UNEC Hosts the 4th International Eurasian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction
The opening ceremony of the 4th International Eurasian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction was held at UNEC.
Prior to the conference sessions, participants viewed an exhibition dedicated to modern educational technologies. The event was jointly organized by UNEC, the Institute of Control Systems of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Turkey’s TED, Ataturk, and Bahcheshehir universities.
Delivering the opening remarks, UNEC Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov, spoke about the essence of digitalization, noting: “Digitalization is not merely a technological change but a comprehensive restructuring of the education system. Implementing digital technologies without transforming an ineffective model only prolongs the life cycle of an inefficient system and creates serious risks.” The Rector emphasized that the role of the teacher is evolving in the digital era and that student-centered and flipped learning models have become fundamental priorities. “We must prepare educators in accordance with the renewed model. Today’s teacher must be able to effectively utilize digital resources. With this in mind, we have launched training programs focused on the application of modern methodologies. At the same time, UNEC has initiated the implementation of flipped education.”
Highlighting UNEC’s pioneering role, Professor Muradov stated that the university was the first institution in both Azerbaijan and the region to embark on comprehensive digitalization nearly ten years ago. He added that artificial intelligence is now being integrated into UNEC’s digital platform.
The Rector also spoke about the risks associated with implementing modern technologies without considering national and moral values: “New technologies do not account for national values and traditions. Culture is the only force capable of shaping values, and we must integrate culture into the education process. Morality and ethics must remain among the core objectives of education.”
Professor Muradov concluded by stressing that such international events provide significant opportunities for networking and collaboration and wished success to the conference participants.
The Director-General of the Institute of Control Systems of the Ministry of Science and Education, academician Ali Abbasov, addressed the event and provided information on the application of artificial intelligence in education, ongoing initiatives, and future strategic goals. He noted that artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an integral component of educational processes worldwide, and that Azerbaijan is demonstrating regional leadership in this domain.
Ali Abbasov also underscored that, for the first time, artificial intelligence will deliver a lecture at UNEC and respond to students’ questions in real time as part of a pilot project.
Dean of TED University (Turkiye) Kurshat Chaghiltay and Vice-Rector of Ataturk University, Professor Yuksel Goktash, spoke about the importance of the conference. They emphasized that the event aims to examine interactions between humans, computers, and technologies, and to explore ways of developing more efficient and functional systems that align with human needs. They noted that researchers and experts from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and various European universities will present discussions on existing challenges, solution pathways, international experience, and current scientific research. They expressed confidence that the outcomes of the conference will contribute to the scientific environment in Azerbaijan and Turkiye as well as to the international academic community.
During the conference, the establishment of UNEC’s first Laboratory for Learning Engineering was officially announced.
Following the opening ceremony, the conference continued with parallel session meetings.