A new stage in educational development

Creating an educational environment focused on the ideals of democracy and humanism, as well as Georgian, and world cultural values, is the main mission for the east European university. Davit ჩherkezishvili, rector of the university talks about the teaching mechanisms oriented on student employment and professional development of academic staff.

East European University has been operating in Georgia since 2013. What sets it apart from other academic institutions, and what have been the university’s main achievements during this time?

Continuous care to improve education quality is first, among other priorities such as employing students and improving their financial independence.

East European University (EEU) provides higher education at three levels: Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral. As for the main field of research is Applied Sciences. One of the main priorities of the University, which we are working on intensively – is the international direction. From the very beginning, our goal was to facilitate the process of integrating the university into international educational spaces. Allowing students to participate in exchange programs at international universities was crucial. We aimed to allow foreign educators to participate in the implementation of our programs actively and, at the same time, allow our academic staff to take advantage of the mobility in our partner universities. To some extent, we have already achieved this goal with the support of our large number of international partner universities and organizations.

We currently have several programs that are conducted by foreign lecturers. Many students have benefited from the exchange programs in European universities. English language programs have been established. We have hosted many international students who are currently studying and working on numerous international research projects. We continue to advance this direction even further.

In 2018, we launched the construction of our new Tbilisi campus, which now has the main part already completed. There are several buildings in the campus space for both basic education and research purposes. In addition, the campus includes recreational and sports spaces. It is important that modern equipment is purchased and the campus is furnished with stateof-the-art technologies.

The administration process is carried out using modern licensed e-platforms. We use multifunctional computer programs, digital software that allow for quality management and are primarily adapted to the needs of students and academic staff. The university is a licensed partner of Microsoft. Remote learning processes and administrative activities are carried out via appropriate digital platforms.

The pandemic has once again made it clear that technology plays an important role in the development of any organization, and naturally, our university follows this path.

We are talking not only about the challenges of the 21st century but also about the mid-pandemic and post-pandemic challenges. What problems did the pandemic create?

Not to mention stressful situations and health risks, switching to remote learning was not easy for students nor the academic staff. Remote learning platforms have been introduced and adapted; ethics norms have been written for the first time at the university level, including regulating anonymity, rights, and many other issues. Although newly created, there have been no software failures. However, the refinement of remote learning methods remains a problem. In some cases, students do not have access to the Internet or have the appropriate infrastructure environment.

How does the university help the student during times of such crisis?

If there were a few such cases, it would be easier to deal with them, but given a large number of students in need of help, unfortunately, the problem is of a massive extent. Although the university has provided students with internet and temporary use of laptops, the university has to make individual plans and work with each student separately. Given that remote learning practices are evolving in the country, I think considerably, vital work needs to be done to overcome the posed problems.

Beyond the educational process, what problems did the pandemic create for the university as a business?

Our campus was to be completed in early September. Due to the pandemic, the works were completely paralyzed in the spring, international procurement was suspended, and bringing materials were delayed. Naturally, this is a chain reaction: if one part stops, the whole process stops. The depreciation of the GEL has also led to an increase in the cost of materials. As the construction project completion period increases, the project becomes more expensive accordingly.

What is the role of modern education in creating a sustainable economy? What is your position as the Rector of the University concerning this issue? What are the challenges of the modern market and the extent to which higher education institutions respond to these challenges?

Our approach to this issue is quite strict and consistent. Modern education plays a large role in establishing the right system of values. Students need to understand that a modern, successful person’s vision should be to perceive processes in a broader sense and care about bringing more benefits to the society. The higher education institution’s role is crucial and is rooted in overcoming the main challenges that will create a continuous connection between education, business, and science.

When we talk about needs-based projects, we need to mention small and medium-sized business projects. The country’s SME sector is underdeveloped.

As I mentioned above, the university research priority is applied sciences, for which a rather high budget is allocated. Various research centers in the field of relevant fields have been established. One of the most important centers is the Small Accelerator Model, which will help start-ups develop and advance, and diversify their activities. This program will be tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs who, for instance, want to learn sales and financial statements, entering the international market, starting or developing production, etc.

One of the advantages of this research center is that the center directly connects with the scientific bases of international universities, accelerators, and specialists in the field. Various relevant processes will be implemented under the framework of these partnerships. It is a well-known fact that if research is not an integral part of a business, its sustainability will inevitably become problematic. It is research that allows us to minimize risks and achieve sustainable business development. A while ago, four universities jointly conducted a large-scale study of the labor market in Georgia. More than 1800 companies/organizations were interviewed in Tbilisi and the regions.

According to the research, a large number of companies’ vacancies remain unfilled. The results showed that vacancies are mostly advertised for positions where there is no need for higher education. This means that vacancies for senior positions are less advertised. However, companies still “formally” require higher education in vacancies. The cause of the cause-and-effect problem was identified as a result of the study.

Without research, any business is like a building with no solid foundation and is, therefore, unsustainable.

Why do you think other educational institutions should support implementing international standards related to establishing responsible business practices? Do educational institutions need to have this priority at the institutional level?

Our university initiated a project that offered hundreds of students free online university admission exam preparation during the pandemic. With the support and partnership of the LEPL Education Management Information System (EMIS,) we saw 28 teachers involved in the project. As student groups grew, the number of teachers needed increased. The process of preparing them took two and a half months. To date, we receive thank you letters and other positive feedback from our beneficiaries.

This project is a good example of how important it is to quickly identify circumstantial needs and implement crucial projects for the common good. Corporate responsibility serves the common good.

If you want to be a part of it, you must make your own contribution. This explanation also clarifies why social self-awareness is so important, especially for educational institutions that should inspire students and future generations to develop a sense of civic responsibility.

Finally, what is the future of higher education in this country, especially in such an unpredictable period full of changes caused by the pandemic. What will be the main challenges?

Education has been, is, and remains the main tool for future development for all people, and the country. Only quality education, acquired knowledge, and developed skills will enable a person to establish themselves in society. Development of the country is only possible through qualified personnel in each sector. As for the pandemic, no matter how surprising it may be, it has created positive circumstances beyond the greatest challenges and problems, which have accelerated the development process across various fields and directions.