Global alignment, local challenges: Reimagining research capacity in Azerbaijani higher education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Beyond the College Walls: Instustry Collaborations Research Productivity and Internationalization in Higher Education

Abstract

This paper studies how internationalisation policies affect research capacity building (RCB) in the higher education system of post-Soviet Azerbaijan. Drawing on policy borrowing theory and the RCB framework, it argues that current internationalisation efforts are symbolic, which mainly prioritise global visibility through rankings and Scopus-indexed outputs, without sufficient structural support. Based on qualitative interviews, findings suggest that academic and administrative staff are concerned over incoherent implementation, ethical concerns related to publication pressures and limited investment in research infrastructure. Besides, policy analysis highlights a mismatch between policy goals and institutional capacity. The paper proposes context-sensitive internationalisation recommendations focusing on capacity development, research ethics and epistemic justice. These findings also offer practical insights for developing research systems in transitional and resource-limited contexts.

Author

• Leyla Jabbarzade, University of Sheffield