Georgia’s Oldest University Celebrates 100th Anniversary
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, February 9
Tbilisi State University (TSU), which is the oldest university not only in Georgia but in the South Caucasus region as well, established by famous Georgian scientist and public figure Ivane Javakhishvili and his companions, celebrates 100th anniversary.
While delivering a speech at the special event in TSU, Georgian Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili talked about the significance of the university, saying the institution played important role in developing education, culture and science in Georgia.
“The tireless efforts of Ivane Javakhishvili and his companions and their belief that Georgians had relevant intellectual resource, made it possible to embody this long-awaited idea of our famous ancestors and start a new epoch in Georgia”, stated the PM.
Kvirikashvili said Tbilisi State University has raised many prominent patriots, who have managed to promote Georgia abroad.
“This place is the country's most important academic and scientific research institution, which is listed among the world's top universities. We are proud of our university,” he said, adding the anniversary celebrations will be held under UNESCO auspices.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili released a statement, saying TSU was established in the wake of the independence of Georgia and its founding was inspired by the work and the thoughts of Georgia’s previous generations.
“As a result, 70 years later, when the Soviet empire fell apart, we were ready, because we knew who we were, we knew what our purpose was: the purpose of this country’s citizens, the purpose of the people who identified themselves with Georgia,” the president’s statement reads.
The first-ever national university in the Caucasus was opened in 1918, laying the foundation for a European-type higher school in Georgia, based on Georgian educational traditions.
The idea of founding the university emerged as far back as the early 19th century amid intensification of the struggle for liberation from Russian empire.
Today the TSU is one of the first scientific-research institutions of Georgia. It implements about 200 local and international scientific grant programs annually. It is one of the largest higher educational institutions by its scales, where 22 thousand students are studying at seven faculties of TSU.
