Research and Education Center (REC) is committed to fostering positive societal impact by bridging diverse perspectives across social, academic, corporate, and NGO sectors in Azerbaijan. Their mission is to drive innovative research and strategic partnerships that generate knowledge, insights, and actionable strategies for businesses and communities.
Founded in 2024, REC’s goal is to cultivate a culture of excellence, inclusivity, and ethical research practices to create a more interconnected and prosperous world.
Through innovative approaches and inclusive partnerships, REC is dedicated to addressing pressing global challenges. They envision a future where collective knowledge inspires transformative actions, fostering prosperity, equality, and environmental stewardship. By nurturing curiosity, creativity, and compassion, REC strives to lead efforts in building a better, interconnected world for all.
Our Partnership
REC chose to partner with Aflatoun in 2024 to integrate Social and Financial Education (SFE) into their research-driven training sessions for children and families in Azerbaijan. The AflaTeen curriculum, specifically, aligns with their commitment to equipping young people with financial literacy and essential life skills.
Why Social and Financial Education Matters in Azerbaijan
Social and Financial Education plays a crucial role in shaping the future of Azerbaijan’s youth, particularly in underprivileged communities. Many young people lack access to financial literacy, limiting their ability to make informed personal and professional decisions. By providing financial education, students develop essential skills such as budgeting, saving, and entrepreneurship—key tools for breaking the cycle of financial insecurity and fostering economic mobility. Beyond financial knowledge, social education instills a sense of responsibility, ethical decision-making, and civic engagement, creating empowered individuals ready to contribute to a sustainable society.
REC has been working hard to adapt and contextualise the AflaToun and AflaTeen curricula for local implementation. These programmes will be integrated into their training sessions, offering underprivileged children access to quality Social and Financial Education. Through this initiative, REC is ensuring that young learners develop the necessary skills to navigate financial and social challenges effectively.
Contextualising and Training
REC recently completed a 5-week adaptation workshop for the AflaTeen manual, tailored for a pilot study. This collaborative effort brought together child psychiatrists, psychologists, Teach for Azerbaijan members, Reliable Future representatives, educators, and facilitators. Together, they developed a 12-week culturally adapted curriculum designed to align with local needs. This initiative underscores the power of collaboration in advancing education and life skills development for youth in Azerbaijan.
In addition, in January of this year, REC hosted a dynamic Training of Trainers on the AflaToun programme, equipping educators, social workers, and key stakeholders with the tools to deliver Social and Financial Education to children and youth in Azerbaijan.
Key representatives from the Ministry of Science and Education, the State Agency of Preschool and General Education, and the Social Services Agency participated in the training, exploring strategies to enhance financial literacy and social responsibility among young learners.
This initiative was made possible with support from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), under the project “Optimizing Multi-Level Interventions to Improve Child Mental Health in Azerbaijan,” led by the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.