Conference dedicated to summer and winter schools was held

Since 2013, the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia has initiated and systematically implemented the "Summer and Winter Schools Programs" for students. Today, a summary conference was held regarding the outcomes of the summer and winter schools implemented in the 2013-2014 academic year. The conference featured presentations of 8 winning projects, followed by a discussion on the practical aspects of the implemented projects and future prospects. The guest of honor at the conference was Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Raising the quality of higher education is one of the main priorities of the Government of Georgia, — stated the Prime Minister of Georgia during his speech at the conference.

The Head of Government focused on the new educational projects initiated by the authorities and expressed hope that the summer and winter schools will contribute to enhancing the qualifications and broadening the horizons of the youth.

The goal of the "Summer and Winter Schools Project" initiated by the Ministry is to fund student-submitted projects on scientifically relevant and pertinent topics through a competitive process. In the current academic year, the following projects were funded:

1. "Introduction to Digital Philology" (involved 24 students from 3 universities);
2.  "Digital Humanities – Kartvelology and 21st Century Challenges"  (involved 24 students from 7 universities);
3. “Power and Ideology in the Ancient World” (involved 20 students from 3 universities);
4. ,,Critical Thinking in Social Science''  (involved 29 students from 6 universities);
5. ,,Physical Principles of Diagnostic Methods and Medical Equipment Operation''  (involved 62 students from four universities);
6.  ,,From Classical Critique of Religion to the Idea of Freedom of Religion'' (involved 9 students from Ilia University, including international students);
7. ,,Geophysical Assessment of Alternative Energy Sources'' (involved 33 students from 8 universities);
8.  ,,Innovative Orientations of Learning'' (involved 20 students from 5 universities).

The "Summer and Winter Schools" project provides students with the opportunity for self-realization and showcasing their capabilities, offering them significantly more knowledge in a specific direction than any single higher education institution could provide. Within the framework of the project, students choose topics that fall within their sphere of interest. Students from various higher education institutions (both public and private), as well as from different countries, have the opportunity to work on the same topic. The project envisions the publication of the winning projects, making them accessible to all interested students.

Within the framework of the project, students meet renowned professors, scientists, and experts from the world's leading universities who conduct master classes and seminars, and share their experiences, thereby boosting students' motivation and offering them the opportunity to engage in interesting experiments.

The purpose of today's conference was to listen to the evaluations, comments, and proposals of the conference participants, which will certainly be taken into consideration when working on the "Summer and Winter Schools Project" for the 2014-2015 academic year. According to Tamar Sanikidze, following the conference, the strengths and weaknesses of the project will be analyzed, and for the upcoming academic year, the project will be continued more comprehensively and successfully, with the primary focus shifted toward funding projects that ensure greater involvement of students from the regions.

The conference was attended by: the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Georgian and foreign students, professors and teachers, and heads of higher educational institutions.