The French Embassy in Georgia to Announce New Programs for the Promotion of Science and Research
Mikheil Batiashvili, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, and Deputy Minister Irina Abuladze held a working meeting with the new Ambassador of France to Georgia, Diego Colas. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Embassy: Cultural Attachรฉ Elรฉonore Garnier, Attachรฉ for University and Scientific Cooperation Ketevan Kurtsikidze, and Coordinator for Linguistic and Educational Affairs David Tortry.
Minister Mikheil Batiashvili introduced the ongoing reforms in the education system, which encompass all levels of education, to the guests. He noted that within the framework of bilateral cooperation, it is important to strengthen the teaching of the French language both in public schools and at the higher education level.
Deputy Minister Irina Abuladze, for her part, touched upon the issue of approving school textbooks and emphasized the necessity of the involvement of international organizations in this process. According to her, in order to improve the quality of French language teaching, it is important to integrate textbooks utilized in the French educational process into the Georgian educational space. Ambassador Diego Colas expressed readiness to support this process.
The meeting also focused on the scholarship programs implemented by the French Embassy in Georgia. According to Diego Colas, their priority is to support young people. Accordingly, the programs are mainly focused on pupils and students. In addition, the embassy's programs also provide training and mobility grants for French-speaking professors. Furthermore, in cooperation with the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia, new programs are planned to be announced to support science and research.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister noted that many Georgian young people receive education in French universities. In the future, it is important that they are provided with a diverse choice of double-degree programs in Georgian universities. The parties expressed their readiness for future cooperation and planned subsequent meetings to discuss specific issues in detail.
