Here at The Washington Center of ADA University, the week ended with the celebration of the birthday of Firudin Bey Kocharli. A man who has made a significant impact on education, and whose ideas have brought enlightenment, modernity and progress to Azerbaijan. We celebrated his birthday with less fanfare, rather with more of our actions, deeds, and ideas.

This morning, The Ministry of Education in Baku organized a live stream with the teachers and principals visiting from regions of Azerbaijan and studying here at The Washington Center of ADA University. The teachers shared their ideas and impressions with colleagues who had joined that live stream. Huge thanks to our colleague Jasarat Valehov for moderating it. We, then, stayed and discussed their team projects. Throughout, we felt the excitement and enthusiasm of these teachers.

A train had left Gori, Georgia more than one hundred years ago. On that train, Firudin Bey had brought a new thought and a new kind of education to Azerbaijan. That train had stopped in Qazakh. Hence, we were left with Qazakh Teachers' Seminary. It, then, had moved to Baku where we built educational institutions like Baku State University and ADA University. The train has arrived in Washington DC now. The thoughts, ideas and deeds of Firudin Bey Kocharli, Safarali Bey Valibayov, Jalil Mammadguluzade, Uzeyir Hajibayov and many alike continue. They had come back to Azerbaijan as elementary school teachers and made an impact. The teachers whom we see in these photos think alike. We believe they will go back to their schools and make some kind of impact. The legacy and mission of Firudin Bey Kocharli will continue through their ideas and deeds. And perhaps, that is something to celebrate this week.