In the modern era, the role of universities is not limited to training qualified personnel. They have also become important participants in the social, economic, and cultural development of society. This brings new approaches to the forefront regarding the evaluation criteria for higher education institutions.
Should universities be measured only by the number of scientific articles and rankings, or should their contributions to the overall development of the country also be taken into account?
Honored Teacher, former deputy Sona Aliyeva, commenting on the topic to AzEdu.az, noted that the concept of a university has long changed in the modern world:
"A university is no longer merely an institution that grants diplomas or publishes scientific articles. It is a center that exerts a real impact on the country's economy, labor market, innovation environment, and the overall development of society. From this perspective, measuring universities solely by rankings and the number of articles is insufficient. Of course, scientific articles and indicators from ranking systems like "Scopus" and "Web of Science" are important indicators of academic potential. However, these indicators do not fully explain what the university contributes to society. If a university produces science, the question arises: where is this science applied, who benefits from it, and what problem of the country does it solve? In my opinion, contribution to the national economy and labor market should also be one of the main criteria in the evaluation of higher education institutions.
To what extent do university graduates find employment, in which fields do they create value, is there real cooperation with business and industry, are startups and innovative initiatives emerging, etc. – these should be measured. If a university graduates thousands of students, but a large portion of them cannot find employment in their field, this is a serious signal. At the same time, the role of universities in the innovation ecosystem should also be evaluated separately. Patents, applied research, cooperation with technoparks, scientific solutions aimed at local problems – these are indicators of real development and are more impactful than rankings on paper.
Another important issue is the social and national responsibility of universities. Higher education institutions not only provide young people with a profession but also shape their civic stance. Patriotism, the preservation of national values, public enlightenment, open dialogue with society – these are also integral parts of the university's mission. Although these activities are difficult to measure, they should not be overlooked. Overall, universities should be evaluated multi-dimensionally.
Scientific indicators should remain, but criteria such as economic impact, social contribution, the fate of graduates, and the role in national development should be added alongside them. Otherwise, we will have to settle for a university model with strong rankings but one that poorly responds to the country's real needs. The value of a university should be measured not only by the writing of scientific articles but by how much benefit it creates for society".
