The 26th international conference of the European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE) was opened at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University on October 14. Holding an event of this scale in Georgia is a special opportunity for Georgia Occupational Therapy Association and local professional community, for further strengthening and development of the profession in the country at both educational and practical levels.
 

Deputy Rector of TSU, Nino Okribelashvili, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Nunu Mitskevich, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tamar Gagoshidze, President of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Samantha Shann, President of the European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education, Soemitro Poerbodipoero, Georgian and European occupational therapists attended the event.
 

“The international conference of the European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE) will discuss the fate of occupational therapy as a profession in both Georgia and Europe. It is worth noting that Tbilisi State University is the only university in Georgia, where this education can be acquired. It is so unique, specific, and in-demand specialty in terms of employment that all our graduates are practically employed,” Nino Okribelashvili noted.
 

Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Nunu Mitskevich said that “the topics to be discussed at the conference are relevant since the main axis of the strategy of the Ministry of Education and Science is inclusive education and access to quality education. Within the framework of the conference, these topics will be discussed in an international context, while challenges will be discussed at a national level.” 
 

Occupational therapy is one of the important fields of rehabilitation. Throughout the world, occupational therapists actively work with people with diverse abilities and vulnerable groups.
 

President of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Samantha Shann stressed the importance of the development of the field and the value of the conference, noting that the Georgian Association is a worthy member of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. She added that occupational therapists are at the forefront of rehabilitation services in Europe and, at the same time, in Georgia.
 

ENOTHE President, Soemitro Poerbodipoero spoke about the importance of the event and occupational therapy, in general. He expressed gratitude for having an opportunity to share knowledge and experience with each other, as well as to focus on the challenges facing occupational therapy.
 

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University is the only higher educational institution in Georgia, where bachelor’s degree in occupation therapy can be obtained at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. Modern research, practices and achievements in the field of occupational therapy, challenges in education and examples of successful projects were discussed at the conference. Tamar Gagoshidze, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of TSU, spoke about the importance of sharing experience and, in general, the format of the conference: “ENOTHE sets the standard for occupational therapists. Holding the conference in Tbilisi is very important for the development of this branch in Georgia. Issues related to master’s and doctoral programs, as well as services, will be discussed at the conference. The speakers will present very interesting research papers.”
 

The conference discussed several important issues, such as telerehabilitation, the role of technology in creating an accessible living environment, the needs of internally displaced persons, the ways of creating an inclusive environment and systems, and so on.
 

The purpose of the conference is to share the best experience between the countries, to encourage professional cooperation, to set future development plans and increase the awareness of the profession.
 

The conference was held in a hybrid format and more than 180 guests from about 20 countries participated in it. The European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE) unites more than 100 institutions from 36 countries of the world.