The history of the university

Baku Slavic University (BSU) was founded in 1946. That year, based on the Decree No. 1313 issued by the Soviet of People's Commissars of the USSR on February 2 and the decision of the Azerbaijan SSR People's Commissars' Soviet on May 15, the M.F. Akhundov two-year Azerbaijani State Pedagogical Institute was established. In the first academic year, 108 students were admitted to the institute. The institute began its activities with a staff of 28 employees.

On July 30, 1948, the first graduation of specialists who had completed the Russian language and literature teacher qualification for Azerbaijani schools took place.

In 1952, the M.F. Akhundov Pedagogical Institute was transformed into a four-year pedagogical institute for preparing Russian language teachers. In the 1956–1957 academic year, the institute switched to a five-year education system. On April 14, 1959, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR issued a decree on the "Directions of Higher Pedagogical Schools of the Azerbaijan SSR." Based on this document, the M.F. Akhundov Azerbaijani Pedagogical Russian Language and Literature Institute and the Azerbaijani Pedagogical Foreign Languages Institute were merged to form the M.F. Akhundov Azerbaijani Pedagogical Institute of Languages.

In 1972, under the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev and the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan on November 2, 1972, the M.F. Akhundov Azerbaijani Pedagogical Institute of Languages was transformed into the M.F. Akhundov Azerbaijani Pedagogical Russian Language and Literature Institute (APRL).

In 1994, the institute began to organize the teaching process based on a four-year bachelor's program, in accordance with international standards, and started preparing specialists for the master's level in 1997.

From 1996, the institute began preparing specialists in small groups for translator positions in Czech, Polish, and Bulgarian languages. However, until 2000, it mainly trained teachers of Russian language and literature for Azerbaijani and Russian-language secondary schools.

A significant event occurred in 2000 when, by a decree issued on June 13, 2000, by the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, the M.F. Akhundov Azerbaijani Pedagogical Russian Language and Literature Institute was expanded into Baku Slavic University (BSU). Following this, BSU became one of the leading universities in the East, preparing professional specialists in rare fields. The university implemented a wide-ranging reform program, and its teaching, training, and infrastructure were substantially updated.

With the expanding relations of independent Azerbaijan with countries worldwide, including Eastern European states, the demand for highly qualified specialists who are well-versed not only in language and literature but also in the economics, geography, political systems, and cultures of these countries grew. To meet this demand, the university underwent a fundamental restructuring. As a result, a new institution with higher status and greater capacity for specialization was created. Within a short period, BSU became a multi-disciplinary educational institution with highly trained professionals, academic potential, and modern infrastructure.

Today, Baku Slavic University is a unique educational and cultural center, not only studying the languages and cultures of Slavic peoples but also focusing on the languages, cultures, history, geography, and political systems of Western Europe, the Balkans, Central Asia, and the Caspian region. The university conducts serious research in Slavic, Turkish, Romance-Germanic languages and literature, regional studies, international relations, and education. Highly qualified specialists are trained for both Azerbaijan and foreign countries.

In recent years, structural changes at the university have affected all areas of its activities. The establishment of the "Higher Education Center" and the "Digitalization and Quality Assurance Center" aims to ensure the quality of education and to apply the university’s scientific research in teaching.

The Faculty of Philology prepares specialists in Azerbaijani, Russian, English, German, and French languages.

The Faculty of Education trains primary school teachers and specialists in social-psychological services for the country's general education system.

The Faculty of Social Sciences offers broad training in international relations and journalism.

The Foreign Language Teaching Faculty trains high-level teachers for Azerbaijani secondary schools in Azerbaijani, Russian, English, German, and French languages.

The Western European Languages Faculty prepares translators in Western European languages and specialists in "Regional Studies" of those regions.

The Eastern European Languages Faculty trains translators in Slavic languages and prepares specialists in Balkan studies and Eastern European regional studies.

In the university's graduate department, various specializations are offered in "Linguistics," "Philology," "Regional Studies," "International Relations," "Management," and "Education."

Currently, Baku Slavic University operates 20 departments. Its faculty includes around 40 doctors of science, professors, 200 associate professors, and over 250 senior lecturers and instructors.

At the university, the "BSU Scientific Works" and "Russian Language and Literature in Azerbaijan" scientific-methodological journals publish research results from professors, doctoral students, master’s students, and young researchers.

BSU has a Dissertation Council for defending PhD and Doctoral dissertations in specialties such as "Slavic Languages," "World Literature," "Comparative-Historical and Comparative- Typological Linguistics," "Literary Theory, Literary Analysis, and Criticism."

Every year, an international scientific-practical conference titled "Current Issues in Azerbaijan Studies" is held in honor of national leader Heydar Aliyev’s birthday. Additionally, the conferences "Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society" and "International Balkan Studies Research" have become traditions and attract considerable attention from researchers both within Azerbaijan and abroad.

BSU pays special attention to the preparation of modern textbooks, teaching aids, dictionaries, information booklets, curricula, and methodological recommendations that meet the demands of contemporary science.

In 2000, Baku Slavic University established the title of "Honorary Doctor." Several heads of state and public-political figures, who have made significant contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between our nations and countries, as well as to the development of science, education, and culture, have been awarded this honorary title by the decision of the University’s Scientific Council.