The Impact of Foreign Aid and Cooperation on Social Innovation in Azerbaijan: Example of Vocational Acquisition

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 14 Sayı: 1 , 85 - 106 , 02.04.2026

Meral Balcı

https://doi.org/10.14782/marmarasbd.1764058

https://izlik.org/JA28AW42GF

Öz

Following the disintegration of the USSR, international organizations such as the UNDP, EU, TİKA, and Yunus Emre Institute have encouraged governments and local populations of Central Asian countries to innovate in a bid to find solutions for existing social problems. The impact of foreign aid and international collaboration on social innovation in the Azerbaijan’s vocational education system has been analyzed in this study. Focusing on vocational acquisition, the research has examined how financial aid coming from international organizations and bilateral cooperations has improved transformation in the practice of vocational training in Azerbaijan. The study has merged quantitative data obtained from questionnaires with qualitative data from interviews by adopting a mixed-methods approach. The findings reveal that foreign aid has had an important role in introducing progressive methods and in forging partnerships that form a bridge between education and industry needs. All of these efforts have had significant contribution to develop Azerbaijan's human capital and made vocational training more responsive to the groving needs of the labor market. Additionally, this study is expected to contribute to the sustained international coordination in stimulating social innovation and offers policy directions to enlarge the positive effects of such interventions.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Azerbaijan , Cooperation , Foreign Aid , Social Innovation , Vocational Education

Destekleyen Kurum

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange scheme within the H2021 Programme (grant acronym: CARSI, no 101086415).

Proje Numarası

101086415

The Impact of Foreign Aid and Cooperation on Social Innovation in Azerbaijan: Example of Vocational Acquisition

https://izlik.org/JA28AW42GF

Öz

SSCB'nin dağılmasının ardından, UNDP, AB, TİKA ve Yunus Emre Enstitüsü gibi uluslararası kuruluşlar, Orta Asya ülkelerinin hükümetlerini ve yerel halklarını, mevcut sosyal sorunlara çözüm bulmak amacıyla yenilik yapmaya teşvik etmiştir. Bu çalışmada, dış yardım ve uluslararası iş birliğinin Azerbaycan'ın mesleki eğitim sistemindeki sosyal inovasyona etkisi analiz edilmiştir. Mesleki beceri kazanımına odaklanan araştırma, uluslararası kuruluşlardan ve ikili iş birliklerinden gelen mali yardımın Azerbaycan'daki mesleki eğitim uygulamalarında dönüşümü nasıl iyileştirdiğini incelemiştir. Çalışma, karma yöntem yaklaşımı benimseyerek anketlerden elde edilen nicel verileri ve görüşmelerden elde edilen nitel verileri birleştirmiştir. Bulgular, dış yardımın ilerici yöntemlerin uygulanmasında ve eğitim ile endüstri ihtiyaçları arasında köprü kuran ortaklıkların oluşturulmasında önemli bir rol oynadığını ortaya koymaktadır. Tüm bu çabalar, Azerbaycan'ın insan sermayesinin geliştirilmesine önemli katkı sağlamış ve mesleki eğitimin işgücü piyasasının artan ihtiyaçlarına daha duyarlı hale gelmesini sağlamıştır. Ayrıca, bu çalışmanın sosyal inovasyonu teşvik etmek için sürdürülebilir uluslararası koordinasyona katkı sağlaması ve bu tür müdahalelerin olumlu etkilerini genişletmek için politika yönlendirmeleri sunması beklenmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Azerbaycan , İşbirliği , Dış Yardım , Sosyal Inovasyon , Mesleki Eğitim

Destekleyen Kurum

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange scheme within the H2021 Programme (grant acronym: CARSI, no 101086415).

Proje Numarası

101086415

Kaynakça

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