The Ministry of Communications and High Technologies, together with ADA University, held an event dedicated to 17 May - World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
The purpose of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. Every year, this date is celebrated across the world with a different theme. This year, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is held under the theme of "ICT entrepreneurship for social impact".
The event started with an introductory speech made by Deputy Minister of Communications and High Technologies Elmir Velizadeh. He spoke about the importance of this date, role of ICTs in society, their impact on the economic and social development. In his speech, Elmir Velizadeh noted the considerable attention that is being given to this area by country's leadership.
Then, the participants of the event were shown a video massage of the Secretary-General of ITU Houlin Zhao. The event continued with a panel discussion on the topic "ICT entrepreneurship for social impact". The participants of the panel discussion discussed prospects for the development of ICT entrepreneurship, including conditions created by the state for this purpose, process of formation and development of technology parks.
Also, during the panel discussion, startups and panel representatives emphasized the importance of expanding the startup movement in the country and promoting innovative ideas. They noted the role of scientific and educational institutions in achieving these goals. The participants of the panel discussion stressed the importance of training of highly qualified IT personnel in the country. They also shared their experiences in this field and received answers to their questions.
Then, a ceremony of awarding the winners of the Republican Olympiad on informatics among university students was held. The Olympiad dedicated to 17 May - World Telecommunication and Information Society Day has been held for ten years in Azerbaijan. The competition is jointly organized the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies, Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Ministry of Education and the Institute of Information Technologies of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.
The Olympiad is held with the aim of raising the level of knowledge of students of higher educational institutions in the field of computer science and programming, increasing their interest in this area, as well as encouraging their participation in international Olympiads.
Unlike previous years, this year’s competition was attended by a large number of participants. Along with the students of Baku universities, this year, many students from universities of Nakhchivan, Ganja, Mingachevir, Sumgayit took part in the competition. A total of 55 teams from 22 educational institutions took part in the competition.
The Olympiad was held in two stages. 13 teams from 13 higher education institutions, which showed the best results, were admitted to the final stage of the competition. According to the decision of the competition jury, the team of Qafqaz University took the 1st place and the team of Baku Higher Oil School took the 2nd place in the competition.
The 3rd place was given to the teams of Baku State University, Azerbaijan State University of Oil and Industry and Azerbaijan Technical University, which got the equal number of scores. The 4th place was given to the teams of National Aviation Academy and ADA University. Azerbaijan State Agrarian University showed the best results among the teams from regions.
The winners of the Olympiad received valuable gifts from Azerfon and Caspian Telecom companies and honorary diplomas and certificates from the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Education Firudin Gurbanov noted that such competitions allow students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge and contribute to the training of highly skilled personnel in the country. Also, during the ceremony, Qafqaz University was awarded an honorary diploma for the support it has provided to the organizers of the Olympiad during these years.
