PM Irakli Kobakhidze holds meetings in government administration

Georgia: A meeting was held in the government administration, during which important bills initiated by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Youth were discussed, under the leadership of the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze.

On the initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia and the decision of the government, a new reform will be implemented in the field of higher education, within the framework of which the issue of electronic learning will be regulated. In particular, existing educational programs will be allowed to implement several components, theoretical courses remotely. 

In addition, it will be possible to develop fully remote programs in areas that do not require practical lab learning. This news concerns both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Both Georgian and foreign students will be allowed to study in partial-distance or full-distance programs.

The news is that the recognition of higher education received in a remote form from Georgian territory will be allowed and regulated. The mentioned in the first stage will apply to the universities of EU member countries, the UK and USA. 

More specifically, recognition of higher education abroad from Georgian territory will be possible if the person has received education:

• An institution operating in the territory of Member States of the European Union or Great Britain and its educational programme is accredited as a member of the European Network for Quality Assurance of Higher Education (ENQA) operating in the Union Member States or the United Kingdom and the organisation registered in the European Register of Independent Agencies for the Development of Higher Education (EQAR) By the Tia, which has such authority to the relevant country In accordance with the law.
• The United States territory and educational program is accredited by an organization operating in the United States territory, which has such authority by the relevant legislation.

The recognition of education received abroad concerns higher education programs, which do not include practical/laboratory/clinical/workplace learning components and take into account internal university exams non-remotely.

It is important that according to the drafts discussed, the online university certificate will be defined and the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth should develop a relevant concept model and standard. This decision is based on international best practices and will be a step forward for Georgian universities, which will enable them to develop a completely new teaching model in the future. This will further contribute to the formation of Georgia’s higher education educational hub.

It should be noted that according to the bills discussed by the Georgian government, the possibility of implementing professional programs remotely is also defined.