Tornike Batavani, a PhD student at the Faculty of Medicine, is one of those people who successfully completed the English-language Master’s Program in Public Health. As part of the same program, he successfully studied in Norway and now continues his studies and activities at TSU as a doctoral student. An interesting young scientist talks about his experiences as a student and employee at TSU and shares his impressions with us.

Tornike Batavani is currently a PhD student in the Public Health and Epidemiology Program of the Faculty of Medicine at Tbilisi State University. In 2020, prior to entering the PhD program, he graduated from TSU’s English-language Master’s Program in Public Health.

He works as a health data analyst in a clinical laboratory, and simultaneously is an invited lecturer at Tbilisi State University. In particular, he has been teaching global health and health economics to TSU students for several years.

“I decided to continue my studies at Tbilisi State University while entering the master’s program. TSU turned 100 years old that year. I learned from a friend that there was a Georgian-Norwegian English-language MA Program in Public Health at TSU, and I decided to choose this program.

The English-language MA Program in Public Health is the best option for those who want to work in the field of health...

I think having an English language program is perhaps more important for public health than for other professions. In our field, much of the scientific research and literature is published in English. Therefore, reading in English is necessary for a public health professional to stay abreast of innovations in the field and to successfully collaborate with foreign colleagues.

When making a choice, the university was also of great importance. In my opinion, Tbilisi State University is the most outstanding university in Georgia. It is an educational institution with a rich history and high quality of teaching, which has educated many generations of specialists in various fields in our country. TSU is known not only in Georgia, but also abroad.

It was also important that TSU’s English-language MA Program in Public Health was created through Georgian-Norwegian cooperation, which further increased the quality and importance of this program. In my opinion, the English-language MA Program in Public Health is the best option for those who want to work in the field of health.

The lecturers who taught us in this program are involved in important public health activities. For example, some work at the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC). As a result, they are able to impart not only theoretical knowledge to students, but also practical experience.

During our studies, we had access to high-quality, modern books and scientific materials. We also have students from other countries studying with us, which is very important for making international connections and learning about the experiences of their countries of origin.

In addition, as part of our MA program and in general, TSU regularly organizes international events of interest to students and researchers - conferences, seminars, trainings, symposia, etc. The head of our MA program, Professor Nino Chikhladze, constantly informed us when similar events were held at the university, which further contributed to the growth of experience and knowledge.

With the help of the knowledge acquired at TSU, still within the framework of the MA program, I conducted research on the characteristics of early detection of cancer in Georgia. An article about this research (Early and late detection of cancer in Georgia: Evidence from a population-based cancer registry, 2018–2019; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2022.102216) was published in Cancer Epidemiology, which is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal with a high impact factor and has been assigned a Q2 category by Scimago Lab.

Reading medical literature instead of fairy tales

I was born into a family of doctors, and when I was four years old, we moved temporarily to Iran. Of course, my parents took some fairy tales with them. After reading these books, I reread each of them several times, and then I turned to non-fiction books, because I did not have more books in Georgian. In the end, all I had left at home were my parents’ medical books, which I had not yet read. So, I slowly started reading them, and that was the first time I learned about medicine.

When I decided to enter the Faculty of Medicine, after graduating from school, I could not imagine myself in any other profession at that moment. It was a field that interested me and that I knew best at the time.

However, later, when I started my MA program, I became interested in public health issues and continued my studies in that direction.

Choosing a specialty or a profession is less likely to be a one-time decision that we make only during the enrollment period...

If you do not know someone personally, it is difficult to recommend a profession. Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to choose our own profession, probably because sometimes we do not know ourselves well enough.

Medicine requires a lot of time and effort, and it will not be an acceptable choice for everyone. It should also be said here that there is no objectively best profession. For each of us, there is simply an activity in which a particular person is best suited. Of course, this depends on the time and environment in which a person lives and works. For example, today there are many talented IT specialists who are the best at their job and cannot imagine being without a computer. But what activities would the same people have chosen if they had been born one or two centuries earlier?

We may not have fully understood all this at the age of 17-18, but with time, I think, we will gradually get to know our abilities, interests, and the peculiarities of this or that profession. Therefore, choosing a specialty or a profession is less likely to be a one-time decision that we make only during the enrollment period. It is a continuous process, it is as if we do not begin a journey to go in a chosen direction, but rather to discover the direction we want to go.

