The Rector of Tbilisi State University, Academician Jaba Samushia, together with the representatives of the university administration, hosted Dr. Jens Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Tanja Hutt, Permanent Representative of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, and representatives of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

The participants discussed the policy of higher education, the development of educational relations between Georgia and Germany, the strengthening of cooperation with Tbilisi State University, as well as the challenges of higher education management.

Jaba Samushia stressed the importance of joint projects between Tbilisi State University and German institutions, as well as the participation of Georgian scientists and students in such projects as cooperation with the Jülich Research Center, DAAD programs, Georgian-German Science Bridge, etc. “We have intensive cooperation in all directions. Such leadership of the university is understandable, as it includes strategic research institutes. This will be the main line for us to transfer new, European, modern systems, including the introduction of the Max Planck system,” Rector Samushia noted at the meeting. 

Currently, there are 113 research collaborations between Georgia and Germany, with Tbilisi State University having the largest number of projects. This collaboration deals with such important issues as the safety of dams, climate change and the fight against it, biodiversity, the field of vocational training.

The German side expressed its readiness to further deepen the scientific cooperation between Georgia and Germany and to bring the Georgian scientific space closer to the European one.

Dr. Jens Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, said that his country is ready to intensify the relations between Georgia and Germany, and Georgia and Europe. He also expressed his country’s readiness to further deepen cooperation in the field of research and to help Georgia get closer to the European scientific space. “Our ministry has instruments to support your country. These are framework projects with the Eastern Partnership countries, of which Georgia is one of the main members,” he added.

The representatives of Tbilisi State University expressed their desire to implement a joint project of rapprochement of the university communities, which includes the exchange of personnel in German universities and vice versa. This will contribute to the planning of joint events, the transfer of learning programs and the networking of the Georgian and German university communities.