UFAZ Hosts the Village Français 2026 Professional Development Programme

From June 29 to July 3, the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ) hosted the Village Français 2026 professional development programme, organized by the Institut Français Azerbaïdjan. Held annually since 2006, the initiative has been hosted by UFAZ since 2024.

Over the course of five days, more than 70 French language teachers representing different regions of Azerbaijan – including Baku, Ganja, Nakhchivan, Lankaran, Shamakhi, Shabran, Aghdash, and the village of Kossalar – came together to participate in the programme. The training sessions were delivered by four experts from the French higher education institutions Université Francophonia and Université Lyon 2, who travelled from France specifically for the event.

Participants attended training modules covering French grammar, the integration of art into language teaching, the use of contemporary French music as an educational tool, and the characteristics of contemporary French society. In addition, the programme featured a range of cultural and educational activities.

On the final day, participants reviewed the outcomes of the programme and took part in a raffle, with the winner receiving a fully funded 15-day professional development programme in Nice, France.

The closing ceremony included the presentation of certificates to participants in the presence of Sophie Lagoutte, Ambassador of France to Azerbaijan; Vazeh Asgarov, Executive Director of UFAZ; and Anar Rasulov, representative of TotalEnergies.

The Village Français 2026 programme contributed to the professional development of French language teachers while further strengthening educational and cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and France.