In recent years, significant progress has been made in applying new approaches and methodologies in the training of highly qualified personnel, expanding the autonomy of higher education institutions, improving student admission rules, creating a competitive scholarship system, establishing quality assurance centers in universities, and increasing the effectiveness of career centers. A number of projects have been implemented in this direction at Sumgayit State University. The twinning project includes regular meetings with European and local experts. Representatives of organizations interested in the process of self-analysis were involved in the seminars, trainings held within the framework of the Twinning project at the University, their opinions and suggestions were discussed. At the same time, our university"s participation in EU-funded programs has become a tradition. In order to exchange experience with the world"s leading universities, our university has become a member of various inter-university associations. Many achievements have also been made in international projects and programs.

It should be noted that within the framework of the EU-funded Twinning project "Support to Strengthening Higher Education in Azerbaijan" from November 2019 to January 2020 in 8 universities (BSU, SSU, ASUOI, AzTU, ASPU, BEU, Khazar University and Azerbaijan University of Languages) a total of 23 simulation accreditations were carried out on 6 pilot educational programs taught at the bachelor"s level.

The educational programs involved in simulation accreditation at Sumgayit State University are as follows:

- Educational program of undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering

- Educational program of undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering

- Educational program of undergraduate degree program in Mathematics and Informatics teaching

- Educational program of undergraduate degree in Physics

- Educational program of undergraduate degree program in Foreign language teaching

The purpose of the simulation accreditations was to test the methodology for accreditation of educational programs jointly developed by experts from France, Lithuania and Latvia and partners of the Twinning project, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Agency for Quality Assurance in Education. This methodology will provide a basis for continuous accreditation at the level of educational programs in Azerbaijan in the future.

Elizaveta Bydanova, resident consultant for Twinning, an EU-funded Twinning project, recently sent a letter to Sumgait State University. The letter says that we attached to this letter self-analysis reports prepared by the relevant departments of your university by a commission of evaluators consisting of European and local experts, as well as final evaluation reports of the above-mentioned educational programs based on your visits to the university. Considering that this accreditation is aimed at testing the new methodology, no decision will be made on accreditation in relation to pilot assessments carried out by the Education Quality Assurance Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan or the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. We hope that the results of these accreditations will further improve educational programs, which are evaluated in terms of employment opportunities for graduates, recognition of their diplomas abroad, academic mobility of students and closer ties with the labor market and society. In addition, to familiarize yourself with TKTA (www.tkta.edu.az), as well as with useful training materials developed as part of the Twinning project, you can visit the project website - www.twinning4he.edu.az.

The two-year Twinning project will be completed on July 10, 2020. We hope that you will have a good impression of working with project experts and that the work done will contribute to the development of your university in the future.

It should be noted that experts highly appreciated the indicators of Sumgayit State University in the areas of strategic management, curricula, research, human resources, work with students, educational resources and student support.