Dr. Kopaliani has more than two decades of professional experience in the Georgian banking sector, including extensive experience in managerial positions. Her banking career spans Bank of Georgia, VTB Bank Georgia, and Basisbank. She managed a service centre at Bank of Georgia and subsequently headed the Kutaisi branches of VTB Bank Georgia and Basisbank. Her industry experience informs her teaching, enabling her to connect theoretical concepts with practical challenges in banking and business.
Irine Kopaliani participated in two grant-funded projects of the Vocational Skills Agency Georgia aimed at developing digital educational resources on banking-related topics for vocational education students. She also contributed to a research project on financial literacy and sustainable regional development. During her time at Basisbank, she served as an ambassador for Finedu, the National Bank of Georgia’s financial education platform, delivering financial literacy lessons to school students under its auspices.
Her research interests include banking competition, responsible lending, financial literacy, financial technologies, and the digital transformation of the banking sector. She has authored and co-authored papers published in Georgian and international peer-reviewed academic journals. She has also participated in international academic conferences. Her recent research focuses on the digitalization of banking services, the development of the Georgian Banking Digital Readiness Index (GBDRI), and the assessment of digital maturity in Georgia’s banking sector. She also contributes to the expert evaluation and review of doctoral dissertations.
Combining academic expertise with practical leadership experience in the banking sector, Irine Kopaliani seeks to strengthen the connection between research and practice.
