Kelajak ovozi, AEPE sign cooperation memorandum

April 4, 2012

Kelajak ovozi Youth Initiatives Center has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Asociación Europea de Profesores de Español (The European Association of Teachers of Spanish) as part of an international conference titled “The Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture on the Silk Route”, currently under way in Tashkent.

The memorandum will see the two organizations develop and boost the traditional friendly ties and collaboration in culture, art, science, education and sports and organize joint conferences, seminars, training workshops, exhibitions, festivals, symposiums and other events. The document was signed by AEPE President Maria Pilar Celma Valero and the Chairperson of Kelajak ovozi YIC Board Kamoliddin Beknazarov in what became a significant event in the program of the ongoing international conference.

Maria Pilar Celma Valero, the President of AEPE:

- “The goal of our conference is to share our experience with teachers of Spanish here and innovative methods of teaching Spanish and to exchange international experience in this area. Signing a memorandum of cooperation with Kelajak ovozi is a very important event for us. What the Fund Forum does is very important because it is arts and education that bring nations closer together. We respect the Fund Forum’s and Kelajak ovozi Youth Initiatives Center’s efforts to support young talented people. Our Association also pays attention to cultural exchange. We have similar goals and therefore we are planning on close cooperation with these two organizations.”

The European Association is holding the international conference “The Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture on the Silk Route” in Tashkent for the first time. The conference is focusing on issues in and innovative methods in teaching Spanish. One of its primary goals is to contribute toward the spread of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture and support teachers of Spanish in Uzbekistan. In attendance are teachers from Spain, Uzbek universities and AEPE member-countries such as France, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

Asociación Europea de Profesores de Español (AEPE) was founded in 1967 at Menéndez Pelayo International University-Santander (Spain) as an international non-profit organization that brings together teachers of Spanish from all over the world, with Uzbekistan being the only member-country in Central Asia. AEPE works to enhance humanitarian ties among countries, promote the Spanish language internationally, disseminate information about the culture and literature of Hispanic countries and exchange experience in linguistics and methods of teaching foreign languages. The Association has overseen biennial international conferences to discuss major issues in linguistics and literature in various countries, including in Japan, Hungary, Morocco, France and now in Uzbekistan.

The first meeting between members of the Fund Forum Representative Office in Spain and AEPE took place in June 2011.

Among other goals, the Fund Forum provides assistance for the youth in their efforts to improve their language skills and other related skills necessary not only in their translation- and linguistics-related activities but also other areas. To help the youth improve their skills, “Kelajak Lingvo” language center was set up at Kelajak ovozi YIC in 2008. The language center offers English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese language courses, provided free of charge.