Comparison of Azerbaijan and Russia higher education systems in terms of purpose, structure and process

In modern society, education has become one of the most comprehensive areas of human activity. The social role of education has increased dramatically. Today, the prospects for human development largely depend on the focus and effectiveness of education. Education, especially higher education, is recognized as the leading factor of social, political and economic progress. The reason for so much attention is the realization that the most important asset and the main capital of modern society is the person who is able to search for new knowledge, master it and make non-standard decisions. This research examines higher education systems in Azerbaijan and Russia. With the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the period from 1920 to 1990, Azerbaijan and Russia were also included in this union and all state administration and higher education were subject to a single management structure. After the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the states of Azerbaijan and Russia were exposed to a financial and economic crisis. Continuous wars during and after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics weakened Azerbaijan and Russia, which affected the education and higher education system, leading to logistical problems in universities, lower salaries for faculty members and a decrease in the prestige of university education. Following the adoption of new reforms and laws, there has been a significant development in higher education and the reforms adopted have continued to be valid in the educational environment of the 21st century. This research examines the purpose, structure and process dimensions of the Azerbaijani and Russian higher education systems. Then, Azerbaijani and Russian higher education systems are compared in terms of purpose, structure and process and parameters are tried to be developed. This research consists of 3 chapters. In the first part, the problem situation and the purpose of the research are analyzed. In the second part, the higher education system of Azerbaijan and Russia is analyzed in detail, its purpose, structure and process dimensions are analyzed. Finally, in the third part, the Azerbaijani and Russian higher education systems are compared in terms of purpose, structure and process, and parameters are developed.