Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Defining the Research University in Azerbaijan: Imported Global Trends or Rebranded Soviet Legacy?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Building Research Capacity at Universities

Abstract

This chapter examines the national science and research framework in Azerbaijan. Drawing on multiple data sources, it discusses whether and why research is pivotal to higher education institutions and how early career researchers navigate the national and institutional research policies. Through an in-depth study of ADA University and Azerbaijan State University of Economics, the authors document the recently adopted academic staff recruitment and incentivisation strategies aimed at bolstering research output and innovation. While research is embedded into faculty hiring and promotion guidelines that sort academic jobs into teaching- and research-intensive positions, academic staff members also see research as a part of a global pre-occupation with university league tables. The chapter concludes with a discussion of what the prioritisation of metrics might mean for the future of research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The total has been converted using the real currency exchange rate for 2015 as compiled by UNCTAD Statistics (AZN 35,758,237=USD 34,901,112.1).

References

  • ADA University (ADAU). (2019). About. https://www.ada.edu.az/en/about/ada-university

  • Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS). (2016). Law on Science. https://bit.ly/368m4Ai

  • Azerbaijan News. (2021). Milli Majlisda “Ali tahsil hagginda” qanun layihasinin hazırlanmasi magsadila onlayn videokonfrans kechirilib [Online video conference has been organised to discuss the preparations for the new Law on Higher Education at the National Parliament Milli Majlis]. http://www.azerbaijan-news.az/posts/detail/milli-meclisde-ali-tehsil-haqqinda-qanun-layihesinin-hazirlanmasi-meqsedile-onlayn-videokonfrans-kecirilib-1611341275

  • Branscomb, L. M., Kodama, F., & Florida, R. L. (Eds.). (1999). Industrializing knowledge: University-industry linkages in Japan and the United States. MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabinet of Ministers (CabMin) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (2016). ‘Ali tahsil muassisalarina “Tadgigat universiteti” statusu verilmasi uchun Talablar’ in təsdiq edilməsi haqqında [On the approval of requirements for granting research university status to HEIs]. http://www.e-qanun.az/framework/37540.

  • Council on the Coordination of Scientific Research (CCSR). (2020). “Elmi Tadgigatlarin Alagalandirilmasi Shurası hagginda Asasnama”nin tasdig edilmasi barada [On the approval of the charter of the Council on the Coordination of Scientific Research]. https://bit.ly/3cKS9jU

  • Heyneman, S. P., & Skinner, B. T. (2014). The Bologna Process in the countries of the former Soviet Union: An outsider’s perspective. Journal of the European Higher Education Area, 1, 55–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huisman, J., Adelman, C., Hsieh, C. C., Shams, F., & Wilkins, S. (2012). Europe’s Bologna process and its impact on global higher education. In D. K. Deardorff, H. de Wit, J. D. Heyl, & T. Adams (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of international higher education (pp. 81–100). Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Isakhanli, H., & Pashayeva, A. (2018). Higher education transformation, institutional diversity and typology of higher education institutions in Azerbaijan. In J. Huisman, A. Smolentseva, & I. Froumin (Eds.), 25 years of transformations of higher education systems in post-Soviet Countries (pp. 97–121). Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ismayilova, K., & Klassen, R. M. (2019). Research and teaching self-efficacy of university academic staff: Relations with job satisfaction. International Journal of Educational Research, 98, 55–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonbekova, D. (2020). Educational research in Central Asia: Methodological and ethical dilemmas in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 50(3), 352–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kataeva, Z., & DeYoung, A. J. (2018). Academic staff challenges and barriers for research and publication in Tajik higher education. European Education, 50(3), 249–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. T., & Kuzhabekova, A. (2019). Building local research capacity in higher education: A conceptual model. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 41(3), 342–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mammadov, G. (2019). Azarbayjanda elmi tadgigat: movjud yanashma va baynalkhalg tajruba [Scientific research in Azerbaijan: Current approach and international experience]. Azerbaijan Journal of Educational Studies, 687(2), 11–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (2013). Different roads to a shared goal: Political and cultural variation in world-class universities. In Q. Wang, Y. Cheng, & N. C. Liu (Eds.), Building world-class universities (pp. 13–33). Sense Publishers. https://www.sensepublishers.com/media/1556-building-world-class-universities.pdf

