origami4Elshad Aliyev ’09, an alumnus of the Doshisha University in Japan, together with other U.S. Government sponsored program alumni organized a presentation and training on origami at the Baku American Center in November, in line with the World Origami Days Celebration from October 24 – November 11.  Organizers presented the history of Origami art and how they learned about it and participated in Origami clubs while studying in the U.S. Next, a local amateur origami maker, showed the participants how to create a Japanese Paper Crane and Lily Flower.  Participants created their art and the winning projects won prizes.

origami1This project was supported by Project Smile, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State implemented by IREX. The event was also sponsored by the Baku American Center and the Sakura Azerbaijan-Japan Organization. The Origami USA society assisted the organizers by providing informational support and Tokyo TV and journalists from the Japanese fan club attended the event.