I am glad that Tbilisi State University has given me the opportunity to teach students. I would like to tell the young generation who are thinking about enrolling in the university the same thing I tell my students - to read a lot. But just reading without critical thinking is not enough. To quote the Chinese philosopher Confucius, “Learning without thinking is useless, thinking without learning is dangerous.” I agree with this phrase and believe that reading should be accompanied by critical analysis of what is read. When my students tell me that the course of lectures has helped them to see issues from different perspectives and to learn to think critically, this is a very important evaluation for me.

Tbilisi State University and University of Tromsø

The MA program of Tbilisi State University gave me the opportunity to study in Norway. I studied at the University of Tromsø (UiT – The Arctic University of Norway) as part of the exchange program.

I was pleased to discover that the MA students in Norway used the same textbooks and study materials as our English-language MA program.

Thus, TSU not only gave me the opportunity to study abroad, but also equipped me with the necessary knowledge and training.

In fact, I have successfully completed very interesting and important courses at the University of Tromsø. It should be noted that I studied the epidemiology course together with Norwegian PhD students.

In general, the standard of teaching in Norway is very high. Studying there is not easy even for local students, and as I heard, no one expected high results from the students who came from Georgia. In the Global Health course that year, only one student received the highest grade (A), and that one student was me - an MA student who came to Norway from Georgia.

Thousands of Norwegian and international students study at the University of Tromsø. It can be said that every continent except Antarctica is represented at the University.

There I met students from different parts of the world, with whom I am still friends. During my studies in Norway, it was a great pleasure to discuss and debate various health issues with these educated and talented people.

University professors also come from different countries. For example, I was taught by famous English and American professors as well as Norwegian lecturers. One of the peculiarities of studying in Norway is the independence of a student.

In Georgia, the lecturer often decides what materials a student should study or what book a student should read. This is not the case in Norway. A book or a scholarly article may be recommended to a student, but the student is free to choose what to read and when. Moreover, this is exactly what is expected of MA students in Tromsø. A student who studies there should be used to a proper distribution of time and to working independently.

On the other hand, students have all the conditions for studying - a library full of the best books, software, and access to international scientific journals. In addition, the university has its own fully equipped sports halls, canteens, and cafes with healthy food, and even its own bar, where entertainment events and concerts are held. It is worth noting that a lot of attention is paid to the mental health of students - a psychological counseling center has been created specifically for students.

As I mentioned above, I am currently a PhD student at Tbilisi State University. Along with that, I also teach at TSU as an invited lecturer. Accordingly, my current plans are closely connected with Tbilisi State University. This university has made a great contribution to my scientific and academic development. I hope this will continue in the future.

Doctor of Philology Natia Mirotadze, as a young scientist, was awarded the Rustaveli National Science Foundation prize for outstanding achievements in science in 2023. Natia is currently employed at the Georgian National Center of Manuscripts and serves as an invited lecturer at the Institute of the Georgian Language at Tbilisi State University. As Natia notes, although TSU was not her conscious choice at first and she actually found herself at the university “accidentally”, her identity as a scientist will always be connected to TSU. She discusses how she ended up at TSU and what ties her to the university. During the interview, Natia spoke so engagingly about her research topic that we decided to provide readers with the longest possible version of the conversation.

The 20-year history of relations with TSU, which will never end...

I graduated from Tbilisi State University in December 2021, after defending my thesis on “Readings of the Book of Kings in Georgian Lectionaries: Relation to Georgian and Greek Sources.” As a result, I have earned a doctorate in philology. Currently, I serve as a senior research fellow at the Department of Codicology and Textology at the Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Center of Manuscripts. In addition, I am an invited lecturer at the Department of Ancient Georgian Language and Textological Studies at the Institute of the Georgian Language in TSU.  

It can be said that my decision to enroll in Tbilisi State University was not well-thought-out, and I ended up there by chance, thanks to my mother. I had decided to become a teacher while still in school, influenced by my family members who were also teachers.  My mother's mother was a philologist, my father's mother was a teacher of chemistry and biology, and my grandfather was a teacher of mathematics. Since my early childhood, my grandmothers have shared with me various stories about their first lessons and professional experiences. As a result, teaching has always been associated with happy summer vacations spent with my grandmothers. However, after reading a book about teaching, I realized that becoming a teacher was my true calling. Despite my interest, I recognized that I would not excel as a physics, chemistry, or mathematics teacher based on my abilities. The Georgian language's grammar came effortlessly and easily to me, although I was always too lazy to learn poems in literature. When I expressed my desire to become a Georgian language teacher, my parents advised me to enroll in philology. My mother submitted my documents to Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. In September 2004, my relationship with TSU began after a year of preparation and entry exams. This relationship has lasted almost 20 years and will continue indefinitely, as I will always be a part of TSU.

