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Towards Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education: Opportunities for Action

Recognizing and addressing key development challenges facing the world today, the global community has been committed to set out the fundamental strategies and actions to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.  This universal aspiration reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development makes all countries and relevant stakeholders act globally, nationally and locally in collaborative partnership to contribute to the attainment of the transformative, far-reaching goals in areas of vital significance for humanity over the next fifteen years. Translating these global goals and targets into measurable actions to progress toward common vision, the national governments acknowledges their responsibility for localizing and taking ownership over this development platform. 

As an example, Azerbaijan, one of the United Nations Member States, has undertaken considerable actions in this direction: deriving from the 2030 Agenda, National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development (NCCSD) was established by the President’s Decree (2016), a national strategic roadmap with ambitious goals, targets, and indicators has been approved, policy dialogue with main international and national stakeholders on longer term Sustainable Development of Azerbaijan have been initiated, a range of policy documents, state programs have been adopted. Specifically, in the field of education, it is to be mentioned the approval of the State Program on the Development of Inclusive Education (2018-2024), the State Program on the Enhancement of International Competitiveness of Higher Education System of Azerbaijan (2019-2023), the inclusion of target 7.3.1 on increasing quality education at all levels in the national strategic roadmap (2016), the allocation of scholarships to increase access to tertiary education for underprivileged youth and adults (2018).

This year’s ADA Education Conference theme is pivoted around Sustainable Development Goal # 4, namely, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.  Increased access to a quality education in a lifelong learning perspective is a keystone of sustainable economic and social development. The SDG# 4-implementation requires us as scholars and practitioners to expand our awareness of the voices, actors and knowledge producers that have been involved in the educational research and policy development process. Thus, ADA University in partnership with the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan and GCRF COMPASS project is delighted to invite researchers and policymakers in the field of education to submit their research papers to be presented at the ADA 4^th International Education Conference. The Conference aims at bringing together scholars, policymakers, independent researchers, educational practitioners, students and other stakeholders interested in national and international education development to present research analyzing educational strategies around the world and in Azerbaijan to reflect on best practices, discuss future steps and suggest policy recommendations for inclusive and equitable quality education system.  The Conference will focus the conversation on analysis of knowledge produced at the national, regional and international levels, with a view toward exploring best practices around the world and to re-envision possibilities for cooperation and mutual support in advancing education research and practice.  This year we additionally accept papers from international researchers and scholars to bring comparative and international perspective into the conference work.

ADA University encourages proposals on the topics that are in line with the education outcome targets and means pointed out in the SDG#4 – Education (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg4):

• Ensure free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes;
• Ensure quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education;
• Ensure affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university;
• Ensure acquisition of technical and vocational skills needed for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship;
• Ensure elimination of gender disparities in education and equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
• Achieve of youth and adult literacy and numeracy;
• Ensure the acquisition of knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development;
• Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all;
• Expand the number of scholarships available for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programs;
• Increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries.

The Conference is intended to be broad, encompassing panel discussions, presentations of research papers and poster sessions that build on the expansion of the parameters of knowledge production and educational practice in the process of national and international education development. Authors presenting at the conference get opportunity to have their abstracts (executive summaries) published in the conference proceedings.

Criteria for paper submission

Research proposals (both abstracts and presentations at a later stage) are accepted in Azerbaijani, English and Russian. The length of abstract: minimum 500 words with three key words.

Important dates and deadlines

Deadline for the submission of abstracts: February 28, 2019

Successful applicants notified: March 14, 2019

Deadline for the submission of executive summaries: May14, 2019

Deadline for the conference registration: June 4, 2019

Date of Pre-Conference Workshop: June 18, 2019

Date of Conference: June 19-20, 2019

Submission

Please submit your abstract (by email only), using the abstract submission form by February 28, 2019 to ADA School of Education at sel@ada.edu.az. Please include “Abstract for ADA Education 2019 conference – Your Name” in the subject line of the e-mail.

Abstracts should include the following details: title of paper, full name(s), affiliation, current position, an email address, and at least 3 keywords that best describe the subject of your submission. Abstract submission must follow all general guidelines put forward by ADA University.

Registration for the conference and fees

Submission of your paper or proposal does NOT automatically register you for the conference itself. Everyone planning to attend the conference must complete the registration process. Online registration for the ADA 4^th International Education conference 2019 will be available in mid-April 2019 at ADA University Conference webpage.

The registration fee is 45 AZN.

*Included in the registration fee: admission to all sessions, plenaries, daily refreshment breaks, conference booklet etc.

Payment should be made via bank transfer or online at https://online.ada.edu.az/payment/  which will be activated in mid-April 2019 at ADA University Conference webpage.

ADA University bank accounts information can be found at https://www.ada.edu.az/frq-content/plugins/policies_x1/entry/20190124110820_44110000.pdf

Limited travel grants, mainly covering airfare expenses, are available for international and regional researchers. These grants are contingent upon the successful review process by the Conference Organizational Committee.

Communication

Questions can be directed to ADA University School of Education at sel@ada.edu.az or 4373235 (ext.189 or ext. 417)