Azerbaijani and U.S. Models of Multiculturalism Discussed in Baku

Baku International Multiculturalism Centre, in a joint effort with Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL) organized a roundtable discussion titled “Azerbaijan and U.S. Multicultural Models: Comparative Analysis” in the AUL-based Information Resource Complex (IRC), on December 23rd.

Opening the event, Shahla Khudiyeva, IRC Director spoke about the history of the Complex, its objectives, structure and activities. Khudiyeva noted that the Complex arranged a series of events to facilitate the advancement of multicultural and cross-cultural awareness and communication in 2016, which was declared as the year of multiculturalism in Azerbaijan. She said that IRC maintains a rich set of information relevant to multiculturalism, which remains a useful source when studying language, culture, history or issues of different cultures.

Professor Azad Mammadov, Director of the Baku International Centre for Multiculturalism underlined that ALU made significants contribution to further developing traditions of multiculturalism in Azerbaijan and abroad. Professor Mammadov said that two of ALU faculty members teach the Azerbaijani model of tolerance and multiculturalism at the Portuguese and Indonesian universities. 

Professor Aladdin Aliyev, AUL Pro-rector for Educational Affairs, said that Azerbaijan attaches importance to the development of multiculturalism. Highly appreciating the organization of the event, Professor Aliyev noted that the university administration, faculty and staff are actively engaged in promoting multicultural values.

Melda Yildiz, the United States Government funded Fulbright Program Scholar and Lecturer at Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, delivered a presentation on the multicultural aspects of education in the United States. Yildiz exchanged her views about the evolution of American multicultural diversity and reflected on multiple cultural traditions in the United States. 

The roundtable participants also discussed the issues of intercultural dialogue, literary and philosophical sources of Azerbaijani multiculturalism, practicalities of multicultural policies. 

The event was followed with the Q&A session.