, co-author of “Ecological Crimes, Military Actions & International Criminal Court; Khayato Kobayashi (Japan), dissertator of the Millennium Project with long work experience in issues of energy and ecological safety, researcher.

All these prominent scientists are members of the Millennium Project Planning Project holding its symposium annually. This year Azerbaijan Society of Future Studies has been represented first time at the symposium held in Chicago on 15-17 July.

The Millennium Project course program is designed for two semesters, including 48 hours of inter-active training in English language with use of the latest scientific data in various spheres of human life activity and global existence. It is expected to study and consider 15 Global Challenges of the Millennium Project through prism of their potential impact on Azerbaijan, its economy, politics, position in the world community and as a result the students will take an attempt to formulate the proposals on strategy of actions for settlement of any challenges for the country. Among the challenges are global problems of ecology, social development, new information society, and other that are on today’s agenda for the future development of Azerbaijan.

At the end of the program following exams and diploma work all the graduates will be given diplomas from the organizers. The course results can be taken into account as loans for specialities “International Economic Relations”, “Strategic Planning”, and Forecasting of the Future”.

19.10.2009 12:32