Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) marked the graduation of the 15th class of the English MA Program in European Studies, the graduation of the first graduates of the double degree MA programs, as well as the defense of the dissertation in English of a doctoral student and the enrollment of the first class of the Jean Monnet BA Program in European Studies.

“The Institute for European Studies (IES) at TSU was established as an interfaculty unit that has been researching and teaching the European Union and its neighborhood for 16 years from the prism of economics, law, politics and humanities. The Institute for European Studies plays the most important role in the university space in terms of fulfilling the third mission, which is first to establish and spread European values, as well as to introduce our traditions and values ​​to the international community, which is manifested in a high level of internationalization”, said TSU Vice Rector Nino Gvenetadze.

Pawel Herczynski, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, said in his speech that the European Union has made a significant contribution to the establishment of the Institute for European Studies at TSU. He noted that the Institute has expanded its relations with various European structures and participated in many important EU projects. Ambassador Herczynski also stressed that the relations between the European Union and Georgia have never been so close, and the doors of the European Union have never been so open.

“17 years ago, the European Commission contributed to the establishment of the Interfaculty Institute for European Studies at the oldest and largest higher educational institution in the region - the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. The goal of the Institute was to raise awareness about the European Union and to promote the spread of European aspirations and European values ​​of Georgia through higher education. IES started its work with a single MA program in English. Now, when the EU enlargement policy has officially spread to Georgia, giving us a European perspective, IES has responded to this historical impulse with a stronger position - we have six programs at all three levels of education,” said Nino Lapiashvili, Head of the Institute for European Studies at TSU.  

During the event, Vasil Kacharava’s daughter awarded scholarships named after TSU Professors Vasil Kacharava and Merab Abdaladze to Lizi Tsaava and Lamara Kishmareishvili, the successful students of the IES undergraduate program.

Students from Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkey, China, Cameroon study together with Georgian students at the Institute for European Studies of TSU.

The event was attended by TSU students, professors, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and international organizations, among them, Stephan Malerius, Head of the South Caucasus Regional Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Professor Agnese Dāvidsone, Rector of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (Latvia), Archil Karaulashvili, Director General for European Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, and Davit Songulashvili, Chairman of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.