A panel discussion was held at Tbilisi State University on the internationalization of university research, international achievements, challenges and perspectives of scientific and research activities.

At the event, TSU scientists participating in international projects together with their foreign colleagues reviewed joint international projects, current scientific topics and assessed the challenges facing internationalization.

Erekle Astakhishvili, Deputy Rector of TSU, said that internationalization is a key issue and an important commitment for Tbilisi State University. “TSU spares no effort to create an inclusive academic environment that respects and values ​​diversity, encourages intercultural understanding, and prepares students, professors and staff for success in the global world. This is our internationalization policy, and we are proud of its success. This is shown by the international projects presented today, in which our scientists are actively involved,” said Erekle Astakhishvili.

Physicists from the Institute of High Energy Physics of TSU and their colleagues from CERN took part in the panel discussion. They talked about the ATLAS scientific collaboration in CERN’s ATLAS experiment.

The ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC AparatuS) experiment is a project in the field of fundamental research that uses the latest achievements in modern technology to explore and expand our understanding of the universe. The ATLAS experiment is one of four at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

The KM3NeT project in the Mediterranean Sea was also discussed. KM3NeT is an international project studying neutrino physics and astrophysics. The Institute of High Energy Physics of TSU joined the project in 2017. The purpose of this collaboration is to deploy neutrino detectors at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. This will help with research in neutrino physics and astrophysics.

Prof. Ulrich Katz, Chairman of the Council of Institutes of the KM3NeT project, said that Georgian scientists and students have made a huge contribution to the KM3NeT project. “We are ready to work with Tbilisi State University on future science projects,” he said.

The panel also discussed the Georgian-German scientific bridge project - GGSB/GGSB-PLUS. GGSB connects scientists and students from both countries through joint research projects and education, promoting scientific and cultural relations between Georgia and Germany.

The event also discussed the scientific and research activities of the Kartvelian Centers abroad and how Georgia can become a geographical, economic and cultural bridge between East and West.

Internationalization is an important component for strategic development of universities. Ensuring the internationalization of scientific and research activities, establishing close cooperation with top universities, promoting the integration of students and professors internationally and gaining international recognition is an important challenge. In this context, international scientific collaborations are becoming more important. They help universities and countries gain scientific visibility and create new opportunities.