INTEGRATION OF STEM STRATEGIES INTO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF UZBEKISTAN AND BULGARIA

This article examines how integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) strategies can inform professional and vocational education in Uzbekistan and Bulgaria. A structured documentary matrix compares the two countries in digital pedagogy, interdisciplinary curricula, educator preparation, industry engagement, inclusion, implementation capacity and quality assurance. The findings identify a shared demand for modular teacher development, applied interdisciplinary projects and green/digital competencies. The study portrays Bulgaria as having more established STEM centres and experience with immersive and gamified tools, while Uzbekistan is described as expanding institutional capacity and policy support. A staged transfer framework is proposed, linking educator development, industry-defined problems, digital learning resources and competency-based assessment. The article concludes that context-sensitive adaptation and measurable pilot studies are prerequisites for credible scaling.