The Rector of Tbilisi State University (TSU), Academician Jaba Samushia and the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Nodar Papukashvili opened the University Book Festival.

The University Book Festival was held for the first time on the initiative of the TSU Library and with the participation of 15 universities of Tbilisi. Scientific books published in recent years by the publishing houses of state and private universities and their academic staff were presented at the festival. An exhibition and sale of books printed by the TSU Publishing House was also organized as part of the festival.

Rector Jaba Samushia said that the festival will be held annually. “I am delighted that with the University’s initiative and the support of our partner universities, we are laying the foundation for a completely new event - a university book festival, which will focus on scientific literature. We wanted the scientific community to have access to the results of Georgian science and see them in one place,” Rector Samushia said. According to him, in the near future, TSU will start publishing a completely new series aimed at strengthening the fields available at TSU. He also noted that the next academic year will be declared the Year of Textbooks at Tbilisi State University. Professors will have the opportunity to create textbooks in the subjects they teach.

“Promoting book reading, publishing activities is very important because the next generation should be focused on literacy. Such promotion of printed books through a festival contributes to the development of the next generation. We have to make sure that the next generation is as attached to books as possible,” said Nodar Papukashvili, Deputy Minister of Education and Science.

Zurab Gaiparashvili, the Head of the TSU Library, noted that this is the first time that the University Book Festival is being held. “University books that have been created in the last three years are presented here, and it is enough to look at them to see what fruitful scientific activities are being carried out in our universities,” he said.

The University Book Festival is dedicated to the 380th anniversary of the publication of the first Georgian scientific printed book - “Grammar of the Georgian Language” by Francisco-Maria Majio and the 315th anniversary of the foundation of the printing house by Vakhtang VI in Tbilisi. The book “Grammar of the Georgian Language” was first printed in Rome in 1643 with a small number of copies. Only two copies of this edition have survived, which are kept in the Saltykov-Shchedrin Russian National Library in St. Petersburg and in the Vatican Library.

The Georgian university book originates from the Tbilisi State University. The first textbook was published in 1919 - “Catalogue of Fern-like and Flowering Plants” by Zakaria Kanchaveli. Since then the Georgian university book has been the richest part of the Georgian scientific collection.

The University Book Festival was held with the participation of the following universities: Eastern European University, Grigol Robakidze University, Guram Tavartkiladze Tbilisi Teaching University, Tbilisi State Conservatoire, Tbilisi State Medical University, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, Ilia State University, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University, Georgian National University, Aviation University of Georgia, Georgian Technical University, International Black Sea University, Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgia State University, Saint Andrew the First-Called Georgian University.