Education Minister: Core objective is ensuring new funding model fully meets state universities’ needs

“Last year we announced the National Concept for Higher Education Reform, under which we began taking major strides towards developing the higher education system. A prominent example of this progress came today, as the Government of Georgia approved the new higher education funding model, developed jointly by ministry officials and World Bank experts,” reads the statement released by the Ministry of Education.

“As part of the reform, we are placing a particular emphasis on enhancing university funding. The core objective is to ensure the new funding model is tailored as closely as possible to the immediate needs of state universities today. Furthermore, our goal is to strengthen research components, the implementation of scientific projects, and internationalisation. We are actively continuing our efforts in this direction.

Today, we held a working meeting with state university rectors, members of the management team for the World Bank-funded Innovation, Inclusion and Quality (I2Q) Project, and experts working on the higher education funding model, coming together to review specific elements of this funding structure,” stated Mikanadze.

The Minister stressed the importance of university involvement in implementing the new higher education funding model, noting that all decisions will be made in consultation with state university rectors.

“Given that this process represents a cornerstone of the higher education reform, the involvement of universities and their leadership is naturally of vital importance. Together, we must deliver an action-oriented, consensus-based, and mutually acceptable outcome that ensures both the financial sustainability of state universities and high-quality standards.

As you know, by decision of the ruling team, the state will fully fund tuition for students enrolling in state universities starting this September.
With this in mind, the new higher education funding model will focus even more heavily on guaranteeing the financial stability and sustainability of state universities, enabling institutions to develop, improve quality, and carry out educational activities effectively,” noted Givi Mikanadze.

Today, the new funding model for state universities was formally approved by decree of the Government of Georgia. Following the approval, Georgia’s Minister of Education, Science and Youth, Givi Mikanadze, hosted a working meeting to discuss the implementation process with university representatives, funding model experts, and the management team of the World Bank-funded I2Q Project.