Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the government is considering introducing a “3+1” higher education model, under which bachelor’s programs would last three years and master’s programs one year, except for certain specialised fields.

Kobakhidze made the statement during the presentation of the government’s new education reform, emphasising that both academic levels should have clearly defined goals — something he said is currently lacking.

“Three years is generally sufficient for most specialities. Of course, medicine and similar fields are exceptions. In nearly all other cases, it is possible to obtain a bachelor’s degree in three years and a master’s degree in just one year. We also plan to introduce certain initiatives in other areas in the near future,” said the Prime Minister.

He added that the government also plans to propose additional changes soon, including a potential transition to an 11-year school curriculum in some schools. According to him, the Ministry of Education is already working actively in that direction.

Kobakhidze also criticised the current system. According to him, the duration of programmes across various faculties and specialities is not grounded in any thorough analysis. As the Prime Minister observed, a certain system was established at one point, and since then, no one has considered reviewing the length of studies.

“A certain system was established at one time, and no one thought to review the duration of studies after that,” he said. “We have our own answer to this issue in the new concept.”

The Prime Minister further highlighted serious shortcomings in the quality management system of higher education, describing it as largely formal and ineffective.

“Additionally, under the second challenge, it is important to highlight that the quality management system is fundamentally flawed. The state is responsible for ensuring quality within the higher education system and for effective quality management, yet there are numerous shortcomings in this area. The current quality management system is largely formalised, and significant changes are urgently needed,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.