I value Tbilisi State University primarily for its teachers. Tedo Uturgaidze, Shukia Apridonidze, Elene Koshoridze, Vakhtang Imnaishvili, Natela Kutelia, Tengiz Kikacheishvili, Leila Geguchadze, Zurab Chumburidze, Leli Baramidze, Damana Melikishvili, Zaza Aleksidze, Revaz Siradze, Denis Dgebuadze, Zurab Kiknadze, Ushangi Sakhltkhutsishvili, Zaur Medzvelia, Gulnara Kalandarishvili, Mari Nikolaishvili, Ana Kharanauli, Darejan Tvaltvadze, Rusudan Tsanava, Magda Mchedlidze, Ramaz Kurdadze, Marine Beridze, Lela Tsikhelashvili, Tamar Aptsiauri, Victoria Jugeli and many others - these are the people with whom I associate the university. They have taught me a great deal about Georgian philology and human relations. Among them, I would like to mention Tedo Uturgaidze, who encouraged me to continue my scientific work, and Ana Kharanauli, who supervised both my master’s and PhD theses, and with whom I continued this scientific work. Under her guidance, I learned research methodology, article writing, report preparation and presentation, establishing and maintaining business relations, teamwork, and appreciating my own and others’ work. I did not only learn about research methods, but also about textology, translation, and bibliology. She introduced me to the international scientific community, and I attribute all my progress and success to her expertise, knowledge, and skills.

Georgian Bible as a subject of research

My research focuses on Georgian Bible textology and translation theory and Bible philology in general, as well as the textology and publishing of ancient Georgian translations, Georgian paleography and codicology, the description and cataloging of Georgian manuscripts, ancient Georgian language.

After completing my master’s degree, I became involved in a project financed by the Rustaveli Foundation. The project focused on creating an ancient Georgian - ancient Greek philosophical and theological dictionary. The project was carried out at the scientific base of TSU under the leadership of Damana Melikishvili and Ana Kharanauli. With funding from the Rustaveli National Science Foundation, I have prepared a synoptic edition of the old Georgian versions of the Book of Esther, a phototype and diplomatic edition of the Ioane Petritsi translation, as well as translations of the Elements of Theology according to manuscript H-1337 (in collaboration with Damana Melikishvili), a catalog of palimpsests stored at the Georgian National Center of Manuscripts (together with a group of researchers), a catalog of Georgian manuscripts transcribed abroad (together with a group of researchers).

Thanks to the funding provided by the Faculty of Humanities at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, I have had the opportunity to conduct research trips to Kutaisi Historical and Ethnographic Museum, Svaneti Ethnographic Museum, and Matenadaran (Yerevan). During these trips, I worked alongside other students in the Master’s degree program in Philology of the Christian East and Doctoral programs in Georgian Bible to record and study Georgian manuscripts preserved there.

What does the Georgian Bible mean? What makes it so different and unique? The Georgian/Greek... Bible and similar expressions are abbreviated versions of the Georgian/Greek translation of the Bible. This translation is commonly referenced by bibliologists in their writings and speeches. As you know, Georgian writing, Georgian literary language originated from the translation of the Bible. Research on the ancient Georgian translation of the Bible is a crucial aspect of Georgian humanities. In addition to the fact that the history of the Georgian literary language, the development of the language, lexicology, the influence of the style of the Bible on the original writing should be studied based on the old Georgian translations of the Bible, the Georgian Bible is also very important for researching the Greek Bible. The ancient Georgian translation of the Bible made in the 4th -5th centuries or even earlier is an important source for reconstructing the history of the old Greek translation of the Greek Bible, the Septuagint, and determining the original text. Therefore, research on the Georgian Bible is significant from both Georgian and international perspectives. I am pleased that my scientific activity has gone in this direction.

