On June 24-25, the final conference of the ERASMUS+ project “Raising Research Capacity of Georgian HEIs through Developing R&D Units / HERD” was held in Batumi. The event was hosted by Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University.

From Caucasus University, the President of Caucasus University Dr. Kakha Shengelia, Vice-President Khatia Goglidze, Director of International Relations and Projects Department Irena Melua, Dean of Caucasus School of Business Elene Jgharkava, Dean of Caucasus School of Law Sopio Shengelia,  Director of Research Facilitation Department Nino Machurishvili, Financial Director Marika Nikolaishvili, and Head of Software Development Office Ketevan Datukishvili attended the conference.

Alongside with the project's partner universities, representatives of the project's partner state agencies - from the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia - participated in the conference.

Within the framework of the project, the portal of the scientific information system of Georgia - GRIS.emis.ge was created, which offers relevant data in an open mode to all interested parties about the scientific experience and potential in Georgia. The bilingual portal (in Georgian and English) offers the results of the scientific productivity of the 12 project HERD partners of Georgia, their academic staff, researchers, Ph.D. students, the results of scientific productivity, current and implemented grants and professional activities, and is the optimal mechanism for contacting them within the country and abroad. The portal is a functioning system based on an open database and represents the largest open information base in Georgia.

The project united 12 higher educational institutions in Georgia and 3 European universities and aimed to modernize research departments of member universities, increase research potential and quality, and to integrate teaching and research components at an institutional level.