The 8th Meeting of the International Coordination Council of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia

On February 21, 2019, the 8th meeting of the renewed International Coordination Council of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia was held.

Since 2015, the Foundation has had a collegial body, the International Coordination Council, whose members include leading Georgian and foreign scientists as well as representatives of the Government of Georgia. The Council provides recommendations to the Foundation and assists in defining its strategic priorities.

The meeting of the International Coordination Council was attended by:

• Roger Cashmore - Professor at the University of Oxford, former Director of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) (United Kingdom) - Chairman of the Council;
• Melita Kovačević - Professor at the University of Zagreb (Croatia);
• Zaal Kokaia - Director of the Stem Cell Center at Lund University, Professor (Sweden);
• Tiziano Camporesi - Head of the CMS Experiment at the European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN (Switzerland);
• Ludovico Pontecorvo - Technical Coordinator of the ATLAS Experiment at the European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN (Switzerland);
• Satoshi Mihara - Advisor to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, Full Professor at the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization - KEK (Japan) (participated via “Skype”).

Zviad Gabisonia, Director General of the Foundation, Deputy Directors General Nino Gachechiladze and Jaba Samushia, as well as heads of departments and services, presented and discussed the following issues with the Council: the new program portfolio and the 2019 work plan (budget and programs; international cooperation; science popularization programs; the Foundation's involvement in international projects; 2019 challenges; activities implemented to promote the participation of Georgian scientists in the European Union Research and Innovation Framework Programme “Horizon 2020”; Georgia's accession to EURAXESS; ongoing reforms in the field of science and activities planned within the framework of the reform; introduction of European Research Council (ERC) standards in science management; publication of the electronic scientific journal “Georgian Science”).