2nd Annual Education Forum: Vision Statement The 2nd Annual Education Forum is a joint initiative on the part

of the U.S.-Azerbaijani Alumni Association (AAA), the Baku American Center (AC), and the Center for Innovations in Education (CIE) to provide an open forum for the discussion of important educational issues and to connect researchers with policy makers. History The idea was initiated by AAA and builds upon the original forum held last summer. This year, however, the focus has been changed from providing a platform for returning U.S. educated alumni to share their experiences abroad, to an open call for proposals for solid academic educational research. The 2nd Annual Education Forum, as an individual conference, hopes to bring together a diverse group of educational stakeholders and provide a forum for open discussion based on high quality research and ideas. The Forum will be one of the first events that is specifically education-focused, based upon an open call for proposals, and subject to a quality-assurance process. These three factors allow for the widest possible participation of researchers while making sure the Forum is based on the discussion of quality research that is relevant to the high-level policy makers invited. The vision for the 2nd Annual Education Forum and for the regular continuation of the Forum is to contribute to creating a research and evidence-based education policy through: - Raising the quality of educational research in Azerbaijan; - Bringing together all education stakeholders, including civil society, academics, policy makers, and students in an open and participatory discussion; - Connecting these stakeholders to the Ministry of Education; - Providing a platform through which research can influence policy and; - Providing opportunities for the Ministry to cooperate with researchers on high priority issues on the policy agenda of the Ministry. In order for this vision to be achieved, the Education Policy Forum idea must be made a regular part of the education landscape in Azerbaijan. The desires of any researcher are to achieve personal recognition and career advancement within academia (or within a another sphere) and to have his/her research influence policy. Regular (2-4 times per year) Policy Forums that are well attended by the Ministry of Education and other policy makers can provide important incentives in both of these areas leading, in the long-run, to a higher number of quality research, specialists who are interested in committing to research as part of, or in addition to their full-time jobs, and a platform that enables many forms of collaboration between the Ministry and independent researchers. We foresee a future where the Ministry is interested in quality research and where there exists an adequate supply to meet this demand. A system of regular Education Policy Forums organized by different stakeholders (such as universities and civil society organizations), supported financially (through a tender process) by the Ministry of Education (possibly in cooperation with other donors), and where research is vetted through a stringent quality-control process can play an important part in creating the necessary incentives for this future.