http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/601 2026-04-03T08:39:42Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8280 Title: Slipping Out of ‘Old Geopolitics’ Through TRIPP Authors: Huseynov, Vasif Abstract: For much of the post-Cold War period, the South Caucasus was shaped by a distinct geopolitical logic in which unresolved conflicts functioned as instruments of external influence, connectivity was constrained, and stability was underpinned by interim security mechanisms and contested political arrangements, not by durable peace agreements. This old geopolitics did not seek resolution; it sought control. Frozen or semi-frozen conflicts allowed external actors—above all Russia—to arbitrate outcomes, limit regional autonomy, and preserve leverage by keeping borders politically charged and economically inert. Order was produced not through integration or enforcement, but through managed ambiguity. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8270 Title: Enhancing Global Student Success Through Data-Driven Session Design in Online Education Authors: Saeed, Muhammad Atif; Naeem, Syed Muhammad; Imran, Muhammad; Ahmed, Saim; Almusharraf, Norah; Azar, Ahmad Taher Abstract: Effective online learning sessions require designing sessions that address learners'engagement and achievement across diversegroups. The duration and frequency of the session affect user satisfaction and quiz results, but it is difficult to optimize both simultaneously.This paper presents a combined optimization model that uses stepwise regression, NSGA-II, and gray relational analysis (GRA) to optimize the design of a session, leveraginga publicly available e-learning dataset (more than 2,500 anonymized records). Directional relationships between session parameters and outcomes were quantified using regression models,and Pareto-optimal solutions were identified using NSGA-II, which were further assessed under three teaching-priorityscenariosusing GRA. The results show that a 60-minute weekly session is theoptimal balance between the more satisfaction-focused designs, and that allotting 113 minutes across eight sessions is optimal for quizperformance. The explanations of the regression models (R2 = 0.20 for satisfaction and R2 = 0.11 for quiz scores) are modest, suggesting that the results should be viewed as guidance for decision-making rather thanprescriptions. Despitethese shortcomings, the framework emphasizes trade-offs between the timingand frequency of online learning and offers a data-driven,systematic approachtooptimizing online learning. Thisresearch contributesto evidence-based instructional design and provides practitioners with actionable insights to enhance international online learning. 2026-02-20T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8269 Title: EU study highlights Azerbaijan’s strategic importance in the energy sector Authors: Huseynov, Vasif Abstract: The European Commission’s 2026 meta-study on energy connectivity across the Eastern Partnership, the South Caucasus, Turkey, and Central Asia provides a timely assessment of Brussels' view of the evolving energy architecture on its eastern flank. While framed as a high-level analytical exercise rather than a policy blueprint, the document implicitly highlights Azerbaijan as one of the few regional actors capable of contributing simultaneously to Europe’s short-term energy security and its longer-term decarbonization objectives. 2026-02-18T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8267 Title: Opinion: After the visit of US Vice President JD Vance, the South Caucasus is being rewired Authors: Huseynov, Vasif Abstract: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s February 9–11 visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan marked a structural turning point in the South Caucasus. Unlike previous high-level engagements of the United States that generated rhetorical alignment but limited follow-through, this visit embedded the region into long-term American economic, technological, and strategic frameworks. Taking place on the heels of the latest agreement (January 14) between Washington and Yerevan on the implementation framework for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), the visit served to consolidate the American influence in the region and taking it to higher levels. The consequences are unfolding along two axes: domestically, within Armenia and Azerbaijan’s political economies; and geopolitically, in the region’s recalibrating balance between the United States and Russia, with Georgia seeking entry into the new configuration. 2026-02-17T00:00:00Z