Azerbaijan

Last update: April, 2025

The Republic of Azerbaijan employs a multi-level and diverse arts and cultural education and training system designed to train professionals and introduce cultural values to virtually all pupils and students. The system offers three-level special training, encompassing out-of-school arts and cultural education, vocational and professional training, and higher arts education. At the same time, compulsory secondary education includes curricula related to arts and culture. This approach is justified by society's need for professional cultural and artistic figures and a prepared audience capable of appreciating national and world cultural and artistic masterpieces and, more broadly, a culturally educated young generation.

The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Science and Education are the central government bodies responsible for arts and cultural education and training in the Republic of Azerbaijan; all public arts and cultural education and training institutions are divided between these two ministries. Such a division requires serious coordination of efforts between these government bodies to fulfil the social order in cultural and arts education.

Thus, the Ministry of Culture implements the state cultural policy for the out-of-school arts and cultural education sphere and supervises children's music, art, painting, mugham, and ashig schools and centres, which offer primary and secondary out-of-school education to children, adolescents, and young people. In addition, the Baku Choreography Academy is also part of the Ministry of Culture's system and offers general, secondary specialised, and higher education programs in choreography.

The Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the central executive body responsible for developing and implementing the state education policy, ensuring state control over education and its quality. The Ministry of Science and Education oversees arts and cultural education in secondary schools by implementing curricula in music, fine arts, literature, and life knowledge. Vocational and professional education in culture and the arts at secondary specialised educational institutions (colleges) are also under the oversight of the Ministry of Science and Education. Along with this, the Ministry of Science and Education supervises most higher arts and cultural education institutions, as well as higher education institutions that offer partial teaching of individual cultural specialisations.

Concerning the last structural reforms in the sphere of education, it is necessary to mention that according to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan On some measures to improve the management in the field of science and education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (No.1769 of July 28, 2022), the Ministry of Education was renamed to Ministry of Science and Education, to strengthen the science and education interaction and to improve management in these fields, and the State Agency for Science and Higher Education and the State Agency for Preschool and General Education were established under the Ministry of Science and Education.

The Children's Art Festival (https://uif.az/), jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Science and Education, and the Heydar Aliyev Centre, is a notable initiative that showcases emerging talents, nurtures children's creative potential, and creates broader opportunities in the arts. The biennial festival has attracted significant interest since its inaugural edition in 2023, during which up to 27,000 children applied. From these applications, 408 winners were selected and recognised at the festival, which featured 22 nominations (18 individual and four collective) across three age groups: 6-9 years, 10-13 years, and 14-17 years.

Last update: April, 2025

To describe artistic education in schools, we must consider general education schools where specific hours a week are devoted to cultural education and specialised schools in which some areas of the arts are the priority. The field is regulated by the Law on Education (No.833-IIIQ of June 19, 2009), the Law on General Education (No.1532-VQ of March 29, 2019), the new edition of State standards of general education in the Republic of Azerbaijan (No.361 of September 29, 2020) and the new Model Charter of a General Educational Institution Established by the State and Municipality (No.300 of June 13, 2024). The management of the educational process in secondary schools is carried out by the State Agency for Preschool and General Education under the Ministry of Science and Education.

Four curricula prepared by the Institute of Education under the Ministry of Science and Education are devoted to culture and the arts at the national level:

• Educational Program (Curriculum) on Music for I-IX Grades of Secondary Schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
• Educational Program (Curriculum) on Fine Arts for I-IX Grades of Secondary Schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
• Educational Program (Curriculum) on Literature for V-XI Grades of Secondary Schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
• Educational Program (Curriculum) on Life Knowledge for III, IV, VIII and IX Grades of Secondary Schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Listed educational programs teach these disciplines to pupils of relevant secondary school grades in the volume of weekly lessons, each of a standard duration of 45 minutes. The primary purpose of systematically teaching these educational programs in secondary schools is to provide aesthetic education and training for pupils based on the best examples of national and world music, fine arts, and literature and to instil communication, behavioural, and cultural values within life knowledge. Education at state schools is free and compulsory for children between the ages of six and fifteen – they are entitled to nine years of mandatory general education. The general education system in the Republic of Azerbaijan consists of Primary education (grades 1–4, ages 6–9), Basic education (grades 5–9, ages 10-14) and Secondary education (grades 10–11, ages 15-16).

