Tale Heydarov

Tale Heydarov

Personal details
Born	(1985-02-09) 9 February 1985
Nationality	Azerbaijani

Tale Heydarov (born 9 February 1985) is an Azerbaijani entrepreneur and promoter of social, cultural and charitable activities. Educated at the London School of Economics, Heydarov is Chairman of The European Azerbaijan Society (“TEAS”) and Founder of the European Azerbaijan School. Much of his work is dedicated to promoting Azerbaijan on the international stage.

Early life

Education

Heydarov attended Collingham College in London for two years, before reading International Relations and History at the London School of Economics (LSE). He also holds a Master’s degree in International Security and Global Governance from Birkbeck, University of London. Heydarov speaks Azerbaijani, English, Russian and Turkish.

Career

The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS)

Heydarov founded and currently serves as the Chairman of TEAS, which promotes Azerbaijan, fosters closer business cooperation with Europe and strengthens its political and cultural links with other European countries.^[1] TEAS has offices in London, Baku, Brussels, Paris, Berlin and Istanbul.^[2]

Heydarov focuses TEAS’s activities on business, public affairs, culture and charitable work. Business events such as the TEAS Business Forum^[3] highlight Azerbaijani investment opportunities, while the public affairs team increase awareness of the country throughout Europe. Heydarov himself has given a number of public speeches and presentations in his role as Chairman of TEAS, including at the World Forum on International Dialogue in Baku in May 2013.^[4]

TEAS’s cultural events raise awareness of Azerbaijan and include concerts, exhibitions and book launches across Europe.^[5] Heydarov also organises various charitable events through TEAS, such as a high-profile boxing tournament at the famous Repton Boxing Club in the UK in June 2014. The event raised money for the Mo Farah Foundation and awareness of the plight of IDPs from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Former world heavyweight champion Frank Bruno attended the event, along with former England footballers Joe Cole, Gary Mabbutt MBE and Nigel Winterburn.^[6]

Education Initiatives

Heydarov founded the European Azerbaijan School in 2011 and is President of the school’s Board of Trustees. The school offers teaching at primary and secondary level. It is private, but fees are minimised in an effort to ensure accessibility to a wide section of the Azerbaijani population and a variety of scholarships are available to high-achieving pupils and those from low-income families.^[7]

In 2013 he established the TEAS Academic Centre for Azerbaijani Studies (TACAS) to promote the development and international exchange of research into all aspects of Azerbaijan’s heritage, science, history and culture. Events organised include a symposium on Azerbaijan’s role in World War II, jointly with Yahad-In Unum. Research has been conducted in international archives - British, Russian and Ottoman - for materials relating to Azerbaijani history.

Heydarov also founded the Azerbaijan Teachers’ Development Centre in 2014. The academy aims to be a centre of excellence in Azerbaijan and to create a “vibrant, innovative and inclusive educational environment”.^[8]

Publishing

Heydarov is Editor-in-Chief of Visions of Azerbaijan, an introduction to the country’s history, culture and nature, with updates on international relations, business and tourism, as well as reporting on efforts to settle the Nargorno-Karabakh conflict.

Extending the scope of his educational initiatives, Heydarov launched TEAS Press in 2014. The press develops material for extending knowledge and study within the country, printing leading international academic materials and literature in the Azerbaijani language in cooperation with other international publishers. The press also promotes the works of Azerbaijani writers and academics by translating and publishing their works in English. Branches in Turkey and Russia broaden the scope even further, as does the production of audio books. Üç Alma (Three Apples) press does the same work for younger readers.

Film

Heydarov has produced three different films- Young Voices Old Songs, Azerbaijan through Foreign Eyes and The Life Story of Ivonna-Botto Shirmammadova. He has also authored and edited a number of books focused on Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Gabala Sports Club

Heydarov is President of Gabala Sports Club, whose football team plays in the Azerbaijan Premier League. The club appointed former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams as Head Coach in May 2010. Gabala FK finished third in the domestic league in the 2013-2014 season and qualified for European competition.^[9]

During his tenure as President, Gabala FC has invested in the development of new facilities, including a 14,000-capacity stadium, eight practice pitches, a gym, a swimming pool and an indoor sports hall.^[10]

The Gabala Sports Club also caters for judo, shooting, boxing, karate and taekwondo in addition to football.

Awards

In 2011 Heydarov was awarded the Progress Medal by the President of Azerbaijan for his contribution to the development of the Azerbaijani diaspora.^[11] He was also presented with the International Dialogue of the Year prize by the Business Year Magazine in May 2014.^[12]

Personal

Heydarov is the son of Kamaladdin Heydarov, the Minister of Emergency Situations in Azerbaijan. Heydarov senior’s role focuses on the prevention of natural and man-made disasters, managing rescue efforts and organising a civil defence network for Azerbaijan.^[13]