Cultural embeddedness and epistemic negotiation in South–South VET cooperation—a comparative study in Central Asia

This paper compares two transnational educational initiatives in Central Asia – the Luban Workshop at East Kazakhstan Technical University and the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) – to examine how cultural embeddedness shapes localisation outcomes. Using a four-dimensional framework of embeddedness and a theory-informed comparative case-study design, the study analyses policy texts, institutional documents, curricula and media materials across three domains: staffing, pedagogy, and curriculum/equipment design. The findings suggest that the Luban Workshop is institutionally and structurally embedded but remains culturally thin, as epistemic authority is concentrated in external expertise, pedagogic adaptation is limited and curriculum design risks technological lock-in. By contrast, AUCA demonstrates deeper localisation through more sustained pedagogic adaptation, broader redistribution of epistemic authority and a curriculum that combines global standards with local flexibility. The article argues that successful transnational VET cooperation depends not only on formal institutional alignment but also on the co-production of interpretive resources, vocational capital and locally credible forms of knowledge.