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Tbilisi State University’s Zugdidi Branch May Be Liquidated

April 16, 2007

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“Zugdidi must turn into a town for universities,” this is a statement of Mikheil Saakashvili and it is put up on the walls in Zugdidi based institutes. A lot of things have changed since that statement was made. Only one out of ten high schools could obtain accreditation; that was Zugdidi Independent University. Because of lack of material base Tbilisi State University’s (TSU) Zugdidi branch could not obtain accreditation. However, it could accept certain amount of students in 2006-2007 academic year and consequently freshmen entered the institute in September. Next year, only Zugdidi Independent University will have right to accept students.

Both students and lecturers were seriously concerned about the information that the Zugdidi Branch of the TSU should be closed down. At present nearly 1400 students learn there; 900 out of whom are students of the first, second and third years. According to the initial information, the Ministry will distribute those 900 students to various institutes. The exact names of those institutes are not identified yet.

According to Teona Khufneia, interim Director of the TSU Zugdidi Branch, the high school is not liquidated yet and the classes are still going on there. However, she pointed out that the danger of closing down the institute is real. Under the Georgian Law on high education, Article 82, section VI, before academic year of 2007-2008 public legal entities-High Schools should introduce the Georgian Ministry of Education and Science with proposals on the reasonability of establishing their regional branches as high schools. Thus, next year, branches of central high schools will no more exist in the town.

Teona Khufenia said that only students of the fourth year will be granted with diplomas of the branch. The others will be distributed to various high schools. “Initially the branch of the TSU was opened because of hard social and economical situation in the region. Most of the local people could not send their children to the capital to get high education. 90% of our students are able to get high education without leaving their families. They arrive from Khobi, Chkhorotskhu and Tsalenjikha districts. There are some students who come from Gali district and they return home in the evening. The students of the branch decided to enter the institute because it was suitable for their place of residence. They could not go to another city to learn,” said Teona Khufenia. Besides that nearly two hundred employees of the high school will stay unemployed if the institute is liquidated.
Lana Tabaghua is a third year student of the TSU Zugdidi branch; she is from Gali and rents a flat with her sister who is in her fourth year at the institute. Lana said that her sister is lucky because she is graduating from the institute this year. “We have entered the Zugdidi branch of the TSU because we could not move to another city. We can often travel to our family from here and parents also come to bring some products. If I have to move to another city I doubt I will be able to go on studies,” said Tabaghua.

Many other students like Lana will not be able to move to another city to go on with studies. Irina Gvajaia is one of those students who go to the University from the village every day. “I live in the village of Orulu and I take a bus everyday to get to the university. I spend three lari on my transportation a day. Even it is a large sum for my family and that‘s why I decided to enter the branch of the TSU. I could not afford living and studies in another city. If the institute is liquidated I will not certainly be able to go on with my studies. Many of my group mates share my opinion,” said Gvajaia.

Zugdidi branch of the TSU could not obtain accreditation because of lack of material base. According to the MP Nazi Aronia, if the local authority had been more active, they could maintain the institute like it happened about the Samtskhe-Javakheti Branch of the TSU. “Unfortunately, local authority failed to resolve the problem positively together with the Ministry of Education. I am very sorry that the Zugdidi no loner will be a town for Universities and there will not be a branch of the TSU there. One of the demands was to establish a dormitory for near the building of the institute. Javakheti branch could manage to build the dormitory within week. Former Governor of the Samegrelo Region, Gigi Ugulava managed to persuade the Ministry to grant the branch the accreditation if the problem of the dormitory was resolved. However, nothing has done to resolve the problem in fact,” said Aronia.

The MP doubts that the students would be able to go on with their studies at the Zugdidi Independent University. “Having obtained accreditation does not mean that it is fully-potential high school where every student will be eager to study. Moreover, the Zugdidi Independent University should obtain accreditation in program as well and it is quite natural if it fails the second stage of accreditation,” Aronia added.

Representative of the local authority denies the MP’s accusations. Ira Jikia, deputy Chairwoman of the Zugdidi Municipality, said that Zugdidi Branch for the TSU continued its existence until now because of local authority’s hard effort. “Since the branch could not obtain accreditation, it is not necessary there were two universities in Zugdidi. We will also have vocational colleges. Thus, Zugdidi will be a town for universities,” said Jikia.

If the Zugdidi branch of the TSU is closed down there will be only accredited institute in the town. However, neither Zugdidi Independent University will be able to accept 900 students.

Djemal Pachkoria, Deputy Rector of the Zugdidi Independent University said that their university cannot make decision on accepting the students or not. “The Ministry decides the quota students in the university. At present we have 402 quotas and 380 students. So we can accept students according to that quota. As for mass acceptation of the students we cannot make similar decision on our own,” said Pachkoria.

Until it is finally settled what will be the fate of the Zugdidi branch of the TSU the students are collecting signatures and they are going to petition to the Ministry of Education in order to be granted with the right to finish studies at the institute.

Nana Sajaia, Zugdidi

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