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (2010). Doktorantularin yaradilmasi va doktoranturaya gabul qaydalari [Establishment of doctorates and admission rules for doctoral programmes]. https://edu.gov.az/az/page/92/2618

  • Modern.az News Agency. (2018). Rektorun mushaviri: ‘Dunya saviyyali universitet olmaghi hadaflamishik’—UNEC Azarbayjanda yenilik etdi—Musahiba [Rector’s advisor: ‘We are planning to become a world class university’—Interview]. https://modern.az/az/news/181557

  • Oancea, A. (2019). Research governance and the future(s) of research assessment. Palgrave Communications, 5(1), 27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qaydalar [Guidelines]. (2019). UNEC professor-müəllim heyəti üzvlərinə ‘tədqiqatçı’ statusunun verilməsi haqqında qaydalar [Guidelines pertaining to granting researcher status to UNEC professors and teaching personnel]. http://news.unec.edu.az/images/Tedqiqatci-status_1_1.pdf

  • Reytinq [Ranking]. (2019). UNEC professor-müəllim heyəti üzvlərinin 2018/2019 akademik ilinin nəticələrinə əsasən reytinqi [Ranking of UNEC professors and teaching personnel according to the results of the 2018/2019 academic year]. http://news.unec.edu.az/images/Reytinq_sentyabr_2019.pdf

  • Ritchie, R., & Mispy, O. O. (2018). Measuring progress towards the sustainable development goals. https://sdg-tracker.org/infrastructure-industrialization

  • Science Development Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (n.d.-a). Elmin Inkishafi Fondunun 2010–2015-ji illarda kechirilmish grant musabigasinda galib olmush layihalarin mukhtalif gurumlar uzra statistikasi [Statistics on different institutions granted research funds through SDF grant competitions, 2010–2015]. http://www.sdf.gov.az/development/uploads/neticeler_ve_statistika/1_muxtelif_qurumlar_uzre.pdf

  • Science Development Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (n.d.-b). Elmin Inkişafi Fondunun 2010–2016-ci illərdə keçirilmiş qrant müsabiqəsində qalib olmuş layihələrdə təmsil olunmuş müxtəlif qurumlarin siyahisi [List of institutions represented in projects that won grant competitions of the Science Development Foundation in 2010–2016]. http://sdf.gov.az/az/generic/menu/Detail/227/menu/grant/1

  • Supreme Attestation Commission (SAC). (n.d.). General information. http://www.aak.gov.az/single/273

  • Trend News Agency. (2015). UNEC muallimlarinin ilk reytingi muayyanlashdi [The first ranking of UNEC professors has been disclosed]. https://az.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/2469601.html

  • UNCTAD Statistics. (n.d.). Inflation and exchange rates. http://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/ReportFolders/reportFolders.aspx?sCS_ChosenLang=en

  • UNEC. (2020). About us. http://unec.edu.az/en/university/about-unec/

  • UNEC. (2019). Tadgigatchi statusunun verilmasi haqqinda [On granting researcher status]. https://bit.ly/368JDsI

  • UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2018). How much does your country invest in R&D? http://bit.ly/1USVQIP

  • Van Dalen, H. P., & Henkens, K. (2012). Intended and unintended consequences of a publish-or-perish culture: A worldwide survey. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 63(7), 1282–1293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voluntary National Review. (2017). Azerbaijan 2030—From the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/16005Azerbaijan.pdf

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Abbas Abbasov

  2. School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Arzu Jafarli

Authors
  1. Abbas Abbasov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arzu Jafarli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abbas Abbasov .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK

    Maia Chankseliani

  2. National Research University Higher School of Ecomonics, Moscow, Russia

    Igor Fedyukin

  3. Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany

    Isak Frumin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Abbasov, A., Jafarli, A. (2022). Defining the Research University in Azerbaijan: Imported Global Trends or Rebranded Soviet Legacy?. In: Chankseliani, M., Fedyukin, I., Frumin, I. (eds) Building Research Capacity at Universities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12141-8_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12141-8_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-12140-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-12141-8

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation