Addressing the Divide in Education through Research, Practice, and Policy

Kayhan Karlı has worked as an educator and education manager for more than twenty years and has given speeches and organized trainings in many provinces of Turkey on leadership and the development of leaders. He graduated from Harvard University, Kennedy School Executive Education "Art and Practice of Leadership Development" program. He is an educator. As the founder of YÖM Yenilikçi Ögrenme Okullari, he driven by a vision of creating a learning culture that empowers students, teachers, and parents to discover their potential and pursue their passions. With over 35 years of experience in education, he has developed and implemented innovative curricula, teaching materials, and educational technology solutions that enhance learning outcomes and engagement across different contexts and levels. Kayhan Karli also share expertise and insights as a learning companion, a teacher trainer, and an educator with various audiences and platforms, including universities, conferences, publications, and online communities. He is passionate about learning from and collaborating with other educators, researchers, and practitioners who are committed to transforming education for the future. He is mission is to inspire and support learners of all ages and backgrounds to become active, creative, and lifelong learners.

Ilham Akhundov is an internationally published researcher focusing on asymptotic methods in probability theory and mathematical statistics, with applications in extreme value theory and queueing theory. He is currently working on a project about the regressional characterizations of distributions, associated with order statistics and records. Prior to becoming the director of the Mathematics Business and Accounting Program at UWaterloo he was the Deputy Director of the University of Waterloo’s United Arab Emirates campus working diligently building an admirable profile for the university. Ilham has his PhD in Mathematics with specialization in probability theory and mathematical statistics from St. Petersburg University (1988) and his MSc in Mathematics, St. Petersburg (Leningrad) University (1981). He was a faculty member in the Mathematics and Statistics Department at McMaster University (2000-2008). Prior to this position, Akhundov was Fulbright scholar in the Mathematics Department at Texas A&M University.

By the relevant decrees of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in August 1994, she was appointed the first deputy chairman of the State Commission for Student Admission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SSAC), and from October 2000, she was appointed as the chairman of the SSAC. In 1994, under the leadership of Ms. Abbaszade, permanent scientific-methodological seminars were organized in the Commission on various subjects, open to the entire pedagogical community. The results were published, and preparatory courses were organized to help applicants under the SSAC. Under the leadership of Ms. Abbaszade, the magazine "Abituriyent" was created. Starting from 1994, she has been the author of the articles published in the final 12th edition of the "Abituriyent" magazine, dedicated to the scientific and methodical analysis of the results of the entrance exams, and the co-author of nearly 100 different lessons and methodical materials published as supplements to the magazine. In 2000, the "Elections" State Automated Information System was created within the framework of the joint project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Azerbaijan, "Assisting in the Creation of a Network for the Transmission of Information Related to Elections," with Ms. Abbaszade as the National Coordinator. In November 2000, this system was applied in the elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is still in operation in the elections held in the republic. In November 2003, Ms. Abbaszade was the organizer of the International Forum on "Development of Information and Communication Technologies and Electronic Management" in Baku. Ms. Abbaszade was the organizer of the 33rd International Conference of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) on "Interdependence of National Assessment Systems and Educational Standards" from September 16 to 21, 2007, in Baku. In 2008, she was elected a member of the Executive Committee of the IAEA. Ms. Abbaszade was included in the list of international experts on Educational Assessment jointly published by the IAEA (International Association for Educational Assessment) and UNESCO in 2005. Ms. Abbaszade is the author of up to 60 scientific articles and two textbooks for higher schools.

Kayhan Karlı has worked as an educator and education manager for more than twenty years and has given speeches and organized trainings in many provinces of Turkey on leadership and the development of leaders. He graduated from Harvard University, Kennedy School Executive Education "Art and Practice of Leadership Development" program. He is an educator. As the founder of YÖM Yenilikçi Ögrenme Okullari, he driven by a vision of creating a learning culture that empowers students, teachers, and parents to discover their potential and pursue their passions. With over 35 years of experience in education, he has developed and implemented innovative curricula, teaching materials, and educational technology solutions that enhance learning outcomes and engagement across different contexts and levels. Kayhan Karli also share expertise and insights as a learning companion, a teacher trainer, and an educator with various audiences and platforms, including universities, conferences, publications, and online communities. He is passionate about learning from and collaborating with other educators, researchers, and practitioners who are committed to transforming education for the future. He is mission is to inspire and support learners of all ages and backgrounds to become active, creative, and lifelong learners.