As I have already mentioned, the Georgian translation of the Bible is interesting in itself, for Georgian philology, and also for the history of the Greek translation of the Bible. Therefore, at the first stage of the research, we should determine which stage of the history/development of the Greek text the Georgian translation reflects. To achieve this goal, we compare the Georgian and Greek texts verbatim and then analyze the similarities and differences. Based on this analysis, we establish the relationship of the translation to the Greek sources. There are several ancient Georgian translations of the Book of Kings. One of them is directly preserved in the biblical manuscripts, and the other is preserved in in the lectionary manuscripts. Before we continue, let’s explain what a lectionary is: it is a liturgical collection arranged on a calendar, which describes the liturgy to be celebrated on this or that holiday and indicates which passages from the Old and New Testaments are to be read during the liturgy. These passages are called readings. The Georgian lectionary manuscripts contain a large part of the Book of Kings in the form of readings. Lectionary and biblical scholars have always been interested in the question of whether the readings in the lectionary are the same texts as those in the biblical manuscripts, or whether the lectionaries and the biblical manuscripts have different translations. Clarifying this was another goal of my dissertation. In the case of the Book of Kings, the lectionary readings are a different translation from the text found in the biblical manuscripts and are derived from the L-text form of the Septuagint. To explain what the L-text form of the Septuagint is would take us too far. Those who are interested can read my dissertation or write to me and we can talk about the textology of the Bible and the master’s program - Philology of the Christian East - within the framework of which they will study the philology of the Bible and become researchers of the Georgian Bible.

Practical advice for young researchers and not only...

I always advise everyone, not only the young generation, to choose a job and a profession that they love and enjoy doing. If it is philology, they should choose it. Maybe the material benefits are higher in some professions, but when you do what you love and you are successful, a person feels appreciation and satisfaction that cannot be outweighed by the material side. Moreover, dedication to one’s work is sometimes rewarded materially. In addition to their own interests, they should choose such a program that will help them acquire the basic skills of scientific and research activities, choose a supervisor who will carefully and repeatedly read and correct their writing, constantly and repeatedly correct their own articles or reports in accordance with the supervisor’s comments, while they are students, learn as much as possible, especially research languages, read a lot, participate in discussions, develop professional skills, do their work with scientific integrity and equip themselves with patience, and their work will definitely be appreciated. I recommend this to myself as well.

While studying for my master’s degree, I received financial support from the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation to attend an international conference abroad for the first time. In the subsequent years, I attended the Septuagint Summer School in Göttingen, Germany twice. Although I met and got acquainted with important scholars in the field of bibliology during my studies at this summer school, with whom I later formed a close professional relationship, and it can be said that the ancient Georgian translation of the Book of Esther began to gain international recognition through these schools, I was unable to obtain funding to participate in these schools. I say this because participation in a summer school with a strong scientific reputation should be financed for a student, and it would be beneficial if the university or a foundation could provide funding.  

Since attending my first international conference, I have participated in numerous international scientific conferences; I attended one of them with funding through student projects. Additionally, during my doctoral studies, I spent three months at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium as part of the Erasmus exchange program from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. I went on several business trips to the Göttinger Septuaginta Institute and the University of Helsinki through various projects funded by the Rustaveli National Science Foundation. I was also awarded a Humboldt scholarship for a research visit to Göttingen and Bonn.

Due to the links established during summer schools, conferences, and research visits, I was employed in a research project implemented by the Department of Biblical Studies and Ecclesiastical History of the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Salzburg. The project involved a new interpretation of the textual history of the Book of Esther based on newly discovered materials, including the ancient Georgian translations of the Book of Esther.

During my stay at the University of Salzburg, an Erasmus exchange program was launched, between the Faculty of Theology of the University of Salzburg and the Faculty of Humanities at TSU. One student has already visited Salzburg, and another will be sent the following academic year. I hope that the program will continue smoothly in the future. The experience and contacts gained during my four years at the University of Salzburg are valuable assets to my professional development.

Until 2020, the exchange program between the University of Salzburg and Georgian higher education institutions was limited to political sciences. In 2020, I participated in the preparation of a grant proposal for the University of Salzburg, which included the bibliology doctoral program of the TSU Faculty of Humanities in the exchange program.  Additionally, I prepared a grant proposal for 2023 that includes sending a doctoral student in the fall semester of 2024. To the best of my knowledge, our segment is included in this year’s project as well (I am no longer directly involved in this matter since I left Salzburg). Currently, the exchange program with the Department of Biblical Studies and Ecclesiastical History of the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Salzburg is only available for doctoral students. However, the program may be expanded to students of other levels and fields in the future.

On the 2023 Rustaveli National Science Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievements in Science...

The foundation biennially announces a competition for the award. This year the competition was announced in seven different fields, including humanities. To participate, young scientists prepare project proposals that describe their scientific activities and special achievements, as well as their efforts to promote science through public lectures, newspaper, radio and TV interviews. The project proposals are evaluated by experts based on various criteria, and the young scientist with the highest evaluation in each field is awarded a premium of GEL 6,250. I also participated in the competition and was awarded the prize.

