Tbilisi, Georgia: The International Excellence School (IES), a project to promote the internationalization of higher education in Georgia, was held in Tbilisi from January 26 to 28, 2024. Nodar Papukashvili, the Georgian Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Youth, attended the event and delivered a welcoming speech to the participants.
The IES is a collaborative initiative by Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the British University of Education, with the support of University College London (UCL) and in cooperation with the consulting company Savvy Business Ltd. The project is part of the Innovation, Inclusion and Quality Project financed by the World Bank since June 2018.
The IES aims to train early career researchers and academic staff in education, humanities, and social sciences to best research management and innovation practices.
The topics of the first school included the development of project proposals for competitive grants, the management and financial aspects of grant projects, and the intersectoral cooperation, technology transfer and innovation in the field of higher education.
The first school was attended by doctoral students, young researchers from local universities of Tbilisi and regions, and international higher education institutions. The participants had the opportunity to network with leading scholars, receive feedback on their presentations, and exchange knowledge and experience.
The IES will encompass two more stages during the project’s lifetime, focusing on intellectual property rights and quality assurance in higher education. The project aims to enhance Georgian universities’ quality and international competitiveness and foster a culture of data-driven decision-making and stakeholder engagement.
International Excellence School (IES)
The International Excellence School (IES) focuses on applying and managing competitive research projects in Education, Humanities and the Social Sciences. It aims to provide cutting-edge knowledge on theory, policy and practice about how to develop and write proposals for competitive research projects, how to assess and select the appropriate national or international research funding schemes, get to know and apply best practices in managing research projects and cooperating with partners, conducting effective financial management and monitoring, as well as evaluating research projects.