The aims and objectives for many development initiatives that involve consultants who advise policy and its implementation, are often driven by international metrics, indicators and definitions of success (Marginsson, 2022). Research quality can be defined within metrics widely used in Research Assessment exercises (Pontika, et.al, 2022), and in doing so define quality as being focussed on three areas: outputs (or publications); case studies that define and demonstrate impact of research; and statements about the institutional research culture and environment. Within these categories, quality is defined through originality, significance and rigour. Such definitions of quality are then also internationalised through performance league tables and international ranking exercises. But to what extent can a state authority, with ambitions to improve their research “performance” (against such metrics) do so in a way that is sensitive not just to local cultural traditions but also to research histories, infrastructures and shared understandings of its role and purpose? This paper reports on the approach adopted on the Academic City project to achieve this aim. Commencing with a thorough review of the state of play in research activities across Armenia, and based on the literature search and review reported by Saghdasaryan in this symposium, and a series of stakeholder interviews with current academics in three merging universities, as well as those in other organisations (both academic, philanthropic and third sector), we sought not just to develop a full understanding of the education research culture across Armenia but also to explore the value systems which underpin it. Based on an analysis of education research cultures in countries with similar influences from post-soviet education and research legacies, we wanted to understand what teachers, schools and education academics valued about their research culture and what they perceived research to be for within the wider education ecosystem, with particular reference to teacher education. We then contrasted these views with the widely accepted parameters of what makes for a success “performance” in ranking systems (such as the QS World Ranking). Our aim was not to develop a deficit narrative of what the system in Armenia lacked, but to build on the aspects of the research culture that spoke to the education community in Armenia. In the paper, we present our analysis, our findings and our research strategy: a research plan that combines enhancing methodological expertise across the education ecosystem, along with targeted interventions on those areas for research that stakeholders agreed matters.

Marginson, S. (2022) ‘What drives global science? The four competing narratives.’ In Studies in Higher Education 47(8), pp. 1566-1584 Pontika, N,. Klebel, T., Correia, A., Metzler, H., Knoth, P., and Ross-Hellauer, T. (2022) ‘Indicators of research quality, quantity, openness and responsibility in institutional review, promotion and tenure policies across seven countries.’ In Quantitative Science Studies 3(4), pp. 888–911