What made the Book of Esther appealing to a young researcher? I chose to work on the Book of Esther for my master’s thesis without prior knowledge or attraction to it. However, upon closer examination, I found it to be an incredibly fascinating history book. In this regard, I will provide a brief history of the text. In the case of ancient texts, textual variation refers to the changes that occur during the process of copying from manuscript to manuscript, after the text has been fixed in written form. These changes are reflected in modern editions. The history of some texts is uneventful and limited to copyist errors, while others undergo significant changes due to various circumstances. Copyists or translators may not simply translate or rewrite the text, but may modify it by adding, subtracting, or replacing content. The Book of Esther is a biblical book that underwent creative treatment by a translator and two other authors. The Septuagint version of the Book of Esther was created by translating the Hebrew, and then translating the Alpha text and another Greek text. The latter was only preserved in its complete form in the ancient Latin translation. The Georgian tradition is unique in having a complete translation of the Alpha text of the Bible, preserved only in the Bible of Oshki. Even more surprising and interesting is the second ancient Georgian translation of the Book of Esther, which combines all the existing forms of the Book of Esther, including the Septuagint, the Alpha text, the third Greek text, and even the one that has not been preserved elsewhere. The story is intriguing and cannot be easily summarized. Following Esther, I intend to publish my thesis. My plans involve digital humanities. I hope, we will implement a large institutional project and create electronic databases of manuscript descriptions, lines and watermarks, and a parallel corpus of the Georgian Bible...

Currently, I am an invited lecturer at TSU. The projects mentioned above are likely to be implemented at the Georgian National Center of Manuscripts, where I serve as a senior research fellow. My identity as a scientist will always be linked with TSU. In addition to receiving my higher education and profession at TSU, I also made valuable friendships there.

“TSU Envoy” is one of the successful projects existing at Tbilisi State University for years, through which school pupils have the opportunity to get acquainted with the university. TSU student envoys tell the pupils of their home schools how attractive and interesting TSU can be for them as future students. They are the envoys of their own university to their home school.

“TSU Envoy” and the goal set in 9th grade

Giulgiun Mamedkhanova is one of those who was encouraged by TSU Envoy to enter the university. She later became an envoy herself. She first visited her native Tekali public school as a TSU envoy and then returned as a teacher. She graduated from TSU in 2022. Currently, she teaches the subject “I and Society” at Tekali public school. She is a journalist by second profession, as a freelancer she prepares various products on a number of social topics, such as: women’s rights, challenges faced by ethnic minorities living in Georgia, individual stories, etc. Giulgiun also works with other young people in the Marneuli Municipality on various environmental projects.  

“I heard about TSU for the first time when I was in the 9th grade, when a former pupil, who was already a student at TSU, visited our school as a guest. This student told us about the oldest university in the Caucasus in such a detailed, interesting and proud way that I decided that one day I would also join TSU. And I joined... I graduated from TSU with a major in public geography, and I learned in depth about the close relationship between the environment and society.  

After graduating from the university, in the same year Giulgiun passed the 10-credit exam in the field of geography as a confirmation of teaching competence. And next year - civic education exam. As she notes, the knowledge she gained at TSU has made a significant contribution to her career advancement. “I am very motivated to teach my students the subject “I and Society”. I am also an active member of the Multisectoral Working Group initiative. Our goal is to introduce climate-smart agriculture with sustainable development approaches in the Marneuli Municipality. As part of the group’s activities, we actively support local farmers to develop their agriculture without harming the environment, to produce clean products, not to accelerate climate change with their activities, and to get acquainted with the aspects of modern agriculture. I believe that the knowledge gained in the field of public geography helped me to contribute to the activities of this group and to the development of agriculture in the Marneuli Municipality,” says the TSU graduate.

“In addition to the multisectoral group, I founded the “Green Thinking” eco-club with the pupils three years ago. We carry out projects and activities to improve the ecological situation and effectively manage plastic waste in the Marneuli Municipality. As part of one of the projects, we opened a plastic collection point in Marneuli and announced the campaign “Marneuli without plastic.” The plastic collected with the participation of the residents of Marneuli is handed over to the plastic reception factory, thus contributing to the waste management in the Marneuli Municipality. Also, this year, we submitted a budget initiative to the Marneuli City Hall, requesting that the Marneuli Cleaning Day be introduced at the municipal level. For more information, please, visit our Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/ProtectEnvironment12/

When most of the projects bring you to TSU...

