Observatory of Higher Education Innovations
The Observatory of Higher Education Innovations was established at Constructor University in September 2022 as a research group and as a a part of the Constructor University Strategy Unit that supports the President and the Executive Board in the analysis of the competitive positioning of our institution and finding best practices worldwide.
The main functions of The Observatory of HEI are:
- to collect and analyze data on innovations in higher education
- to study the transformations of higher education in specific aspects
- to advise on strategy and challenges at Constructor University in the context of international experience
- Innovative universities
- Private higher education in Europe
- Education technologies in higher education with the focus on use of Generative AI
- Strategic planning in higher education
- Peace and constructive conflict resolution in higher education
- Role of universities in addressing the environmental challenge
- Innovative Universities Global Webinar Series: A platform where university leaders and pioneers share their experiences and strategies, promoting a global dialogue on innovation in higher education.
- Strategic Influence: Our analyses and recommendations have directly influenced the strategic direction and initiatives at Constructor University, enhancing our institution's competitive edge.
Foresight of Digital Skills in Azerbaijan (2024)
(Funded by Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan)
Analysis of the trends in the digital skills demand and supply in Azerbaijan. Development of the policy recommendations for the government and skills providers.
Private Higher Education in Germany (2024-2025)
Green Deal for Central Asian Universities (2024-2028)
(Funded by EU through Erasmus+ program)
The GDCAU project, uniting 13 universities across Germany, Slovakia, Austria, and five Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), aims to transform universities into drivers of societal, cultural, and technological shifts in line the European Green Deal framework
How universities navigate generative AI (2024 - 2026)
This project aims to explore how universities are responding to the rapid and widespread adoption of generative AI. The discussion will focus on the interplay of three key forces: the adoption of generative AI by individual actors, institutional (university) governance, and system-level governance. It is framed by an understanding of both the transformative power of genAI development and the uniqueness of universities as organisations and higher education systems. We expect the project to contribute both to the conceptual understanding of the changes and challenges of genAI for universities and to the understanding of the evolution of higher education systems in a comparative perspective (insights from country-specific case studies (from Brazil, China, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the US).
How AI transforms science: newcomers with AI expertise in research teams (2024 - 2026)
This project examines how genAI specialists are integrated into existing research teams and how their expertise is reshaping scientific work and team dynamics. Through interviews and observations, we will explore the role genAI plays in both scientific discovery and the broader research enterprise, from writing to project management. The study bridges AI4science with research governance and organisational studies, and contributes to academic conversations about science policy and team-based knowledge production.
- Yeliz Düskün - Strategy Unit Coordinator
- Dr. Zachery Reyna – Senior Analyst
- Vicenso Drushku – Data Analyst, Strategy Unit
- Daria Platonova – Program coordinator/ Research analyst
Students members
- Anactacia Lomtadze - Student Coordinator
- Omer Guzel – Student Assistant
- Emine Zeynep Tan – Student Assistant