Specialised schools, such as the Secondary Music School named after Bulbul, the Secondary Specialised Music School-Studio of the Baku Music Academy named after U. Hajibeyli, and the Art Gymnasium under the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, form a symbiosis of general secondary education and an 11-year music school. The middle level of the Baku Choreographic Academy, under the Ministry of Culture, offers general secondary and general choreographic education.

Last update: April, 2025

Higher arts and cultural education are regulated by the Law on Education (No.833-IIIQ of June 19, 2009), which introduced a three-cycle higher education system per the Bologna process, and the State Standard and Program of Higher Education (No.75 of April 23, 2010). The draft law On Higher Education has been included in the legislative work plan of the Science and Education Committee of the Milli Majlis (the Parliament).

The State Agency for Science and Higher Education, under the Ministry of Science and Education, supervises most higher arts and cultural education institutions, as well as higher education institutions that offer partial teaching of individual specialisations in culture.

The Baku Academy of Music, named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, provides higher education in Instrumental Performance, Solo Singing, Conducting, Composing and Musicology.

The State University of Culture and Arts offers higher education courses in relevant specialities, such as Theatre Arts, Audio-Visual Arts, Painting, Music Arts, and Culturology.

The Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts offers higher education courses in Fine arts, Art studies, Architecture and design, and Decorative and applied arts. Students are allocated individual workshops to complete their diploma work.

The Azerbaijan National Conservatory offers higher education in Mugham (singing), Ethnomusicology, Piano, Folk Instruments, Instrumental Mugham, Popular Music and Jazz, National Vocal, Conducting, Humanities, and History and Theory of Music.

The Baku Choreography Academy offers higher education in Choreography (classical dance, ballet mastery, national dance, modern dance, ballet pedagogy, and dance teaching) and Instrumental performance (garmon, drum).

Among other state higher education institutions with partial teaching of individual specialisations in culture, such can be listed:

• Azerbaijan Architecture and Construction University (provides higher education in Architecture, Design and Urban Planning);
• Baku State University (Library and information activities, Museum, archival work and preservation of monuments);
• Azerbaijan State University of Economics/UNEC (Design);
• Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University (Music teaching, Fine arts teaching);
• Azerbaijan University of Tourism and Management (Ethnography and ethnology, Culturology and its general issues);
• Karabakh University (İnstrumental performance, Music teaching, Vocals, Design);
• Nakhchivan State University (Architecture);
• Nakhchivan Teachers' Institute (Library and information, Fine arts teaching, Music teaching).

Private higher education institutions with partial teaching of some specialisations in culture are Western Caspian University (Design, Architecture), Azerbaijan University (Museum, archive work and monument protection), "Odlar Yurdu" University (Design: interior, graphic, fashion designer).

Last update: April, 2025

Out-of-school arts and cultural education is delivered through children's music, art, painting, mugham, and ashing schools and centres under the Ministry of Culture. Schools provide primary and secondary education to children, adolescents and young people in the fields of music, painting and choreography; form their aesthetic taste based on the best examples of Azerbaijani folk, classical and world culture and art; create conditions for the discovery of the abilities of children, adolescents and young people and the development of their talents; are in constant contact with other educational institutions to strengthen the moral, artistic and aesthetic education of the growing generation; prepare the most talented and capable students for admission to secondary specialised and higher educational institutions in relevant specialities to continue their education. The school's education duration is 4, 5, 7 and 11 years.

Music is taught in children's music schools, painting is taught in painting schools, and music, painting, and choreography are taught in art schools. The following departments function in schools accordingly:

• On music: piano (piano-jazz, synthesiser), stringed instruments, wind and percussion instruments, folk instruments, khanende (mugham singing), vocals, pop singing, choir, as well as theory, composition and jazz-improvisation as a speciality class in 11 years of education, choir conducting, et cetera;
• On painting: painting department;
• On choreography: choreography department.

The schools have a theory department for solfeggio and music literature. This department may include music literacy and music listening, choir, harmony and other related subjects.

Music and art schools are state-funded. However, besides the state plan, the school can provide paid education in various specialities. According to data for the 2024-2025 academic year, 52,070 students are studying in 237 children's music, art, painting, mugham, and ashig schools and centres of the Ministry of Culture system, of which 50,020 (96.06%) are studying at state expense and 2,050 (3.94%) on a fee-paying basis.