At the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences there were very interesting programs that I enjoyed studying. For example, journalism and politics, social work, sociology. I used to choose electives from these programs while studying public geography. I can say for sure that now I understand better the need for the subjects I studied, and I am glad that I was a part of it. If you love geography and at the same time are interested in the close connections and regularities between environment and society, if you want to understand why world maps in the 21st century are full of challenges and what role geopolitics plays in this, if you want to see your place in the current processes in society, then you should definitely choose public geography. You will get a very diverse experience in different fields of social and political sciences. For example, while studying public geography, I acquired all the relevant knowledge and skills needed to be an active citizen, from research methods to political geography.

TSU Envoy was one of the most valuable projects for me. As part of the project, I held an informational meeting about TSU for the pupils of my school in my village. The pupils received information about the history of TSU, the importance of higher education, faculties and programs at the university. I am glad that after this meeting, TSU was the choice of several pupils. I think such meetings are very important for them.

After the TSU Envoy, I started active work with ethnic Azerbaijani youth and I am still implementing their personal and professional development projects. For my active work in this field, I became one of the 11 winners of the competition “Youth Worker of 2021.” The Youth Agency officially recognized me as the Young Worker of the Year from the Kvemo Kartli region, which is a great honor for me.

The second TSU-related program is the Tutorium Program, which aims to provide academic support to the students of the “TSU Georgian Language Preparation Program”, to develop practical and leadership skills of young people, and to integrate them into the Georgian society. I joined the program in September 2020 and officially completed it in April 2021. Within the framework of this program, I held at least 2-3 meetings per week with students on topics such as: human rights, democracy, media literacy, social entrepreneurship and youth, leadership skills development trainings, etc. I also helped them overcome the challenges of academic life; I held Georgian language learning seminars/meetings. During the pandemic, distance learning created many challenges for students, especially those from ethnic minorities. As you know, these young people enter the university in a different way, through the Georgian language preparation program (1+4 program). They study the state language at the university for one year and then become freshmen. During this one year, in addition to learning the language, they develop leadership and civic skills through non-formal education. The outbreak of the pandemic prevented them from doing this. So, I decided to become a tutor and help the students overcome these difficulties.

Even after graduating from the university, I kept thinking about how I could help ethnic minorities to learn the Georgian language. Teaching the Georgian language is an obligation of the state, but we should not forget that we, the citizens, should play an active role in the development and strengthening of our country and together build an inclusive, developed, strong country based on diversity and tolerance.

Achieving this goal is also connected with TSU. In 2022, together with my friend Mariam Ispiryan, we participated in the startup competition “Big Idea Challenge” as a team of Tbilisi State University and won it. The GRANDALA team became the champion of the country.

With the grant we received, we started to create the social enterprise GRANDALA, which will be an online platform for learning the Georgian language. Through it, we will connect qualified Georgian language teachers with representatives of ethnic minorities who want to learn the Georgian language. In this way, we are creating additional resources for ethnic minorities to become more involved in building our country. The GRANDALA website and other organizational issues are expected to be completed by February 2024. I am proud that many people and supporters have gathered around this idea.

Practical advice for Armenian and Azerbaijani students

I would tell young people to enjoy every moment of being a student. I think that this time in a person’s life is the most incomparable intersection of good and bad life lessons. I would also advise ethnically Armenian and Azerbaijani youth to actively participate in projects, student self-government activities and active communication with Georgian fellow students during their education. All this will help you learn the Georgian language better, develop as a thinking citizen and integrate more easily into the Georgian society.

When I was a student, I was very shy and could not communicate with people around me for a while. Living in Tbilisi, being far from my beloved village, parents and friends was a bit difficult for me. Nevertheless, TSU gave me a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with my fellow students and lecturers to gain valuable knowledge from professionals as well as the honor of being their student.

I always wanted to go abroad and participate in volunteer programs. When I was a student, I heard about Erasmus and European Solidarity Corps volunteer programs from many students, and I decided to participate in them. There is a saying, “The universe tries to fulfill the dream you have in your heart.” After many attempts, I was selected for a two-month volunteer program in Belgium, where I gained very valuable experience. There I met youth and social workers from different countries of the world, educators, which gave me an opportunity to use the experience gained there in working with young people in Georgia.

My immediate goal is to register the “Multisectoral Working Group” initiative as a non-governmental organization and to implement more large-scale programs in the entire Kvemo-Kartli region. Agriculture is the driving force of the economy and it is very important to focus on this sector. I believe that by developing climate-smart agriculture and promoting sustainable development in the region, we will bring about a positive change in the region.

