William Mitchell Professor Anthony Winer recently returned from a year of teaching as a Fulbright Scholar at the Academy of Public Administration in Baku, Azerbaijan. He taught graduate and undergraduate courses on U.S. Federal Constitutional Law, U.S. Federal Administrative Law, Public International Law, and European Union Law.

Approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals were selected as Fulbright Scholars for 2008-09 based on academic or professional achievements, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

This was Winer’s seventh trip to Azerbaijan. In March and May 2004, at the request of the American Bar Association-Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (now known as the ABA’s Rule of Law Initiative or ABA-ROLI), he introduced university law faculties in Azerbaijan to William Mitchell’s form of practical legal education and co-authored a guide on classroom teaching techniques. In December 2004 he lectured students on current U.S. political events. He returned to Azerbaijan three more times between 2004 and the period of his Fulbright grant for additional research, speaking engagements and personal travel.

He shared some of his impressions of Azerbaijan, the students, and lessons learned as a Fulbright Scholar. Continued below photographs…

A country of religious tolerance

“Shiite Islam is the dominant religion, but because of the 71 years of Soviet rule, the religious tenor of the country is quite moderate. Religious extremism is not unknown, but it is distinctly a minority feature of society. Celebrations and civic decorations at the end of December have a decidedly Christmas-y and Western feel. The Azeri people pride themselves on their religious tolerance.”

Azerbaijan’s dual development

“Azerbaijan is pursuing both the adoption of Western social and political systems and the adoption of capitalism as an economic system at the same time. The combination makes for very interesting social, political, and economic effects.”

A practical approach to teaching

“Most of the professors were trained in Soviet times and understandably use more traditionally-oriented teaching methods. I brought a more practical approach to teaching, using press releases and news reports, etc. As we discussed the theoretical, I also showed students the realities. It seemed clear to me that many of them saw me as using a paradigmatically ’American’ approach to higher education.”

Students are similar

“The students I taught were bright, sophisticated, and academically committed. But they also exhibited the same youthful irreverence, sardonic perspectives, and occasional petulance that one sees among young students in the U.S. They evinced skepticism about all types of established authority in the U.S. both in the U.S. and in their home country.”

Lessons learned

“Looking at the Azerbaijani political society helps me appreciate what is unique about the constitutional society we have in the United States. I can communicate that to my Mitchell students. It also helps me appreciate the truly international nature of international law. Many of the same concepts we teach in our classes at William Mitchell are also taught there.”