| TBILISI STATE UNIVERSITY |
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Tbilisi State University was founded in 1918 owing to the leadership and huge effort of a famous Georgian historian Ivane Javakhishvili and the group of his followers. It was the first and the only educational body of this type in Caucasus by that time.
Georgia has an ancient tradition of education, as evidenced by the functioning of the School of Philosophy and Rhetoric of Phazisi in Colchis (IV c.); as well as the setting up of cultural-enlightenment centers in Palestine (V c.), Syria (VI c.), Greece (X-XV cc.) and Bulgaria (XI c.); Gelati and Iqalto Academies in Georgia (XI-XII cc.); However, as a result of political-economic decrease and at last becoming the colony of Russia, there had been no national higher educational Institution in Georgia for the next few centuries. Right after Georgia became independent and declared itself a national democratic state, one of the first achievements of Georgian people in the beginning of the 20th century was the foundation of Georgian National University in Tbilisi. Afterwards, through the Bolshevik and Communist period, in spite of the forced ideology and fierce censorship, Tbilisi State University managed to maintain national ardour, devotion to public ideals, raised the best representatives of Georgian intelligentsia, many famous scientific schools in mathematics, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, historiography were also established on the University basis. The foundation of Academy of Science of Georgia and many other higher educational institutions was also encouraged by the University. A new era took start in the University after the collapse of the Soviet Union and re-establishment of independence of Georgia. Together with Christianity, the historical mission of the spiritual care and deepening of national self-consciousness of the country was set as the goals for the University. At the same time a particularly essential objective of the University is to support the development of a democratic society, culture and science, uninterruptible growth of the national level of civilization. That''s why even today with adoration and great respect do Georgian people refer to it a Holy Temple of Science. The University was solemnly opened on 26 January 1918, the day of remembrance of the Georgian King David the Builder. A church in the University garden, named after the King, has been functioning since 5 September 1995. In 1989 the University was named after its founder - Ivane Javakhishvili. Petre Melikishvili, a well-known chemist, merited professor, was elected the first rector of the University. At its commencement, the University had only one faculty - that of philosophy. Ivane Javakhishvili, well-known Georgian historian, delivered the first lecture. At the beginning of 1918 the board of professors and lecturers numbered 18, the student body of the university counted 369 students and 89 free listeners. Today the number of professors involved in tuition and training amounts to 3275, including 55 academicians and corresponding member of the academy, 595 professors and doctors, 1246 assistant professors and candidates of sciences. Over 35 thousand students are studying at the University and its 8 regional branches. The very important rearrangements at the University began on 25 April 1994, when the scientific council of the University adopted "The Concepts of University Education", according to which since the year 1994 the University has entirely transferred to the two-stage form of study (the step-by-step rearrangements were launched in 1992) and moved forward to the integration in the European educational environment. At the end of the I stage of the reform implemented, in the beginning of the year 2005, the bodies functioning at TSU were: 22 faculties with 184 chairs, 8 branches with 46 faculties, 3 scientific-research and study-scientific institutes, 81 scientific-research laboratories and centers, 161 study laboratories and rooms, clinical hospitals and diagnostic centers, publishing and editorial houses, the library with 3640693 items, 5 dormitories. 95 educational programs were used at the bachelor''s course, 194 - at master''s studies and 16 - at the single-step tuition. At the end of the II stage of the reform implemented, in the beginning of the year 2007, the bodies functioning at TSU were 6 faculties: Exact and Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Medicine. The University has eight branches in the country- in Sukhumi, Meskheti, Ozurgeti, Sighnaghi (kakheti), Zugdidi, Qvemo Qartli (Marneuli), Javakheti and Poti. In addition to basic studies, some scientists have focused their attention on applied work over the recent period, achieving substantial progress. Many important projects have been drafted out, recommendations have been developed and concrete results have been obtained. Their implementation will doubtlessly contribute to the advance of Georgian science and scholarship and development of the national economy. Special attention is given to the study of natural resources of Georgia, searching for ways of environmental problems. Regional and national peculiarities, historic traditions and prospects are taken into account in the study of various problems. Tbilisi University has close contacts with many foreign scientific and educational centres. These are: the University of Saarland and Jena (Germany), Emory University, Georgia State University, Bevard, Mount Holyoke and Williams College (USA), Saint Mary''s University (Canada), Warsaw and Lodz Uiversities (Poland), Malaga and Salamanca Universities (Spain), Nantes, Paris 8, Paris 13, Grenoble and Toulon Universities (France), Bristol Polytechnical Institute, Brunel and London Universities (Great Britain), Budapest EЖtvЖs Lorand University (Hungary), Bilkent, Trabzon Black Sea and Ankara Universities (Turkey), Palermo, Rome and Sapienza, Piza and Venice Universities (Italy), Athens, Pirueus, Ioanina and Saloniki Universities (Greece), International Centre of Nuclear Physics, Aarhis University (denmark), Bucharest University (Romania), University of Vienna (Austria), Tehran and Gilan Universities (Ira), Cairo University (Egypt), Universities and scientific centers of the former Soviet Union, namely the Universities of Moscow, st.Petersburg, Kiev, Baku, etc., Association of European Universities, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and other international organizations; Various universities and scientific centers of former Soviet Union, namely, the universities of Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Kiev, Odessa, Yerevan, Baku, etc. The University has the tradition of electing the foreign scientists and public figures for the honorary doctors of Tbilisi State University. Students are widely involved in scientific researches at the University. Students'' scientific conferences are held on an annual basis. The University students actively participate in amateur performances. The chamber orchestra, the choir, the people''s theatre, song companies of boys and girls, choreographic and modern dance companies, the theatre of one actor and pantomime, the theatre and studio "Mermisi" function at the University centre of culture and art. "Man-San-Kan", the club of the merry and the ready-witted, enjoys wide popularity among the youth. The achievements of the University students in sports are notable. The students actively participate in various competitions both in Georgia and abroad, upholding the sporting honor of the country and the University; many champions of the world, Europe and Georgia, well-known sportsmen graduated from and are still studying at the University. |
