Three ISET MA students have received need-based scholarships from the Policy and Management Consulting Group (PMCG), an international development consulting company and a long-time friend and partner of ISET. In order to qualify for the PMCG's assistance, students must demonstrate their need for financial aid, explaining their backgrounds and the reasons as to why they are unable to cover the tuition fees themselves. The impact of the grant can be life-changing, as one of the 2020 recipients, Tinatin Kebadze, explains: “I was very happy and grateful when I heard that I was selected as one of the recipients of the…

May 11 saw the second discussion in ISET's ongoing series of international policy online panels which examine the possible socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second panel was dedicated to what the higher education sector will look like when the pandemic is declared to be over. Hosted and moderated once again by Dr. Tamar Sulukhia, ISET's Director, the distinguished panel was composed of Dr. Mikheil Chkheneli, the Georgian Minister of Education; Dr. Sebastian Molineus, the Regional Director of the South Caucasus for the World Bank; Karl Dittrich, President of European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education; Dr. Sijbolt Noorda,…

International School of Economics at TSU (ISET) and ISET Policy Institute are holding second in the series of international Policy Panels – Re-imagining Higher Education Post-pandemic. It will focus on impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education sector globally and will bring together top expert views on the longer-term prospects and challenges for the universities and students. How financial, economic and demographic pressures impact demand, enrollment and mobility in higher education? How will post-pandemic socio-economic outlook reflect on funding, institutional traditions, academic programs and sustainability of colleges and universities? Will higher education be able to re-invent itself and push the…

Although the operations of many businesses and organizations have been brought to a crashing halt due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ISET has refused to allow the crisis to hinder its work. Over the last few months, all teaching and academic activity have been shifted online using Zoom, a format which works equally well for operations of ISET Policy Institute and its efforts to serve as a knowledge accumulation and exchange platform in the lock-down. The online high-level Policy Panel Discussion on April 21 on 'Perspectives of Post-COVID-19 Recovery: Views from the World Regions' well served this objective.