About the Department
In order to optimize and improve management in internationalization activities at Baku State University (BSU), enhance effectiveness in the field of international cooperation, ensure the admission of foreign citizens to the University, promote their education, and organize instruction in line with international standards, the Dean’s Office for Work with Foreign Students was abolished by Order No. R-121 of the Rector of BSU dated October 20, 2019, and the Department for Work with Foreign Students was established on its basis.
The Department for Work with Foreign Students is an administrative structural unit that operates in the following areas: organizing the admission process of foreigners and stateless persons to the University; promoting and attracting them to education; legalizing their entry into the country (invitation letters, visas); ensuring accommodation; formalizing temporary residence in the country (registration); analyzing information related to foreign students and preparing reports; as well as identifying and addressing difficulties that arise during the education of foreign students.
In its activities, the Department is guided by the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Migration Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, international treaties to which the Republic of Azerbaijan is a party, the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Education,” the “Rules on Education of Citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Foreign Countries and of Foreigners and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Azerbaijan” approved by Resolution No. 125 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated May 1, 2015, relevant decisions, orders, and regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the University Charter, decisions of the Academic Council, orders of the Rector, and the University’s Strategic Development Plan.
The presence of foreign students, their quantitative and qualitative indicators, as well as the fields of activity and achievements of foreign graduates, are significant indicators of Baku State University’s international competitiveness, the strengthening of its position in national and international rankings, and the export-oriented nature of Azerbaijani education.
Main Objectives of the Department:
- Expanding BSU’s integration into the international education space;
- Improving conditions aimed at increasing the academic mobility of foreign students studying at BSU;
- Shaping the University’s image as a modern higher education institution in the international education arena;
- Creating a favorable social and psychological environment in the country for foreign students.
Main Functions of the Department:
- Establishing relations with local and international organizations, agencies, and diplomatic missions to increase the number of admitted foreign students;
- Ensuring participation in international education fairs;
- Cooperating with relevant structures of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
- Establishing and developing relations with foreign graduates.
Main Duties of the Department:
- Ensuring the resolution of issues related to organizing the education of foreign citizens at the University in accordance with agreements concluded with foreign universities, organizations, and individuals;
- Providing consultations and organizational support regarding admission to the University for foreign citizens, as well as to preparatory courses for learning Azerbaijani and Russian as foreign languages;
- Increasing awareness of the educational services provided by the University and creating conditions for attracting new foreign students;
- Supporting the adaptation of foreign students to the University and the country;
- Organizing information days for newly admitted foreign students and familiarizing them with the University’s services and internal regulations;
- Establishing and ensuring the operation of a foreign students’ club and an association of foreign graduates;
- Creating and regularly updating a unified database of foreign students;
- Organizing social, pedagogical, and psychological assistance for foreign students studying at the University;
- Ensuring the implementation of procedural matters related to foreign students’ stay in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan (passport, visa, and migration registration);
- Establishing and maintaining interaction with the University’s structural units, student organizations, and external institutions to resolve problems arising in the educational process of foreign students;
- Organizing the leisure time of foreign students effectively;
- Informing BSU’s management structures about the requests, suggestions, and complaints of foreign students and taking appropriate measures to address these issues.