History
The Caucasus Universities Association (CUA) was established on November 11, 2009, in Ardahan, following a protocol signed by the rectors of Ardahan, Artvin Çoruh, Atatürk, Kars Caucasus, Iğdır Universities from Turkey, and Akhaltsikhe (Ahiska) State University from Georgia, and Nakhchivan State University from Nakhchivan, upon the invitation of the Rectorate of Ardahan University.
The 1st Regular Congress of the Caucasus Universities Association took place at Ardahan University from May 8 to May 13, 2011, with contributions from the Yunus Emre Institute and the participation of the then President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Prof. Dr. Yusuf Ziya Özcan. This congress expanded the scope of the preliminary agreement protocol.
On November 14-15, 2011, a student symposium titled “Young Perspectives on the Caucasus” was organized under the auspices of Nakhchivan State University, a member of the Union. Seventy students from 29 universities in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nakhchivan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine presented papers addressing the geography of the Caucasus in terms of history, language, culture, literature, art, economics, and social structure. The second symposium was held at the Conference Hall of the Faculty of Economics and Geography of the University of Tabriz from September 15 to September 17, 2015, with participation from academics and postgraduate students from Turkey, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Cyprus.
The Mevlana Exchange Program Protocol was prepared by the Presidency of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) to operate both student and faculty exchange programs among the universities.
The 2nd Regular Congress of the Caucasus Universities Association, led and secretariat by Ardahan University, was held in Batumi, Georgia, on May 4-5, 2012, with the participation of the then President of YÖK, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Çetinsaya.
In 2013, Eskişehir, selected as the Turkish World Cultural Capital for the year by CUA, hosted the “CUA Turkology Department Heads Meeting.” Turkish scholars gathered in Eskişehir from May 6 to May 8, 2013, discussed assessments and suggestions related to Turkology. Various ideas about the Turkish language, culture, literature, problems in Turkology, and solutions were discussed, concluding with a declaration.
The 3rd Regular Congress of the Caucasus Universities Association (CUA) was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from May 20 to May 21, 2013. The congress, attended by member universities, statesmen, rectors, academics, and bureaucrats from numerous countries including Turkey, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, the United States (USA), and Cyprus, gained significant attention in the world media. The number of member universities in the association reached 62 with new members. The congress was also honored by the participation of Prof. Dr. Nabi Avcı, the Turkish Minister of National Education, Mikayıl Cabbarov, the Azerbaijani Minister of Education, and Prof. Dr. Gökhan Çetinsaya, the President of YÖK. The 3rd Congress was notable for several firsts, including the inaugural presentation of the “Science Award” by CUA. Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan of Akdeniz University’s Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was awarded the “2013 Science Award.”
The “International Conference on Endangered Languages” was held in Ardahan on October 14, 2014, under the presidency of Ardahan University, with collaboration from the Turkish Language Association, Harvard University, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Foundation For Endangered Languages, Rice University, Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University, and UNESCO. Forty scientists from around the world attended the conference, which focused on languages in the Caucasus,
Central Asia, and other continents that are under the threat of extinction. The conference discussed measures for thousands of languages, dialects, and accents that are at risk of disappearing in the next 100 years, setting a long-term roadmap and deciding on the establishment of a language institute.
Following the 3rd Regular Congress, the “Faces of the Caucasus” project was initiated, aimed at “making visible the history, culture, language, customs and traditions, and various values of people living in the same region and connecting these values with future generations through the living witnesses of history.” This project is another significant international endeavor by CUA that has gained attention.
Continuing its steady progress on the path to internationalization, the Caucasus Universities Association has been organizing CUA Education Fairs to promote Turkish universities and their educational quality globally. The first fair was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on May 3-4, 2014. Subsequent fairs were organized in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, on March 14-15, 2015, and again in Baku on April 11-12, 2015.
The 4th Regular Congress of the Caucasus Universities Association (CUA) was held on May 29, 2014, at the Bilkent Hotel in Ankara. The theme of the 4th Regular Congress organized in Ankara by CUA was “The Role of Energy in the Future of the Caucasus: Solidarity Among Regional Countries.”
The congress, organized with contributions from the Prime Ministry Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, Caspian Strategy Institute, Ankara Center for Political and Economic Research, was attended by Mr. Taner Yıldız, the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen, Secretary-General of the Turkish Presidency, Prof. Dr. Ramazan Korkmaz, President of CUA and Rector of Ardahan University, Anar Rızayev, President of the Azerbaijan Writers Union, and many other domestic and international statesmen, bureaucrats, university rectors, institute directors, and press representatives.
The 5th Regular Congress of CUA was held in Tabriz, one of Iran’s historical cities, focusing on “Accreditation Problems and Solution Proposals in Universities in the Caucasus Region.” Participants included Prof. Dr. Salar Amoli, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Technology of Iran, Güven Begeç, the Turkish Consul General in Tabriz, Prof. Dr. M. İ. Safa Kapıcıoğlu, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Dr. Rahim Shohratfar, Deputy Governor of East Azerbaijan, Prof. Dr. Ramazan Korkmaz, Rector of Ardahan University and President of CUA, Prof. Dr. Muhammedreza Pour Muhammedi, Rector of Tabriz State University, Prof. Dr. Hamlet İsaxanlı, Rector of Khazar University, Prof. Dr. Roin Kavrelishvili, CUA Representative of Georgia, Prof. Dr. Ghadir Golkarian, CUA Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, university rectors, representatives, and numerous press members.
