• Design Education, Cultural Integration, and Creative Modernization: Reassessing the Role of Design within the Contemporary System of Science and Higher Education

    Author and Affiliation

    Imash Hajiyev
    Doctor of Arts, Associate Professor
    Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
    Azerbaijan
    E-mail: imash.hajiyev@mail.ru

    Keywords

    Design Education Interdisciplinary Learning Creative Industries Curriculum Integration Globalization Design Pedagogy Cultural Modernization Art and Technology Higher Education Azerbaijan

    Abstract

    Design has increasingly evolved into an interdisciplinary field positioned at the intersection of art, science, technology, culture, and education. Within contemporary globalization processes, design education plays a significant role in shaping creative thinking, technical competence, cultural identity, and innovative professional practices. The present study examines the historical formation, institutional development, and integrative characteristics of design education in Azerbaijan within the broader context of global educational transformation and cultural modernization. Particular attention is devoted to the influence of Western European design traditions, Russian artistic-technical schools, and national cultural heritage in the formation of Azerbaijani design education and creative practice. The study adopts a historical-analytical and theoretical approach based on the examination of educational development processes, institutional experiences, scientific literature, and artistic-pedagogical practices related to design education. The article analyses the emergence of design as a syncretic and interdisciplinary field integrating aesthetics, architecture, technical creativity, cultural studies, visual communication, and pedagogical methodology. Furthermore, the study explores the role of curriculum integration, interdisciplinary teaching methods, and international academic cooperation in strengthening design education under contemporary educational reforms. The findings indicate that the sustainable development of design education requires stronger integration between artistic and technical disciplines, modernization of curriculum structures, international academic exchange, and the incorporation of national cultural values into contemporary educational models. The study contributes to the growing discourse on interdisciplinary education, creative industries, and design pedagogy while providing practical recommendations for curriculum modernization, professional training, and international cooperation.

    How to Cite

    Hajiyev, I. (2026). Design Education, Cultural Integration, and Creative Modernization: Reassessing the Role of Design within the Contemporary System of Science and Higher Education. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 9(8), 1–24.

    Publication History

    Received December 28, 2025
    Accepted April 19, 2026
    Published Online May 15, 2026

    Open Access and Licensing

    © 2026 The Author(s).

    Published by Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems (SEI) under the auspices of IMCRA – International Meetings and Conferences Research Association (Azerbaijan).

    This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source.

    CC BY 4.0 License

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