| Baku State University | |
|---|---|
| Bakı Dövlət Universiteti | |
| Established | 1919 |
| Type | Public |
| Rector | Prof. Dr. Abel Maharramov |
| Academic staff | 1300 |
| Location | Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.bsu.edu.az/ |
Baku State University (BSU, Azerbaijani: Bakı Dövlət Universiteti) is a public university located in Baku, Azerbaijan. Established in 1919 by the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the University started with faculties of history and philology; physics and mathematics; law and medicine with an initial enrollment of 1094. The first rector of BSU was V.I.Razumovsky, a former professor of surgery at Kazan University.
In 1930, the government ordered the University shut down in accordance with a reorganization of higher education, and the University was replaced with the Supreme Pedagogical Institute. However, in 1934 the University was reestablished again, and continued to work through the difficult years of World War II experiencing a shortage of faculty members.
By its 40th anniversary in 1959, the University already had 13 faculties. The Azerbaijan Medical University and Azerbaijan State Economic University were both spun-offs of the original respective faculties at BSU.
Among the graduates of BSU were two former presidents of Azerbaijan, Abulfaz Elchibey and Heydar Aliyev. The former graduated from the Faculty of Arabic Language and Literature, while the latter, who dominated Azerbaijan's political life for over 30 years, from the Faculty of History. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Lev Landau studied at BSU between 1922 and 1924.
BSU is the only university from Azerbaijan Republic ranked by international ranking organizations, such as University Ranking by Academic Performance and currently ranks at 1951 in the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP).[1]
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BSU was established on September 1, 1919 by the decision of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. In its first year, the University had two faculties - Faculty of Philology and the Medical Faculty, and an enrollment of 1094 students.
Among the leading teachers at the University in 1920-40 were Azerbaijani writer Abdurrahim bek Haqverdiyev, orientalist – Professor P.K. Juze, Professor A.O. Makovelski, Professor A.O. Mishel and other scholars. During that period the administration of the university invited to Baku such teachers as N.Y. Marr, V.V. Bartold, the academician of the Eastern Science Academy Fuad bek Kuprulluzade.
In 1930 the university was liquidated according to the decision made by Council of the People’s Commissar on reorganization and instead there was created High Pedagogical Institute. Only in 1943 the State University resumed its activity and very soon became Republic’s scientific-pedagogical center. Despite the great shortage of university teachers because most of teachers went to Second World War, University managed to keep its leading position. In 1945 the teachers of the University took active part in foundation of The Azerbaijan Academy of Science. Most of the University’s functioning in the Republic, such as Azerbaijan Medical University, Azerbaijan University of Economy, Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University and others were founded on the basis of our University. The years following after the year 1969 can be considered as the years of development in the direction of knowledge and science. Covering the wide historical period of time, during those years there were founded faculties on modern specialties, departments and about 30 scientific research laboratories started their activity. As a result there was created a strong assurance of future development.