Georgia

For the US state of Georgia see Georgia (US state)

Original Re.ViCa entry by Paul Bacsich

For entities in Georgia see Category:Georgia

Partners situated in Georgia

None.

Georgia in a nutshell

(sourced mainly from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(country) )

Georgia (Georgian: საქართველო, sɑkʰɑrtʰvɛlɔ) is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia.

Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan.

Source : http://www.cia.gov

Georgia has a population is 4.7 million, largely ethnic Georgians - thus similar in size to many smaller EU states. It covers a territory of 69,700 km²

Its capital is Tbilisi.

The history of Georgia can be traced back to the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia, and it was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity as an official religion, early in the 4th century. At the beginning of the 19th century Georgia became a part of the Russian Empire. After a brief period of independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1922. Independence was restored in 1991.

Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi (ქართველები), their land Sakartvelo (საქართველო), and their language Kartuli (ქართული). Modern Georgian states have used differing names in different periods. The first modern Georgian state adopted the name Democratic Republic of Georgia. As part of the USSR the country was called the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. When Georgia broke from the USSR it adopted the name Republic of Georgia. Since it adopted its present constitution in 1995, the official name of the country is simply Georgia.

Like many post-communist countries Georgia suffered from the economic crisis and civil unrest during the 1990s. After the bloodless Rose Revolution, however, the new leadership has established efficient government institutions,[8] reformed the economy and guided the country through a period of the fastest economic growth in its history.

Georgia is a representative democracy, organized as a secular, unitary semi-presidential republic.

It is currently a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), and GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. The country seeks to join NATO and, in the longer term, accession to the European Union. However it does belong to certain organisations in Asia also.

In August 2008, Georgia engaged in an armed conflict with Russia and separatist groups from South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In the aftermath of the conflict Russia recognized the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, but at present only a few countries (said to be Nicaragua, the Gaza Strip government in Palestine, and the de facto independent republic of Transnistria) have followed suit.

Georgia insists that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are "Russian-occupied territories" but part of Georgia. We reflect that view by categorising them as such but also giving them entries - brief ones only - as de facto autonomous states.

Regions and cities

Georgia is divided into nine regions and two autonomous republics. These in turn are subdivided into 69 districts.

The main cities of Georgia include:

• Tbilisi population 1,066,100 (metro area 1.27 million) - the capital
• Kutaisi - 186,000
• Batumi - 121,000
• Rustavi - 116,000
• Zugdidi - 75,000

All other cities are towns of less than 50,000.

The regions are:

1. Abkhazia (autonomous republic - de facto independent)
2. Adjara (autonomous republic, but overseen by Georgia)
3. Guria
4. Imereti
5. Kakheti
6. Kvemo Kartli
7. Mtskheta-Mtianeti
8. Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
9. Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
10. Samtskhe-Javakheti
11. Shida Kartli

South Ossetia is not a region but an autonomous administrative district - de facto independent.

Georgia education policy

(sourced from http://eqe.ge/eng/static/119/legal-acts)

The Georgian education area is regulated by the following legal acts:

- Georgian Law ,,On Higher Education; - Georgian Law ,,On Vocational Education; - Georgian Law ,,On General education; - Georgian Law ,,On Education Quality Enhancement.

Sublegal acts are issued in order to regulate and enhance the quality of education.

Higher education

Universities in Georgia

The following is taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_Georgia

State Universities

1. Ilia Chavchavadze State University (Tbilisi) [1]
2. Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University [2]
3. Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University [3]
4. Akaki Tsereteli State University (Kutaisi) [4]
5. Telavi Iakob Gogebashvili State University [5]
6. Georgian Technical University (Tbilisi) [6]
7. Gori University [7]
8. ISET - International School of Economics at TSU (Tbilisi) [8]
9. Tbilisi State University of Economic Relations [9]
10. Tbilisi State Medical University [10]
11. Georgian State Agriculture University (Tbilisi) [11]
12. Georgian State University of Subtropical Agriculture (Kutaisi) [12]
13. Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatory [13]
14. Tbilisi State Academy of Arts [14]
15. Shota Rustaveli University of Theater and Cinema (Tbilisi) [15]
16. Batumi State Maritime Academy [16]
17. St. Andrew the First-Called Georgian University (Tbilisi)

