DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT “AZERBAIJAN - 2020: OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE” Project period, significant steps have been taken to modernize the education infrastructure in our country and as a result, the conditions of education improved for more than one million pupils. Reforms were carried out to renew the content of education, and important steps were taken to integrate Azerbaijani education into the European education system. Along with that, as part of “the state programme on the education of Azerbaijani youths in foreign countries in 2007-2015”, 1,204 people have been sent abroad so far at the expense of the State Oil Fund. In general, 10,700 young Azerbaijanis are being educated in the leading universities of the world at the expense of other sources and on personal initiative. Significant achievements were gained in the sphere of computerizing education. Although in 2004, there was one computer per 1,063 pupils, the correlation now is one computer per 20 pupils. As part of the “People’s Computer” project, more than 10,000 teachers were provided with computers, 1,200 educational institutions were connected to the Internet and 75,000 people underwent relevant training covering pedagogical and technical personnel and learnt ICT skills. Educational resources on various subjects were prepared and handed over to schools, while an “electronic school” project was launched in 20 schools. The country’s achievements in the socio-economic sphere are also reflected in the improving assessments of the Azerbaijani economy by international rating agencies (Fitch Ratings, Moody’s, Standard & Poors). In the report “Doing Business” prepared by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, Azerbaijan’s position improved, and the country took the leading position among the CIS and regional countries in the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum. In the World Bank classification of per capita GDP, Azerbaijan entered the group of countries1 with “high average incomes” earlier than other CIS states. Along with that, according to the report of the UN Development Programme on human development in 2010, Azerbaijan left the group of countries with “average human development” and entered the group with “high human development”. The formation of a democratic society and transparent public relations in Azerbaijan in the years of independence formed the main basis of state policy. Political pluralism in the country became the necessary basis of public progress in the country. Currently, there are appropriate legal and democratic political conditions for the free activities of political parties in the country. Today, 55 political parties are registered in Azerbaijan, and 11 of them are represented in the parliament. Political parties are closely involved in the publicpolitical life of the country and are represented in elected and other government bodies. 1 Countries are grouped on the basis of the GDP calculated in 2010 using the Atlas method of the World Bank. Countries where per capital GDP is 1,005 US dollars or less belong to the group of low-income countries, 1,006-3,975 US dollars – countries with low average income, 3,976-12,275 US dollars – countries with high average income, and 12,276 and more - high-income countries. 4