3.19 JUF News.Indd 50 2/21/19 3:11 PM
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ISRAEL teroids’ potential for striking Earth. In classrooms and out, Israel and Azerbaijan One of his current students, seventh grader Eden Yousef, has roots in Baku: 50 It’s her father’s hometown, and her are ‘seeing each other as friends’ grandparents still live there. had purchased $4 billion in Israeli de- The Azeri educators’ visit “is great, fense equipment and sought to improve because—I don’t want to boast, but Isra- the technical proficiency of those who’d el is very technologically advanced and be using it. teaches in innovative ways,” she said. Lenk said he quickly settled on a “I’m proud that the group from Azerbai- partner: ORT Israel, a network of 200 jan is here and interested in advancing.” junior high and high schools known for science and technology education, which also writes curricula used in Such collaboration is other Israeli school systems. ORT’s in- particularly important novative pedagogy includes multidisci- plinary collaboration among teachers, for Israel, given that student-driven projects, even down- time for pupils to explore intellectually, Azerbaijan is a secular as in the classroom housing the Lego Muslim-majority country robotics table and chess boards. “We are trying to transform our edu- bordering Iran. Photo credit: Hillel Kuttler cation. We want to be on the same level Seventh grader Eden Yousef (left) and her classmates leading a presentation on Azerbaijan’s as other educational systems,” Emin That, it is. The ORT schools’ em- culture for educators from that country visiting Israel, including Emin Amrullayev (third from left). Amrullayev, an official in Azerbaijan’s phasis on robotics in classes and in education ministry, said after visiting students’ free time appealed to Sevinj By HILLEL KUTTLER a school in the northern town of Kiryat Orujova, a Baku principal. Back home, examine the education system in greater Tivon on the delegation’s first full day she said, students generally don’t enter depth, with reciprocal visits by Israeli in Israel. national, project-based competitions in A 5-INCH BY 5-INCH RECTANGLE experts. The trips aim to implement “If we don’t bring [transformation] to science and engineering that many Is- constructed from Lego pieces, a motor, changes in Azerbaijan’s curricula when school now, the children in 20 years will raelis do. and sensors whirred across a tabletop the next school term starts in September. face serious challenges. What we’ve seen The Israeli approach is “something and returned, its motions impressing a Arthur Lenk, who served from 2005 so far [in Israel] is a very brilliant example special,” she said. “It develops their IQs, dozen first-time visitors to an Israeli ju- to 2009 as Israel’s ambassador to Azer- of project-based learning, especially that but not only their IQs.” nior high school in mid-January. baijan, called the education ties “a feel- kids from different grades can collabo- By next September, some of Azerbai- Between the table used for robotics good story” of the Jewish state’s efforts rate,” Amrullayev said. He mentioned jan’s schools will have begun integrat- and an adjacent one featuring three si- in “building the next generation of Az- also being impressed by the teaching of ing robotics, with the curricula written multaneous student chess games, the eri kids” who’ll launch an innovation- artificial intelligence and robotics. by Israeli educators. Further collabo- setting in the Haifa suburb of Kiryat driven economy. At the Kiryat Bialik school, a young ration in science education, including Bialik could have been mistaken for a Such collaboration is particularly im- teacher told the visitors that his prin- aerodynamics, has been proposed. playroom. Instead, it’s a key resource portant for Israel, given that Azerbaijan cipal asked what subject he’s passion- Said Lenk: “There’s a benefit in shar- in developing young minds—and the is a secular Muslim-majority country ate about beyond the English language, ing core skills and seeing each other visitors, educators from Azerbaijan, bordering Iran. Since the establishment which he was hired to instruct. Astron- as friends.” n saw it as a potential model to imple- of diplomatic relations in 1992, bilat- omy, he’d responded—and promptly was ment back home. eral trade has centered on defense and assigned to teach that, too. Last year, his Hillel Kuttler is a freelance writer liv- The Azeri group of 10 high school energy; one-third of Israel’s gasoline is students collaborated on projects mea- ing in Israel. You can reach him at hk@ principals and two education ministry purchased from Azerbaijan. suring light pollution and evaluating as- hillelthescribecommunications.com. officials had come for a weeklong look Several members of the Azeri del- at a system that’s helped to spur Israel’s egation refrained from discussing geo- famed start-up economy. politics and strategic alliances with an Azerbaijan—a mountainous former inquiring journalist, preferring educa- Intel to invest $10B on new Israeli headquarters Soviet republic of 10 million people tion-centric topics. Intel announced a $10-billion investment in a new plant in the city of Kiryat Gat, along the Caspian Sea—is intent on im- The visit’s roots were planted at a Israel (part of JUF’s Partnership Together region) that is expected to create some proving its capabilities in science, inno- late-2017 meeting in Azerbaijan’s capi- 1,000 jobs over the next few years. Intel Vice President Daniel Benatar and Intel vation, and creativity, and sees Israel as tal of Baku between Lenk, then a con- Israel CEO Yaniv Garty informed Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Economic a beacon. January’s delegation will be sultant retired from the foreign min- Minister Eli Cohen that the company’s management chose Israel over Ireland or followed by 50 Azeri high school teach- istry, and his host, education minister Singapore. Israel will contribute about $1 billion, or 10 percent of the cost, over the ers spending most of March in Israel, to Mikayil Jabbarov. By then, Azerbaijan next 15 years. ~Gad Lior, YNet 50 March 2019, JUF News 3.19 JUF News.indd 50 2/21/19 3:11 PM.