Private Universities

1. Free university of Tbilisi [17]
2. The University of Georgia (Tbilisi) (Tbilisi) [18]
3. David Aghmashenebeli University of Georgia (Tbilisi) [19]
4. Grigol Robakidze University (Tbilisi) [20]
5. International Black Sea University (Tbilisi) [21]
6. Georgian American University (Tbilisi) [22]
7. European School of Management - Tbilisi [23]
8. Tbilisi Public University "Metekhi" [24]
9. Tbilisi University [25]
10. All-Georgian Society - Tbilisi David Aghmashenebeli University [26]
11. Georgian Economy and Law Institute (Tbilisi) [27]
12. Zugdidi Independent University [28]
13. Kutaisi University of Law and Economics [29]
14. Georgian National Institute "Rvali" (Rustavi) [30]
15. Tbilisi Department of American University for Humanities [31]
16. Sukhishvili University (Gori) [32]
17. Georgian-Britain University of International Law and Management (Tbilisi) [33]
18. Tbilisi Institute of Asia and Africa [34]
19. Tbilisi Medical Institute "Hippocrates" [35]
20. Tbilisi Petre Shotadze Medical Academy [36]
21. Medical School "AIETI" (Tbilisi) [37]
22. Kutaisi Institute of Medicine [38]
23. Institute of Medicine Management and Stomatology (Tbilisi) [39]
24. Georgian Aviation University (Tbilisi) [40]

Higher education reform

The Bologna Process

(very important for European countries)

Virtual Campuses in HE

(sourced from the ARMAZEG project deliverable "State of the art regarding E-learning and ICT for lifelong learning)

Implementation of the modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the learning process at the different levels of education is very intensive in Georgia nowadays. Technology-enhanced learning offers innovative solutions to the challenges facing the traditional educational process. Strict limitation in time and space - the main barrier, which is facing learners of different ages, attitudes and culture - is considerably relaxed with the flexible learning process, enabled and supported by the usage of modern technology in different types of education.

First successful attempts of e-learning and LLL solutions, realized with ICT, have been already implemented in the Georgian educational environment. The project supported by the Georgian Government "Netbooks for Primary Schools" was successfully implemented in the primary schools at the National level. Within the frame of the project all pupils in the primary schools have been equipped with the Netbooks, designed to enhance the face-to-face (F2F) learning process and give them individual working space to master new material explained by a teacher at class.

For the secondary schools the project "Virtual laboratory" was implemented. The aim of this project was overcoming the lack of physical laboratories in natural sciences. For this, virtual laboratories were purchased for a number of schools in Georgia, especially for the schools in rural regions. These laboratories are used in class, as a part of traditional F2F learning. Many schools are using e-journals, e-gradebooks, eassessment and e-assignments in order to create successful learning process by shifting some activities into the e-learning environment. This practice is very popular among the learners, as modern learners are very keen on technology and welcome every activity, which is based on technology.

Technology-enhanced learning is becoming more and more widespread in the Higher Educational System as well. E-learning is implemented in different areas of the learning process and for different purposes (distribution of the learning material, assessment, assignments, communication, etc.), but the main characteristic is that elearning is used in blend with the traditional learning.

In 2012 several Higher Educational and Research Institutions established the "National E-Learning Network". The founders of the Network are representatives of:

- Tbilisi State University (TSU);

- Georgian Technical University (GTU);

- Chiqobava Institute on Linguistics;

Later other institutions joined the network. At the moment about 15 organizations are members of the network. In 2013 St. Andrew the First-Called Georgian University (SANGU) became a member of the network as well.

The main aim of the network is the popularization of e-learning at the national level and the support of organizations who are interested in implementing technologyenhanced learning in their educational systems. A recent activity of the network was a series of trainings for the representatives of Vocational Training Institutions in order to develop capacity for e-learning there.

The National E-Learning Network is a member of Regional e-Learning Network (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, which was established within the frame of the GIZ project "Capacity Building and Human Resource Development in Caucasus".

A lifelong learning system was very well developed in the Soviet time. But, the educational system as a whole and the LLL system in particular, were badly affected by the severe economic and political crises, occurring after the crash of the Soviet Union. At the moment a new concept of LLL is developing, and e-learning could serve as a very effective tool in order to create and distribute lifelong learning solutions. E-learning courses developed for LLL could significantly broaden the target group of the learners interested in continuous education. The usefulness of such courses would be increased if these courses are developed in the higher educational institutions, with the contribution of the experienced subject matter experts.

Interesting Virtual Campus Initiatives

The TEMPUS project ARMAZEG - Developing tools for lifelong learning in Transcaucasus region: e-Learning aims to stimulate educational reform in Armenian and Georgian partner universities by establishing e-Learning centres and training involved staff members – with special attention to lifelong learning methodologies. The project runs from 1 December 2013 until 30 November 2016. The project website is at: http://armazeg.com/

Re.ViCa Case-study

None.

References

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