In 1930, the government of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic ordered the university shut down in accordance with a reorganization of higher education. Then 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.
Among the graduates of BSU were two former presidents of Azerbaijan, Abulfaz Elchibey and Heydar Aliyev.[3] Elchibey graduated from the Faculty of Arabic Language and Literature, while Aliyev, who dominated Azerbaijan's political life for over 30 years, from the Faculty of History. Nobel Prize-winning physicistLev Landau studied at BSU between 1922 and 1924.[3]
BSU is the only university from Azerbaijan ranked by international ranking organizations, such as University Ranking by Academic Performance and currently ranks at 1872 in the University Ranking by Academic Performance.[4]