There Is a Smell of Gunpowder at Gori University

Students of Medical Faculty within the Gori State University blame University Administration for inattention. Klara Elchibegashvili, rector of the University said in her conversation with the Human Rights Center (HRIDC) that students’ rights are not violated at the high school and have no reasons for complaining.

Students of the Medical Faculty, who have graduated from the Gori State University this year, claim the opposite.

According to Georgian legislation high medical education is divided into two and three stages. At Gori State University medical education consists of two stages so students learn only five years. However, in order to receive doctor’s qualification they have to take six-year-course.

Because of the situation in 2000 Gori State University drew up a contract with Tbilisi Academy for Classical and Traditional Medicine. According to the contract graduates of the Gori State University, who wish to go on with their studies and take doctor’s qualifications, must take third stage of the education at Tbilisi Academy.

The contract between these two institutions is a one-page document that does not give information about dates, rights and responsibilities of the parties. It does not demonstrate any other necessary requisites for similar contract.

This year twelve students finished five-year medical faculty and three of them wants to take doctor’s qualification. However, as Gori University has signed contract with the Academy of Traditional Medicine the young people have faced serious dilemma. The Academy could not obtain accreditation and consequently it cannot accept students.

Eka Farekhelashvili, a student for Medical Faculty: “If I do not take the sixth year, it means I wasted those five years because with my present diploma I might be lucky enough to start work only as a pharmacist or a nurse. None of medical centers will employ me with this diploma even for nurse’s position.”

The students demand the Gori University to draw up a new contract with High School which will have received accreditation. Otherwise the students will appeal to the court.

Tiko Doghozashvili (a student): “When I was taking entrance exams to the University, they promised us that we would not have any problems. We are ready to pay for the third stage of medical education if there is any institute which will accept us. Our University did not give other choice for us. We think our rights are violated here. The students who finished their five-year-course last year could not get job wherever they applied to. So we will never use our diplomas.”

Klara Elchibegashvili, the rector of the University wondered “What problem have my students encountered with that they applied to Human Rights Center? We work regarding this problem very seriously and I have spent whole day in Tbilisi for that reason. We have explained to all our students the situation. A former, dean, who is already old person, encourages them to appeal against us; but the fact is that this person was not fired by Klara Elchibegashvili but the law reduced him. This person accepted those students five years ago and now is trying to confuse them. I respect that man but his re-appointment to his old position is beyond my competence (Elchibegashvili spoke about Givi Khachidze, former Dean of Medical Faculty at Gori State University).

Rector of the University stated that the question of the Academy will be soon discussed by the accreditation commission of the Ministry of Education. Elchibegashvili said that students can take the sixth course at the Gori University because they have all conditions and qualified lecturers for similar courses.

Zurab Tielidze, current Dean of Medical Faculty, considers that the rights of the students were violated five years ago when those people were accepted at High School based on similar agreement. As for current Administration, they do their best to resolve the problem but they have failed so far.

Tsiuri Duruli the head of the Quality Ensuring Service Department at the Gori University thinks that children’s rights are not violated at all. Amendments to the law caused some complications but it is no fault of the University Administration.

“I am surprised with the ambitions of those students. According to the Minister’s resolution our five-year-diploma equals Master’s Degree but they receive the qualification of a nurse. These children say they want to be surgeons, etc. We try to obtain the right for the sixth year of the medical education, but if we cannot get it, we will sign a new contract with some other accredited institute. We also offer them to take master’s degree in Bio-Chemistry at our university. Thus we have various offers and I cannot understand why they have applied to you; why are they worrying and getting nervous?” said Tsiuri Duruli.

Thea Tedliashvili, Gori