Education Minister: Higher Education Concept aims to improve education quality

Georgia’s Minister of Education, Science and Youth, Givi Mikanadze, says the government-approved National Concept of Higher Education is aimed at improving the quality of education in state universities and aligning academic programs with labor market demand.

According to Mikanadze, an interdepartmental commission worked on the concept for nine months, and the document was repeatedly discussed with target groups before being approved and publicly presented by the prime minister.

“The main goal of the reform is to introduce market-relevant professions in state universities, improve quality in key areas, and make graduates more competitive so they can meet labor market requirements and access higher-paying employment,” Mikanadze said.

He added that one of the concept’s core objectives is to coordinate and consolidate human and material resources, particularly through the creation of two higher education hubs in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. The reform envisions a “one faculty in one city” principle, concentrating specific academic directions in designated locations to standardize programs and strengthen staffing and infrastructure.

As part of the reform, the government plans to merge the country’s two largest state universities — Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Georgian Technical University — through reorganization. Mikanadze said overlapping programs would be standardized and unified, while academic staff would be redistributed to ensure no qualified personnel are excluded from teaching or research roles.

The reform also introduces a new academic rank of “leading professor,” to be filled through an open competition without replacing existing positions. Following legislative amendments, a temporary governing council — composed of representatives from both universities on a parity basis — will oversee the reorganization process, with the stated aim of ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining institutional autonomy.