Вузы Дагестана в завершающий период существования СССР (1985–1989)

Abstract

This article considers the state policy towards the transformation of higher education in Russia on the example of universities in the Republic of Dagestan. Higher education in the Republic of Dagestan in the 21st century has passed a period of profound changes, and there are still disputes about the ways of domestic education further development, forms and methods of increasing its competitiveness in the world educational market. In these disputes, the key element remains the assessment of Soviet educational standards and the historical heritage of Soviet higher education. At the beginning of the 1990s, higher education in the Republic was, on the one hand, a fully developed system of education, in terms of quantitative and qualitative indicators. On the other hand, it was characterized by conservatism, narrow specialization, dogmatism, isolation from the constantly changing needs of society and the economy, and standardness. These shortcomings were already evident at the end of the Soviet period of Russian history. One of the important components of the policy of acceleration and perestroika proclaimed by M. S. Gorbachev and his colleagues became the attempt to carry out a deep transformation of higher education, giving it flexibility and a strong connection with the urgent needs of the national economy. The study of higher education policy in 1986-1990 is relevant today as an example of the first conscious attempt by the political leadership to transform higher education in the direction of serving the interests of the changing economic system. The positive and negative elements of the experience of 1986-1990 should help in shaping and implementing higher school reform in our time.