The Ministry of Culture is launching the Electronic System of Art Schools ("IMES"), a digital management platform for children's music, art, painting, mugham, and ashig schools and centres. The platform will contain a database of teachers, pupils, the material and technical base, administrative staff, an automated system of courses, schedules, certificates, and journals, as well as analytical reports and analyses.

Content-related reform measures in out-of-school arts and cultural education implemented currently by the Ministry of Culture cover:

• Updating of the "The Model Regulations of Children's Schools of Music, Art and Painting ";
• Preparation of a new curriculum concept and development of new curricula for specialities;
• Development of a new training module and new-generation textbooks;
• Elaborating a school development program and establishment of a teacher development mechanism;
• Developing a scientific research system, among other initiatives.

According to the Ministry of Culture's "e-Culture" Digital Development Strategy, the admission process for students to schools for the 2024/2025 academic year was conducted online for the first time. Applications for admission to schools were registered through the MyCulture single personal cabinet, using the “Electronic Admission of Students” information system, and entrance exams were conducted in a centralised manner.

Also, a test stage of the competitions for recruiting directors, deputy directors and teachers to schools was held jointly with the State Examination Centre. The registration of candidates who earned the passing score and gained the right to participate in the interview stage was carried out through the “Teacher Recruitment” information system of “MyCulture.

Last update: April, 2025

Vocational and professional training are regulated by the Law on Education (No.833-IIIQ of June 19, 2009), which introduced the concept of sub-bachelor - a professional degree awarded to graduates of higher technical vocational education and secondary specialised education, and by the Law on Vocational Education (No.1071-VQ of April 24, 2018), which defines the principles of state policy in the field of vocational education, the organisational, legal and economic foundations of the vocational education and training system to increase the efficiency of vocational training in the Republic of Azerbaijan and prepare competitive qualified personnel.

The State Agency for Vocational Education, under the Ministry of Science and Education, was established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (No.869 of April 20, 2016) to enhance the efficiency of vocational training and ensure the preparation of competitive, qualified personnel. The Agency is an executive body that provides and coordinates the implementation of state policy in vocational education and organises the activities of vocational education institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijan National Conservatory has two vocational institutions:

• The College of Music under the Azerbaijan National Conservatory provides vocational education in Instrumental performance and Vocal art.
• The Sumgayit Music College, under the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, offers specialist training in sub-bachelor's degree programs in Instrumental Performance, Vocal Art, Popular Music, and Jazz Performance.

The College of Arts, under the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts, offers vocational training in the Decorative and Applied Arts (including artistic ceramics, carpets, and weaving), Painting, Graphic Design, Sculpture, Theatre Decorative Arts, and Design (encompassing graphics, clothing, and interior design).

The Humanitarian College, under the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Art, trains vocational specialists in Music teaching, Fine arts teaching, Library and information provision, Museum work and preservation of monuments, Instrumental performance (piano, violin), Artistic and creative work, and other related fields.

The College of Arts under the Baku Choreographic Academy offers vocational education in Choreography, Instrumental Performance, Folk instrument playing, Dance, and music teaching.

Agdam Music College trains vocational specialists in Instrumental performance, Mugham (Khanende) singing, Vocal art, Ashig art, and the Performance of folk instruments.

Nakhchivan Music College trains vocational specialists in Music teaching, Library and information provision, Instrumental performance, Garmon, Khanende (Mugham singing), Vocal art, Choir conducting, Music theory, Choreography, Folk musical instrument performance, and Ashiq art.

Among other vocational and professional training institutions with partial teaching of individual specialisations in culture, such can be listed:

• Construction College under the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (trains specialists in Fine arts teaching and Design);
• Agjabadi Pedagogical College (Music teaching, Fine arts teaching);
• Agdash State Humanitarian College (Fine arts teaching);
• Astara Pedagogical College (Fine arts teaching, Instrumental performance, Music theory, Folk instrument performance);
• College of Economics and Humanities under Baku State University (Library and information support; Archival work and chancery work);
• Social and Agrarian-Technological College under Lankaran State University (Fine arts teaching, Instrumental performance, Khanende (Mugham singing), Choir conducting, Music theory, Folk instrument performance, Archival work and chancery work, Museum work and preservation of monuments);
• Mingachevir Tourism College (Museum work and preservation of monuments);
• Sabirabad State Socio-Economic College (Library Information Provision);
• Shusha Humanitarian College (Fine arts teaching, Library and information provision, Instrumental performance, Khanende (Mugham singing), Music theory, Folk instrument performance, and Choir conducting).