Dr Aynur Ismayilli Karakoç
Dr Aynur Ismayilli Karakoç is an education specialist with about twenty years of professional experience spanning both education research and also international project work beyond the education sector, including collaboration with embassies, ministries, and international organisations.
Her research and development work across school systems and higher education covers areas such as assessment, pedagogy, bilingual education, and the integration of AI in education.
In her current role as Education Reform Solutions Manager, Aynur supports capacity-building initiatives, system analysis, innovation, monitoring and evaluation, informing education policy and decision-making across global contexts. She also serves as a member of the organisation’s Research Ethics Committee.
Aynur has led international research and impact evaluation projects, such as evaluation of AI-informed pedagogy practices in Kuwait, school leadership initiatives in Ukraine, bilingual education in Madrid, oracy education in Mexico, young learners’ pedagogy in Italy, teaching practices in Indian universities, formative assessment practices in Thailand, and academic literacy and assessment validation in New Zealand, among others. Earlier in her career, she worked as a university lecturer in Istanbul, supported the ELTO programme for ASEAN ministry officials with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade New Zealand, and taught refugee and migrant learners.
She holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies from Victoria University of Wellington and is the recipient of the Best PhD Thesis Award in New Zealand and the Doctoral Dissertation Award from Duolingo. Aynur also received the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award (White House, 2006) as a FLEX exchange student, along with a Texas Council Partnership Award. Her publications appear in high-impact journals and presents at conferences. She speaks English, Russian, Turkish, and Azerbaijani.
To contact Aynur, message partnership@cambridge.org with the subject line 'FAO Aynur Ismayilli'
References
Martin, C., & Ismayilli Karakoç, A. (2026). AI for Educators: Advanced Professional Training. Impact Evaluation Report, submitted to Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).
Ismayilli Karakoç, A., Champaud, J., Peña Jaenes, V., Bradshaw, D., Seguis, B., Vidal Rodeiro, C., & Azevedo L. S. (2024). Impact Evaluation of the Programa Bilingüe in Primary and Secondary Schools in the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) practices and perceptions. Year 2 Report. Submitted to the Dirección General de Bilingüismo y Calidad de la Enseñanza.