My future plans are to obtain the status of a mentor in geography and civic education and to advance in the field of teaching. Azerbaijani language schools really need professional teachers for the overall prosperity of the country.

The good thing is that today my younger brother is also a student of TSU at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, where he is studying with a specialization in multilingual education. I am glad that he will break the stereotype that elementary school teaching is only for women and will be one of the successful teachers in the future.

Tbilisi State University has many graduates who have achieved certain success in various fields, have already said or will say their piece in the near future. Among them are graduates of the English-language Master’s Program at the TSU Institute for European Studies (IES), which was established by the European Union in 2007. One of them is a 37-year-old diplomat, lawyer, Master of European Studies, Tarash Papaskua, who is currently representing our country in the Republic of Korea as the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Georgia since November 2022. He is currently studying Korean and believes that within the next three years, he will be able to speak it at least on a conversational level. Meanwhile, he hopes that his two children, who live with him and his wife in Seoul, will learn the Korean language better than he does.

Tarash graduated from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Law in 2007, with a Bachelor’s degree in Law (International Law) and from the IES English Language Program of the Institute for European Studies at TSU with a Master’s degree in European Studies.

A graduate of TSU, he began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. Before becoming Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, he held the positions of Third, Second and First Secretary of the Department for International Organizations; he worked as an advisor in the Embassy of Georgia to the Republic of Poland, as well as in the Embassy of Georgia to the Republic of Austria and in the Permanent Representation of Georgia to the OSCE and Other International Organizations in Vienna; in 2019-2022, he served as the Head of the Department for Trade Development and International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

What made Tarash Papaskua interested in Tbilisi State University in general and the Institute for European Studies (IES) in particular? To what extent did the knowledge and contacts he gained at Tbilisi State University contribute to his career advancement? Tarash Papaskua will answer these and other questions.

- In 2003, I was in the United States on an exchange program, where I finished my secondary education. I wanted to continue my studies and get a higher education in the U.S., for which I had all the prerequisites. However, due to various circumstances, I had to pursue my higher education in Georgia. Before the entrance exams, as a newcomer from America, I had a clear interest in the field of international law and I did not even think about any other choice - Tbilisi State University is really distinguished by its history and tradition. In this regard, its foreign language department was in line with my interests.

It was at the university that my desire to promote Georgia’s integration into the European space was formed and strengthened. This is what connected me with the Institute for European Studies and its two-year, English-language Master’s program, which proved to be very interesting and meaningful for me. I am glad to see that the Institute for European Studies continues to operate successfully and has since added a number of programs and modules, including a Ph.D. I believe that the Institute makes a great contribution to strengthening European values for our society.

The knowledge acquired at TSU, first at the Faculty of Law and later at the Institute for European Studies, gave me a successful start to my career and contributed greatly to my professional development. I graduated from the two-year master’s program with honors. In general, I believe that a thorough education in a specific field and the subsequent opportunity to put this knowledge into practice is a prerequisite for success.

Discussion as a cognitive process and international practice

I was always active in my studies. Whether or not I knew the exact answer at that moment, I was never afraid to start a discussion because a dynamic, interactive learning process seemed attractive to me. I think that the stage of secondary or higher education - the cognitive process, analyzing the mistakes of others or one’s own, forming the final, correct position - is a luxury that is not always given to us in life. That’s why we should productively use this opportunity given to us in the educational institution.

When I was a student, the university had very interesting and extensive exchange programs, and today, as far as I know, it has even more. While studying at TSU, I studied international law and participated in mock trials at Leiden University in the Netherlands. It was a really interesting experience for the four participating students from our group.

I also had the opportunity to do an internship in the Georgian Government Administration, in the office of Gocha Lortkipanidze, the advisor to the then Prime Minister of Georgia, the former Minister of Justice of Georgia and the sitting judge of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The University and the Institute for European Studies were particularly important for establishing contacts and further relations. We had daily contact with academics of the highest rank and experienced, practicing civil servants. who at that time held high diplomatic positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later contributed greatly to the launch of my diplomatic career. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my former lecturers, with most of whom I now enjoy a personal friendship and professional relationship.

Ambassador’s future plans and TSU

The university is my home. Here, I would like to recall with great pride and satisfaction my work as a guest lecturer of English language at the undergraduate level of International Relations at TSU in 2012-2014. I will always have a positive attitude toward TSU and wish to cooperate with it. Although it is not possible at this stage as an academic activity, but in the current format, it is possible to popularize the university’s educational programs and provide some support, for which I will spare no effort.

Last year, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Korea. During this period, very fruitful and close relations have been established between the two countries, to which my predecessors have made a great contribution.

