Within the framework of international cooperation, The Academy of the State Customs Committee (ASCCA) as a full-fledged beneficiary joined the international consortium project Development of Research Capacity through Institutional Repositories Network in Azerbaijan (hereafter DIRNA), funded by the European Commission (EC) in the action category of Capacity Building in Higher Education of the Erasmus+ program of the European Union (EU). The coordinator and responsible institution of the project is Khazar University. 

DIRNA project aims to improve the research results management, increase the visibility of high-quality scientific research, and support open access to research results in the beneficiary educational institutions of Azerbaijan, based on the study and application of the advanced practices and standards of leading European HEIs such as Jyväskylä University in Finland, Izmir Institute of Technology in Turkey, and Degli Studi Dell'Aquila University in Italy, with the support of Khazar University. The main objectives of the project also include the establishment of institutional repositories (IRs) and open-access IR Networks in beneficiary universities to promote and develop scientific relations and coordination among the project's beneficiary higher education institutions across the country. For this purpose, local and international training sessions, software development, bilateral and international cooperation activities, promotion and organization of access to research results, and research bases are envisaged within the framework of the project.

The above-mentioned issues were discussed thoroughly at the opening event of the Erasmus+ DIRNA project held at Khazar University with the participation of representatives of 11 HEIs in the consortium of the project.

 The official opening part of the event began with the introductory speech of Prof. Hamlet Isakhanli, founder of Khazar University and chairman of the Board of Directors and Trustees. Then the rector of the university, Assoc. Prof. Irada Khalilova, and the director of the Azerbaijan National ERASMUS+ office, Parviz Bagirov made speeches and talked about the goals of the project to increase scientific research potential in Azerbaijan and the role of EU Erasmus+ program in this field.

Elvin Mejidov, coordinator of international cooperation and projects, manager of the DIRNA project in ASCCA, Elvin Alirzayev, head of the Department of Customs Work and Administration, Asif Ganbayev, teacher of the Department of Information Technologies and Technical Sciences, and Aysel Jafarzade, librarian of ASCCA attended the event. Elvin Mejidov made a presentation about the goals and plans of the Academy of the State Customs Committee partnership in the DIRNA project, the activities planned for the Academy in the project, and emphasized the importance of scientific research for the Academy and Azerbaijani Customs and the importance of increasing the research capacity through institutional repositories.

Along with 3 HEIs in Finland, Italy, and Turkey, the beneficiary institutions in Azerbaijan of the Erasmus+ DIRNA international consortium project covering the years 2023-2026 are Khazar University (coordinator), the Academy of the State Customs Committee, Baku State University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Ganja State University, Mingachevir State University, Lankaran State University, and Nakhchivan State University.

It is funded by the European Union (EU). However, the opinions and considerations expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the EU or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The EU and EACEA are not responsible for them.