Academic Council

The Academic Council of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts operates in accordance with the following legislation and regulatory documents: the Regulation on the Academic Council of a Higher Education Institution, approved by Order No. 1 of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 10 October 1997; Presidential Decree No. 349 of 13 June 2000, “On the Improvement of the Education System in the Republic of Azerbaijan”; the Regulation on State Higher Education Institutions Operating on the Basis of the Principle of Self-Governance, approved by Resolution No. 191 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 4 December 2001; the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Education”; the Model Charter of a Higher Education Institution, approved by Resolution No. 9 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 21 January 2011; and other legislative acts.

Under Resolution No. 301 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 12 August 2022, the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts was reorganized as a public legal entity. The University’s Charter was approved as an annex to the Resolution. ASUCA is a public legal entity engaged in activities of public significance. In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Education”, it delivers higher education programs at the relevant levels, as well as secondary specialized and continuing education programs. Under the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Science”, the University also conducts fundamental, creative and performance-based, theoretical and methodological, pedagogical and methodological, and scientific research activities. The Rector of ASUCA chairs the Academic Council.

The Academic Council is scheduled to meet once a month. Extraordinary meetings are convened whenever necessary.

The Academic Council comprises the Rector of ASUCA (Chair), the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (Deputy Chair), the Vice-Rectors, the Academic Secretary, Deans, the Rector’s Adviser for Innovation in Education, the Head of the Quality Assurance and Strategic Planning Department, the Director of the University’s affiliated college, the Chair of the Trade Union Committee, the Chair of the Student Scientific and Creative Society, and the Chair of the Student Trade Union Committee.

The total number of elected members of the Academic Council is distributed proportionally among the University’s faculties, taking into account the number of academic staff and students in each faculty. In addition, up to 10% of the total membership may be appointed by the Rector from among the University’s academic community and prominent figures in science, culture and the arts.

Candidates for membership of the Academic Council are elected by secret ballot at a general meeting of the academic and research staff of each faculty. A meeting is deemed quorate if at least two-thirds of the faculty’s total academic and research staff are present. Candidates who receive more than 50% of the votes cast for the seats allocated to the faculty are considered elected to the Academic Council.

Elected members of the Academic Council from among the academic and research staff are chosen by secret ballot at a general meeting of the academic staff of each faculty. The meeting is chaired by the head of the relevant structural unit. Student representatives are elected by secret ballot at a general meeting of representatives of the faculty’s Student Trade Union Organization. The meeting is chaired by the head of the faculty’s Student Trade Union Organization.

If an elected member leaves the Academic Council, whether voluntarily (by resigning from the Council or leaving their employment) or due to death, or is removed from membership (for missing three consecutive meetings without a valid reason or for a serious breach of the Council’s rules of procedure or disciplinary regulations), the vacant seat may be filled by a representative of the relevant faculty through an early election held in accordance with the established procedure. In cases involving a serious breach of the rules of procedure or disciplinary regulations, the matter is referred to the Disciplinary Commission for consideration, and a decision is made on the basis of its recommendation.

Responsibilities of the Academic Council

The Academic Council of ASUCA:

• Discusses and approves the rules of procedure governing the organization of the Academic Council’s work;
• Establishes committees for education and science, socio-economic affairs, financial and economic activities, and disciplinary matters; hears their reports and adopts relevant decisions;
• Adopts the University’s Charter and submits proposals for amendments and additions to it;
• Reviews the University’s Strategic Development Program, makes recommendations and adopts relevant decisions;
• Considers matters relating to the University’s activities in the fields of education, cultural and educational work, publishing, finance and economics, administration and facilities, research and production, and social affairs, and adopts relevant decisions;
• Considers matters relating to the University’s international activities and external relations and adopts relevant decisions;
• Approves the University’s internal rules and regulations;
• Approves regulations, instructions, disciplinary rules and codes of ethical conduct for students and staff, as well as other documents of a regulatory nature governing the University’s activities;
• Considers matters relating to the University’s organizational structure, including amendments and additions, and the establishment, dissolution and reorganisation of faculties, departments and other structural units, makes proposals and adopts relevant decisions;
• Hears the Rector’s annual report on the University’s activities;
• Considers matters relating to the training, professional development and retraining of academic and research staff, and adopts decisions on teaching, educational and research activities;
• Discusses and approves the topics and work plans of Doctor of Sciences dissertations;
• Considers matters relating to specialist training in the faculties, the research activities of departments and their material and technical resources, and adopts relevant decisions;
• Hears reports from faculties on their teaching, creative and performance-based, research and educational activities;
• Approves the internal disciplinary rules applicable to the ASUCA community, including students, academic staff, employees, doctoral students and trainees;
• Approves regulations, work plans and other regulatory documents;
• Determines the organizational structure of ASUCA and makes amendments and additions to it;
• Determines the University’s student admission plan;
• Approves ASUCA’s annual budget;
• Approves uniform procedures for conducting recruitment competitions and concluding employment contracts for academic positions in faculties and departments;
• Considers staffing matters and, upon the recommendation of the academic councils of the University’s structural units (faculties, departments, etc.), conducts competitions for candidates applying for professorial positions and considers their early dismissal from such positions;
• Addresses matters relating to the training of specialists and academic and research staff, as well as all teaching, educational, research, creative and performance-based activities;
• Decides on the establishment, dissolution and reorganization of faculties, departments and other structural units of ASUCA;
• Periodically hears reports from faculties on their teaching, research and educational activities;
• Submits applications to the Higher Attestation Commission for the award of the academic titles of Professor and Associate Professor to ASUCA employees;
• Nominates ASUCA employees for state honorary titles and awards of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
• Awards the titles of “Honorary Doctor of ASUCA” or “Honorary Professor of ASUCA” to distinguished scholars, statesmen, and prominent public and political figures recognised nationally and internationally;
• Awards ASUCA prizes for scientific research and teaching;
• Allocates positions for Professor-Consultants;
• Approves curricula;
• Approves the publication of textbooks, teaching and methodological materials, monographs and academic programs;
• Determines examination procedures and assessment criteria;
• Establishes procedures for awarding scholarships in accordance with the applicable regulations;
• Decides on the establishment of named scholarships.

The Academic Council also organizes the attestation of the University’s academic and research staff, guided by the Regulations on the Procedure for Awarding Academic Degrees and Academic Titles, the Regulations on Dissertation Councils, the Regulations on Expert Councils, and other relevant instructional documents approved by the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission under The President of The Republic of Azerbaijan.