On April 25-28, 2017 representatives of partner universities of the project – Creation of the Graduate Curricula in Peace Studies in Georgia (PESTUGE) a visited Georgia for working visit.

The aim of the program is the development of the Peace Studies in Georgia and facilitating academic research in this area. The three-year project goals are to establish the peace studies modules in the existing graduate curricula of the four higher education institutions in Georgia, establish the Institute of Peace Studies and facilitate the academic research of the professors involved in the project. The project also envisages trainings in two regional centers in Georgia - Zugdidi and Gori, development of national academic network for peace and conflict transformation and the provision of equipment, educational materials and academic data-bases for the involved universities.  

Within the project corresponding programs of four Georgian higher educational institutions   cooperate with the leading European Universities in Peace Studies: Trinity College University, Dublin City University (Ireland) and the University of Innsbruck (Austria).

On April 25 professors and administrative personnel of the partner universities met the CU students registered for the Peace Study module courses. The meeting participants discussed current academic processes related to implementation of the module at the Caucasus University.

Project partners also met with the Module professors.  The parties shared their ideas about the current academic processes involving these new courses: 1. International conflicts and Peace (lecturer Torkine Turmanidze); 2. Peace Theories (lecturer: Levan Geradze) and 3. Introduction to Peace Research (lecturer: Sergi Kapanadze); introduction of a revised course – History of Georgia (lecturers: Kakha Shengelia, Maka Tsibadze) and a future course – Conflict, Peace and co-existence in the Caucasus (Lecturer: Kakha Shengelia).

According to the Dean of the Caucasus School of Governance, Dr. Eka Akobia the goal of the visit was to monitor project implementation and quality assurance of the establishment of the new module as well as to have joint planning of future activities under the project. According to the visiting partners, the ongoing project implementation at the Caucasus University was comprehensive.

On April 27 a workshop was held for the faculty involved in the project implementation. Topics covered were Academic Networks of International Peace Research and Peace Research Methodologies.

According to the President of the Caucasus University, Dr. Kakha Shengelia, the overall aim of the project is to contribute to the improvement and modernization of the higher education in Georgia, facilitate academic research, raise awareness of professors and students about peace studies, conflict transformation and new methodologies and as a result contribute to peace processes.