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Knowledge Monopoly and Policy Change: EU-Backed VET Reforms in Azerbaijan

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Title: Knowledge Monopoly and Policy Change: EU-Backed VET Reforms in Azerbaijan
Language: English
Authors: Majid Bayramli
Source: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training. 2026 13(1):53-82.
Availability: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Knowledge Management, Educational Policy, Educational Change, Foreign Countries, Career and Technical Education, Policy Formation, International Organizations, Politics of Education, Decision Making, Stakeholders, Federal Legislation, Educational Legislation, Technology Transfer
Geographic Terms: Azerbaijan, European Union
ISSN: 2197-8638
2197-8646
Abstract: Context: Azerbaijan's vocational education and training (VET) system has undergone a significant reform, culminating in the enactment of the Law on Vocational Education in 2018. Despite not being a member of the European Union (EU) and lacking formal political, economic, or cultural alignment with the union, Azerbaijani policymakers adopted EU-backed policy solutions in designing the country's new VET system. This raises important questions about the motivations behind this policy shift and the factors that shaped it, especially given the limited formal influence of the EU in non-member states. Approach: This study applies a Cultural Political Economy (CPE) framework to examine the adoption of EU policy ideas in Azerbaijan's VET reforms. The research focuses on the policy transfer process, tracing how EU-driven concepts were introduced, negotiated, and institutionalized within Azerbaijan's education system. It explores the role of international organizations, domestic political actors, and political agenda in shaping policy decisions. The analysis draws on a qualitative case study approach, using document review and interviews with key national stakeholders to explore how decisions were shaped. It pays close attention to the interplay of ideational and material factors that influenced the design and content of the 2018 law. Findings: The findings show that, even in differing political and economic contexts, education sectors can independently shape policy directions. In the case of Azerbaijan, policymakers turned to EU VET models not as a result of direct pressure, but as a response to pressing domestic challenges. This engagement was not a simple replication of EU practices, but a selective and negotiated process shaped by the interaction between international frameworks and national institutional conditions. A key factor in this process was the EU's role as a provider of technical expertise and policy knowledge. Although the EU did not impose specific reforms, its control over policy-relevant knowledge and technical expertise structured the reform space, guiding Azerbaijani decision-makers toward particular options while limiting the visibility of alternatives. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of policy transfer in non-EU contexts, emphasizing the role of external knowledge provision in shaping national reforms beyond direct political or economic leverage. The findings underscore the subtle but powerful ways international organizations influence education policy, even in the absence of formal conditionality agreements.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1495030
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Knowledge Monopoly and Policy Change: EU-Backed VET Reforms in Azerbaijan
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+for+Research+in+Vocational+Education+and+Training%22"><i>International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training</i></searchLink>. 2026 13(1):53-82.
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  Data: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+Management%22">Knowledge Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+and+Technical+Education%22">Career and Technical Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Policy+Formation%22">Policy Formation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22International+Organizations%22">International Organizations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Politics+of+Education%22">Politics of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stakeholders%22">Stakeholders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Legislation%22">Federal Legislation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Legislation%22">Educational Legislation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technology+Transfer%22">Technology Transfer</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Azerbaijan%22">Azerbaijan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22European+Union%22">European Union</searchLink>
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  Data: 2197-8638<br />2197-8646
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Context: Azerbaijan's vocational education and training (VET) system has undergone a significant reform, culminating in the enactment of the Law on Vocational Education in 2018. Despite not being a member of the European Union (EU) and lacking formal political, economic, or cultural alignment with the union, Azerbaijani policymakers adopted EU-backed policy solutions in designing the country's new VET system. This raises important questions about the motivations behind this policy shift and the factors that shaped it, especially given the limited formal influence of the EU in non-member states. Approach: This study applies a Cultural Political Economy (CPE) framework to examine the adoption of EU policy ideas in Azerbaijan's VET reforms. The research focuses on the policy transfer process, tracing how EU-driven concepts were introduced, negotiated, and institutionalized within Azerbaijan's education system. It explores the role of international organizations, domestic political actors, and political agenda in shaping policy decisions. The analysis draws on a qualitative case study approach, using document review and interviews with key national stakeholders to explore how decisions were shaped. It pays close attention to the interplay of ideational and material factors that influenced the design and content of the 2018 law. Findings: The findings show that, even in differing political and economic contexts, education sectors can independently shape policy directions. In the case of Azerbaijan, policymakers turned to EU VET models not as a result of direct pressure, but as a response to pressing domestic challenges. This engagement was not a simple replication of EU practices, but a selective and negotiated process shaped by the interaction between international frameworks and national institutional conditions. A key factor in this process was the EU's role as a provider of technical expertise and policy knowledge. Although the EU did not impose specific reforms, its control over policy-relevant knowledge and technical expertise structured the reform space, guiding Azerbaijani decision-makers toward particular options while limiting the visibility of alternatives. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of policy transfer in non-EU contexts, emphasizing the role of external knowledge provision in shaping national reforms beyond direct political or economic leverage. The findings underscore the subtle but powerful ways international organizations influence education policy, even in the absence of formal conditionality agreements.
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 30
        StartPage: 53
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Knowledge Management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education
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      – SubjectFull: Policy Formation
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      – SubjectFull: International Organizations
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      – SubjectFull: Politics of Education
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      – SubjectFull: Azerbaijan
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      – SubjectFull: European Union
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