According to Nino Doborjginidze, Rector of Ilia State University, the university community was informed today, without any justification whatsoever, that 97-98 per cent of Ilia University has effectively been dismantled and destroyed.

Doborjginidze stated that this is not merely a problem for one university, but rather the destruction of the country’s future, for which no one has assumed responsibility.

“We absolutely cannot allow this. Imagine, according to every international ranking, Ilia University is the undisputed leader in the social sciences, natural sciences, and exact sciences. Not a single one of these disciplines has been included in their so-called ‘educational town planning’. Ministers with security portfolios, who have nothing else to do, sat down and arranged everything in education, along with the Minister of Infrastructure and Economy, the Mayor, and the Head of the Ajara Government; they have legalised the destruction of science in Georgia. We’ve been demanding for so long: tell us what evidence underpins your decision. They haven’t published any evidence whatsoever. Today, they announced a non-existent market study that has never been published. They announced that based on this non-existent market study, they will determine what our children’s future in Georgia should look like,” Nino Doborjginidze declared.

According to her, Ilia State University’s Academic and Representative Councils convened today, and a corresponding statement will be issued.

“We fundamentally disagree with the destruction of university education in Georgia. By every means possible, including through legal action and protest, we shall defend this 20-year achievement. The decision-makers have no connection to education. As soon as the news was announced, we issued a statement that same day, emphasising that the reform process must be halted and that an inclusive, open dialogue must commence. A non-existent market study, along with absent evidence and research, is to underpin the destruction of the educational landscape, and we will not allow this.

Fourteen years into their tenure, Georgian Dream is announcing a reform, despite having no experience in this area. Obviously, if they take away 98 per cent of Ilia’s programmes, this infrastructure will no longer be needed, they’ll sell it off, and they’ve said as much,” noted Nino Doborjginidze, Rector of Ilia State University.

For context, Georgia’s government has approved student admission quotas for state universities. As noted, admissions at Ilia State University will be announced for pedagogy programmes and STEM specialities with ABET accreditation. Education Minister Givi Mikanadze stated that quotas at state universities will be distributed in accordance with the “one city—one faculty principle” established by the higher education reform concept, taking into account the traditional profiles of the universities.