We have great potential for deepening partnership relations between Georgia and Korea in all directions. This is based on our common values and democratic principles. My desire and goal is to make a significant contribution to this work. I would like to highlight trade and economic relations, cooperation in investment, technology and innovation, as well as potential in environmental protection, renewable energy, education, cultural exchanges and tourism. Together with the National Wine Agency of Georgia, the Embassy is also involved in the promotion of Georgian wine in Korea. In this regard, Georgia, recognized in the world as the homeland of wine, with its 8000 years of continuous and unique winemaking history, has the greatest potential in the Korean market.

Korea’s economic development has been remarkably impressive in recent decades. The Republic of Korea, which ranks fourth in Asia in terms of economic development after China, Japan and India, is a strategically important country and market for Georgia, and we would like to sign a free trade agreement with Korea in the near future. Important preparatory work has already been done in this direction, and I think we will be able to start official negotiations next year.

We are actively working on the possibility of visa-free travel to Korea for Georgian citizens (I mean ordinary passports) and I hope that this will be possible in the near future.

The field of education, in particular, cooperation between universities, promotion of scientific and student exchange programs, is another main direction of our work. The Embassy played an active role and contributed to the organization of the Georgian-Azerbaijani-Korean scientific and archaeological conference at TSU on June 19-20, which was attended by more than 30 professors and scientists from the three countries.

As for the TSU Institute for European Studies (IES), which was established by the European Union in 2007, there are currently 6 programs operating here: 1. Jean Monnet Georgian-language undergraduate program in European Studies with English  components; 2. English-language master’s program in European Studies; 3. English-language doctoral program in European Studies; 4. English-language regional master’s program in Democratization and Human Rights (together with several universities from the EU’s Eastern Partnership region and Asia); 5. Double degree master’s program with Vilnius University (in European Studies, International and European Law); 6. Double degree master’s program with Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (in European Studies, Strategic Communication and Management).

As Nino Lapiashvili, director of the Institute for European Studies, notes, “the programs were established with the support of the European Union; leading specialists in the field, both foreign and Georgian academic staff, teach here. IES traditionally offers an intercultural environment: students from many countries of the world study here together with Georgian citizens. For many years, we have been hosting students, academic staff and researchers from EU partner universities every semester through Erasmus+ credit mobility and other exchange programs. At the same time, our students also have many opportunities to study in various European universities within the framework of the Erasmus+ program, and for those who prefer to stay in Georgia, we offer internships in public institutions or the private sector within the framework of existing memorandums of mutual cooperation.

It is good news that we have officially participated in the European Parliament Simulation, the final stage of which will end at the end of the academic year at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels with the participation of teams from other universities around the world. It should be noted that the IES European Studies MA team had a very successful debut in the European Parliament Simulation, which was first of all manifested by the fact that our students were elected as leaders of both committees - the Political Committee and the Economic Committee - by the student council composed of 25 universities from around the world. Of course, this vote of confidence was due to the professionalism and leadership qualities shown by the MA students from IES, which is undoubtedly a praiseworthy fact for the entire university community.”

Sopho Shinjikashvili is a graduate of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, and works in the largest Microsoft development centre in Prague in the Czech Republic. She is the only Georgian among hundreds of employees from 48 different countries.  Sopho graduated from the French-Georgian undergraduate programme in Informatics at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences at TSU, and in the future she aspires to take part in creating an automatic Georgian language translation system. She is already planning the presentation of an automatic translator at the Ilia Vekua International Informatics Conference in Sukhumi.

Giorgi Javrishvili graduated from Tbilisi State University and won the Master's Grant Exchange Competition co-sponsored by TSU and the Beijing Institute of Technology. Today Giorgi works for Cyber Vein in the city of Shenzhen and is participating in an innovative projects that is slated to change global image storage and large amounts of data in the near future.

Giorgi Megreli is a graduate of TSU Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, who has been hired by Google’s London office. He received a positive response from the company in about ten days after eight 45-minute interviews, technical questions and demonstrating his skills at writing software codes with Google's recruiter.

Gvantsa Sivsivadze, a graduate of TSU's Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, became the winner of one of the prestigious Chevening scholarships from the UK government's global Chevening Programme. Gvantsa studied in the Department of Public Administration and Public Policy and after receiving the scholarship, she has continued her Master’s Degree studies in Environmental Policy and Management at the University of Bristol. Beginning in February 2021 she will begin an internship at the Bristol City Hall as part of the Sustainable Development Team working on issues of climate change.