The article deals with Mordovia’s higher education system during the dramatic transformations of the Soviets. The demolition of sustainable development mechanisms for universities infl uenced the spirituality, intellectualism and morality of college youth. The ideological and structural changes resulted in transformations of educational and research processes. By all means this had its impact on the development level of the region in general since academic teaching staff and university students have always been and still are in the forefront of progress and modernization trends. Throughout decades, the higher pedagogical education system has passed through a number of important and quite controversial stages. However, the system proved to be sustainable enough which is, inter alia, due the fact the state is interested in its functioning. From the viewpoint of the authorities, the pedagogical community was to educate and, thus, produce highly qualifi ed teachers, social thought leaders anytime ready to implement any state project. And, in fact, teachers had once acted as local representatives of the authorities working with the younger generation and shaping the fundamental values. This responsible, time-consuming and diffi cult task required that educators should be highly cultured and literate, apply innovative approaches, and be constantly engaged in the community affairs; all that was repaid with social respect, appreciation, and decent fi nancial support as well as the high status of school teachers and university lecturers.