Finnish Expertise to Azerbaijan

The three-year project aimed to support 15 Finnish partner companies in accessing the Azerbaijani market. The project was implemented in cooperation with the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (lead partner) and the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Key activities included six trade missions to the target country, reciprocal visits to Finland, as well as company training, market analyses, and tailored company-specific consulting. 

FinlandQ operates in the field of international education, specializing in the transfer of Finnish expertise in early childhood education, teacher training, and future vocational learning models to emerging markets. Their core competence lies in designing accessible, high-quality learning solutions, building cross-border educational partnerships, and supporting local institutions in implementing Finnish pedagogy. 

FinlandQ joined the LEF Azerbaijan Network with the ambition of strengthening educational collaboration between Finland and Azerbaijan. The project offered a structured environment to connect with Finnish and Nordic expertise, test new models, and accelerate our market entry through knowledge exchange and network building. 

Through the project, FinlandQ has gained several concrete outcomes. After more than a year of groundwork with local stakeholders, FinlandQ entered into a strategic partnership with the International Development Academy (IDA) – Baku’s first early childhood education and care center, combining national and Finnish curriculum approaches. The school expanded from 5 to 39 enrolled children within one year, demonstrating strong local demand for child-centered early learning. In parallel, FinlandQ has been developing Finnish-style teacher-training and special education programs at the IdaQ Academy; these efforts have created new commercial and academic pathways for Finnish expertise in Azerbaijan. 

– Participating in the LEF Azerbaijan Network enabled us to transform our idea into a functioning educational partnership in Baku. The collaboration with SAMK and the Resource Wisdom Research Area has been instrumental in opening doors, building trust, and shaping a long-term pathway for Finnish educational innovation in Azerbaijan, FinlandQ’s executive Director Ebra Gohari says. 

Following the project, FinlandQ’s goals include scaling early childhood education services, launching vocational and corporate training, and ultimately building a full educational pathway aligned with Finnish and Azerbaijani standards up to grade 11. The long-term vision is to establish a sustainable, future-oriented education ecosystem that supports both human development and international cooperation. 

As a concrete example of their work, they highlight the IDA early childhood center as a pioneering initiative for Finnish pedagogy in the Caucasus region. FinlandQ supported operational planning, curriculum alignment, quality development, and parent community engagement—creating a model that can be replicated in other cities in Azerbaijan. 

More information:
Ebra Gohari, Co-Founder / Executive Director