Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies of Azerbaijan University Asif Pashayev visited the Middle East Technical University (METU) of Turkey from March 21 to 27. The visit, which was attended by 17 representatives from 12 universities, was organized within the project of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan "Development of higher and secondary special education in 2021/2022" to improve the professionalism of educators and study international experience in the field of "Human-computer interfaces". The winner and coordinator of the project is Nakhchivan University, and the expert is Kurshat Chagiltay, professor of ODTU.

On the first day of the visit, he got acquainted with the Middle East Technical University. Prof. Dr. Kurshat Chagiltay, Dr. Serkan Alkan and Dr. International Relations Office of the University. Welcoming the project participants, Ibrahim Yorgun informed them about the history of the university, infrastructure, research centers, technology park, design factory, international cooperation, exchange programs and answered the guests' questions. After the information session, the project coordinator, senior lecturer of Nakhchivan University Shamil Humbatov and employees of the participating universities presented various souvenirs to the hosts.

In the afternoon, the project participants, accompanied by Alpay Karagoz and Gorkem Muya, got acquainted with the laboratories of the Human-Computer Interface (HCI) of METU. Here, in the "Laboratory Studio of Tobii eye tracker-eye tracking devices", the purpose of the laboratory, the working principle is demonstrated with practical tasks.

On the second day, Serap Yagmur's presentation of "Cognitive Modeling and CogTool - interface design system" was held in the computer laboratory of the "Computer and Learning Technologies Training" department of the university. After the lunch break, meetings were held at ODTU "Design Factory" (Design Factory). Here, the director of the factory, Prof. Dr. Arzu Gönenç Sorguç and Dr. Serkan Alkan informed about the purpose and working mechanism of the factory, as well as presentations

about "Interdisciplinary Design Studio", "Desktop eye tracker" and "Tobii Glass eye tracker Demo" studios and practical trainings were held.

On the third day of the visit, they got acquainted with the techno-village of the Middle East Technical University. At the presentation of Selin Dogu in Technokand, the participants were given detailed information about research centers, ongoing projects, implementing companies, Technokent Cozone, discussed the presentations, as well as discussed prospects for cooperation. In the second half of the day, the "Lego Laboratory" of the "Education" faculty was visited. Here, Dr. Goknur Kaplan presented information about the purpose of the laboratory, ongoing projects, robot and drone technologies. At the end of the day at the GISAM Center (Center for the Study and Application of Visual Hearing Systems) Prof. Dr. Kurshat Cagiltay presented various innovative projects of the center, wheelchairs controlled by eye movements, game programs.

On the fourth day of the visit, the Department of Computer Engineering was visited. Head of the Department Prof. Dr. Halit Oguz and Prof. Dr. Ali Hikmet Dogru informed the project participants about the activities of the department, discussed the curriculum of the specialty, the distribution of semesters, the directions taught in the subjects, the prospects for possible cooperation.

After this meeting, the project expert, Prof. Dr. The final discussion of Kurshat Cagiltay with the project participants took place. Various prospects of cooperation were discussed, the presentation of the professor's book "Human-Computer Interaction and Utility Engineering" to be translated into Azerbaijani and the holding of a joint international conference on the study of human-computer interfaces were discussed and photos were taken.

Public Relations Department
30.03.2022